Protect yourself and your vehicle by taking good care of your brakes.

It's time to check and/or service your brakes when:

• The red "brake" lamp on the dash lights up.
• Your "ABS" or "Anti-lock" dash indicator is lit while you are driving.
• You can hear a grinding sound or squealing coming from the wheel area.
• The brake system feels different, such as a softer brake pedal or pulling to one side when stopping.
• A qualified Kal Tire technician can thoroughly inspect and service these parts of your brake system:

1) Master cylinder

The heart of your brake system, the master cylinder pumps brake fluid to the wheel cylinder or calipers when you push down on the brake pedal. The fluid reservoir level of the brake system can and should be visually inspected from time to time. It is recommended that brake fluid should be replaced about every 40,000 km.

2) Calipers and wheel cylinders

The function of the calipers (for disc brakes) and wheel cylinders (for drum brakes) is to convert the energy of the pressurized brake fluid into pressure to operate the brakes. A periodic inspection for leaks around the rubber seals should be carried out to maintain good working order.

3) ABS sensors and controller

Your ABS system is electronically controlled. This system detects problems of which, some can be self-corrected, while others will shut down the ABS system, which causes the ABS light on the dash to be illuminated. Some problems are recorded in the vehicles computer for the technician's reference when servicing the braking system.

4) Brake pads and shoes

An inspection will determine if you need to replace the linings of your brake pads and shoes. This procedure is referred to as a "brake job" and should be carried out frequently for maximum performance.

5) Parking brake

If you don't use your parking brake regularly, ask your technician to lubricate the cables and check the adjustment, as the potential problem here is corrosion.