The brakes are one of the most important functions of your car. No one wants their brakes to fail when you need to slow down. At Langley's, we do more than just a standard brake pad replacement. We do a full brake inspection that includes checking fluid, rotors, ABS, and hydraulic systems to keep you and your family safe. We know how important your car is to your everyday life, and Langley's Auto will make sure you are taken care of.

A brake service at Langley’s will involve a through and comprehensive inspection on your brakes including rotors, calipers, pads, wheel cylinders, brake drums, fluid condition, hoses, hardware, bearings, and seals.

When should I service my brakes?

Keeping the brake system of your vehicle well-maintained is crucial. Generally, brake pads last about 4 years or 50,000 miles, but can require replacement sooner or later depending on the mileage and the way you drive.

Signs of brake problems often fall into one of two categories: making noise, or a pulsation in the brake pedal.

Most brake pads have an audible brake wear indicator. This is a small piece of metal that rubs on your brake rotor when the brake pads are worn to the point where they should be replaced. The noise is a chirp or a soft squeal.

Pedal pulsation is another noticeable issue. When your rotor is not in perfect alignment, it pushes against the brake pads unevenly as you apply the brakes. There could be a number of reasons for this. The rotor and wheel hub may not be jiving well, causing the rotor to be spinning out of alignment. This uneven mating of the brakes and rotors means less contact and bad braking power.

ABS Warning Light

The ABS system does a self-test every time you turn on the ignition. Once you start your vehicle, the light will come on briefly, and if the computer finds a problem, the light will stay on.

If the ABS light comes on while you’re driving, it means the ABS is not working properly. Your brakes will still work, but the ABS might not engage if you need to make an emergency stop. Bring it to Langley’s Auto Service where our car repair professionals can diagnose the issue as fast as possible. Since the ABS helps with vehicle control and stopping distances, this is a very important light to keep an eye on.

If both the ABS and the brake system light come on at the same time, your vehicle is no longer safe to drive. This means there is a serious problem with the braking system, and continuing to drive puts yourself and others at risk of a car crash.

As you are braking heavily and your ABS engages, you will notice the brake pedal pulsating. This is completely normal and it means the ABS system is working normally. The ABS works with your braking system to create this pulsating so the wheels do not lock up. Once you feel this pulsating, keep your foot on the brake pedal and let the ABS system do the work for you. All you need to do is concentrate on steering safely.

Give us a call any time you are concerned with your vehicle, especially your brakes. 301-689-3768

Brake Pad Replacement

Often when customers are comparing brake pricing and services, they’ll come across an ad for a brake service that’s extremely cheap. Although this might seem like a lucky find, take caution. This may indicate that the auto repair shop is doing what the automotive industry calls “pad slaps.” A pad slap is not a complete brake job and certainly not a long-term solution.

This service is a brake job where you just “slap” on new brake pads and reuse the old brake hardware and brake rotors (brake discs). A stand-alone brake pad replacement like this is a bare minimum brake service, and it’s not a repair we recommend or perform at Langley’s Auto Service.

Brake pads and rotors work together to stop your vehicle. Over time, the rotors develop a “glaze,” or hardened surface, and unique wear patterns. New pads may not be shaped to fit the old rotors, which will send you back to the shop with brake noises, vibrations, and premature wear on your new pads.

At Langley’s Auto, we don’t recommend just getting the brake pads replaced. It’s our goal to get you back on the road safely, and putting a Band-Aid or quick fix on your brakes isn’t the solution.

Rotor Resurfacing

in the case of slight irregularities, resurfacing rotors removes any grooves, pits, or hotspots that could cause problems. But unfortunately this is an outdated practice.

Resurfacing decreases the thickness of the rotors. And the thinner the rotor is, the faster it heats up and wears down. Rotors can usually only be resurfaced once, if at all, before they must be replaced.

Langley’s Auto Service does not recommend renewing the lining of your rotors because if it is too thin, it can be noisy and interfere with your brake safety. We do not resurface brakes for those safety reasons.

Brake Pad Replacement and Rotor Replacement

The most complete brake service includes fully replacing brake pads and rotors, which gives you better stopping power and more fade resistance.

Like brake pads, brake rotors wear out over time. Brake rotors must meet a certain thickness requirement to be considered safe. If they are thinner than the manufacturer’s recommended thickness, then you need to replace your brake rotors immediately.

Some vehicles always require new pads and rotors because the rotors cannot be resurfaced. In fact, 99% of German cars are this way. Their rotors are made from a softer metal, so by the time their pads wear down, the rotors are already below what we call the “discard thickness.” This means that the rotor has already reached the minimum acceptable thickness and must be fully replaced.

However, if you’re on a tight budget, as long as your brake rotors are above the minimum recommended level and the vehicle manufacturer does not require that the rotors be replaced when new brake pads are installed, resurfacing the rotors might be an acceptable approach.

But for optimum brake performance and safety, always choose to replace your brake rotors when replacing your brake pads.