- You may have been told to replace your brake pads every year but didn't listen. Now you hear a "metal scraping metal" sound every time you hit the brakes. That's your rotor scraping against the metal brake disc because your brake pad wore through. Change your brake pads and have your mechanic double-check that your rotor isn't damaged.
- Are you hearing a squeaking when you hit the brakes? Do your stop-on-a-dime ABS brakes now stop in about a foot or so? You probably need brake fluid. You should check your brake fluid every time you check your oil. It's that important for your safety.
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Gap between tone wheel and speed sensorOne of the benefits of anti-lock brakes is the speed sensor that predicts when the wheels will lock up and prevents it. However, the gap between the tone wheel and the speed sensor is an area where foreign objects can get stuck and damage communication between the speed sensor and brakes. - If the ABS light comes on for no reason, this could be a malfunction of the computer. Pop up the hood and pull out your vehicle's manual to locate the ABS computer. Look over the wires around the computer for any dirt, disconnections, kinks or exposed wires. An auto parts store should sell cleaner specifically for ABS computers.
