Suppose you push on the brakes and the petal goes down a little further than you expected. Suppose you were going to stop in the parking lot, and it appeared the brakes didn’t respond the first time you put your foot on the petal. Is there a problem?

Until this incident occurred you probably haven’t given your brake system much thought. Sure, you know your brakes should be inspected and serviced every once in a while… but how do they actually make your car stop with just a tap of the foot?

When you really stop and think, you realize brakes are a pretty amazing invention. They have the power to bring a large, multi-ton machine traveling at 70 miles per hour to a complete stop with just a push of the pedal. This ability is all thanks to science!

A moving car has a lot of kinetic energy, meaning “energy in motion.” To stop your car, your brakes must eliminate that kinetic energy. When you push your foot to the pedal, a connected lever will be pushed into a small cylinder filled with hydraulic fluid in its reservoir. This causes the hydraulic fluid to travel through a system of lines into other larger cylinders, or calipers, located by the wheel. When fluid enters the caliper, this pushes the caliper to actuate the brake pad against the brake rotor. When the brake pad and brake rotor meet, this generates friction which in turn slows down the outer wheel and tire… bringing your car to a complete stop! Simple, right?

The brakes themselves are one of two types: disc brakes or drum brakes. Drum brakes appear similar to a drum, hence the name. Drum brakes have shoes located inside the drum which are pushed outward when you press your brake pedal. This causes the shoes to rub the inside of the drum and slow the wheel. Disc brakes operate a bit differently. Disc brakes use a metal rotor which spins with the wheel. When you push the pedal, a caliper squeezes the brake pads against the rotor and slows the wheel. This action is very similar to the one you would use to stop a spinning disc by squeezing it between your fingers!

The next time you drive your vehicle, take a moment to appreciate your brake system and the science used to bring your car to a halt with just the tap of a pedal. Take care of your brake system by having it inspected and serviced regularly by an experienced technician to ensure that when you need your car to stop, it will.

Lim’s Auto Body is a full service auto body and mechanical repair shop locally owned and operated in Largo, Florida. For more information, go to our web site www.limsautobody.com or call (727) 422-3232.

That can be the scariest part about driving a car – the thought of being out somewhere

Check Car radiator,Check car yourself,Car maintenance,Check water in Car radiator self.

away from the beaten path and your car won’t start. If your vehicle won’t start then there is a chance that you would just need a jump start, but before you try that you should verify that your “security” light is not flashing. If it is then your problem probably does not have anything to do with the battery or starter, it is most likely because your security system is not letting it start.

If this is the case then you need to read your owners manual to see how to fix this or contact your dealer. Since all makes and models are different there is no universal way to turn off the security system. If the security light is NOT flashing then you need to start checking the other things that can cause a no start.

What to Do If Your Car Won’t Turn Over

If your car will not turn over (make noise and do what it usually does right before it starts) then there are several things to check.

Car Battery Connections

The first thing to check is your battery. There are several ways to do this. The best way is to have it load tested. Most auto parts stores and many repair shops will do this for free. This test is the MOST reliable test to see if your battery is good or not.

If you can’t or don’t want to do this test, you can try turning on all your accessories (heater, radio, lights, etc.). After they are all on, go out and see how bright the lights are. If they are dim this tells you that the battery is probably not as strong as it should be.

Another good test requires a multimeter (also called a DVOM). These are cheap (under $20) and you can use it to run lots of diagnostics on your car.

After you have your meter, check the battery voltage to see how many volts it has with none of your accessories on and your key off. It should have a MINIMUM OF 12.4 VOLTS. Many people think that a fully charged battery should have 12 volts, but a fully charged battery should actually have approximately 12.6 volts.

The battery is the most common cause if your car won’t start. The next most common cause is the battery cables not being tight or they are too corroded. This is an easy thing to check…just try to wiggle them. If they move, then they are too loose. Also look for white or blue buildup on the connections. This is an indication that the cables are corroded.

If your battery is good, the next most common cause if your car won’t start is the starter. Many times when the starter starts going out you will hear clicking noises from your engine compartment and sometimes it will take more than one try to get your car to start. If your battery is bad it can cause these same symptoms as well so be sure to check your battery FIRST.

The best way to test your starter (If you have already tested your battery) is to put the multimeter leads on your battery and have someone try to start the vehicle. Read the voltage at this time. If the voltage drops below 9.6 volts then it is likely that your starter is faulty.

If you are having starting problems it is possible that your ignition switch is going bad, but it is very unlikely as they do not go bad very often. This can be diagnosed fairly quickly at most good auto repair shops, but is more difficult for the home mechanic.

What to Do If Your Car Turns Over But Won’t Start

If your car DOES turn over but your car won’t start then everything gets harder. The reason for this is that there are WAY more things that can cause a no start when the car will turn over but not start. The most common causes for this type of problem are:

Fuel pressure, camshaft sensor, crankshaft sensor, ignition problems, etc.

Testing these components can get very technical so my recommendation is to take your car to a good repair shop. Many times people just start replacing parts, and end up spending a lot more money that it would have taken them to just take it to a professional to have it diagnosed.

Lim’s Auto Body is a full service auto body and mechanical repair shop locally owned and operated in Largo, Florida. For more information, go to our web site www.limsautobody.com or call (727) 422-3232.