The way the brakes on your vehicle work is that you apply pressure to the brake pedal, and then hydraulic fluid flows out of the master cylinder and into the calipers on each wheel. The hydraulic fluid applies pressure to the caliper, which presses the brake pads against the rotor. This is what causes the vehicle to come to a stop when using the brakes.

In order for all of this to work properly, you need to have brake pads that are in good condition. If the brake pads are too thin it is going to cause problems with your vehicle's performance with braking and potentially cause damage to your vehicle. Here are some signs that you need new brake pads.

Squealing Noise

Brake pads are designed to make noise when the brake pads have worn down to the point of replacement. This is because there is no way to check the thickness of the brake pad unless you get underneath your vehicle, which most people are not going to do.

The wear indicator works by having a piece of metal that sticks out slightly past the back portion of the brake pad. Once the brake pad wears down to the point where it is almost gone, that wear indicator will come in contact with the rotor while there is still a small amount of the brake pad left. It creates a loud squealing noise which you will be sure to notice since it only happens when you apply pressure to the brakes.

Grinding Noise

If you ignore the squealing sound, it may turn into a grinding sound. This happens when the back plate of the brake pad starts rubbing against the rotor, which creates a totally different sound. This means that you are far past the point of needing new brake pads.

Long Braking Distance

Your bakes are not going to perform as well as they should when the brake pads are worn down. You may notice this when your vehicle takes longer to come to a complete stop when you apply pressure to the brakes. This is because the brake pads are worn down in places and are not coming completely in contact with the rotor to apply the necessary pressure that you need to come to a stop.

Reach out to a brake service near you if you are experiencing any of these symptoms with your brakes.