Why Should You Clean Your Brakes, And What’s The Best Way To Do It?
We hope this doesn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone reading this, but the brakes are quite an important part of your car. Fundamentally, any car does three things – go, turn, and stop – and the brakes are the single biggest factor in making sure that last part is done safely and efficiently.
That means keeping them well-maintained is paramount to the safety of your car and, by extension, you. Sure, you get your pads and discs changed when you need to, but have you ever wondered if you could be doing more to look after them?
Luckily, this is something that can be done with pretty minimal effort and outlay. Picking up some brake cleaner is a great way to keep your brakes functioning as efficiently as possible during day-to-day driving.
Why should I clean my brakes?
As you drive, your brakes will pick up contaminants from the road like dust, dirt and grit. As this builds, it can reduce braking performance and speed up the wear on components like pads and discs.
Debris getting caught in braking assemblies can also lead to those annoying squeaking and grinding noises you’ll sometimes find your car making under braking.
What does brake cleaner do?
Essentially, it’s a form of fast-acting solvent, formulated to dissolve the grime that can accumulate on brakes when it’s sprayed on. This helps extend the life of components, improve brake performance and reduce noise.
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Is it easy to use?
Absolutely. You can perform basic brake cleaning very easily, by carefully spraying brake cleaner through the gaps in the wheels, waiting a few minutes to allow it to do its thing, then optionally using a small, soft brush to work the cleaner into those harder to access areas.
For more thorough cleaning, you’ll want to jack up the car and remove the wheel so you can access the entire braking system, spray it with brake cleaner, then once again, use a brush or a cloth to remove any excess grime.
In any case, you’ll then want to wait a few minutes for the brake cleaner to dry off before you drive again, although many brake cleaners now use a fast-drying formula.
It’s also important to note that brake cleaner should only be used in a well-ventilated area, definitely while wearing gloves and ideally a mask, too. That’s because the chemicals it uses to dissolve the dirt and grime can be pretty nasty if they’re inhaled or get on your skin. It’s also generally suggested that you don’t use it on high-performance cars fitted with carbon ceramic braking systems – these are best cleaned with a pH-neutral solution, or even just soapy water.
How often should I clean my brakes?
While it won’t do much harm to use it more frequently, brake cleaner isn’t the sort of thing you need to use constantly. A few times a year should be sufficient for most people, although as always with these things, the more miles you do, the more you might want to use it.
The good news is that brake cleaner can have other uses, as it’s designed to clean contaminants from metal parts without damaging them. This Triple QX Brake and Clutch Cleaner, for instance, can be used to clean your clutch assembly too if you’re a more advanced home mechanic.
What else can I do to look after my brakes?
One other way of ensuring your brakes are in full working order is to regularly check your brake fluid is topped up. The vast majority of cars use a hydraulic system to transfer the force of your foot on the pedal into actual braking force, and it’s the brake fluid that makes this possible, so a lack of it can have serious consequences for your braking performance.
In most cars, the brake fluid reservoir is located under the bonnet, towards the back of the engine bay. Like the coolant reservoir, it’ll have markers indicating minimum and maximum levels, and the fluid level should sit between these markers.
Ensuring brake fluid level is checked regularly is vital, as if it regularly drops below the minimum, it’s likely indicative of a larger problem. For the occasional top-up, though, you just need to ensure you’re using the correct type of fluid for your car – this is usually indicated on the reservoir filler cap itself, and will be outlined in the handbook too. Alternatively, Euro Car Parts offers a handy online checker – just enter your registration, and you'll find the right brake fluids for your car.
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