When you have a busy schedule and heavily rely on your service center to schedule your next car inspection, you may actually be ignoring a real problem. The life of brakes will always depend on the driver and the type of driving the driver does. For example, someone with a knack for heavy braking will almost always wear out their brakes quickly because rotors and pads won’t have much of an opportunity cool down properly, leading to increased chances of wear and tear.
Usually your vehicle will tell you when to get your brakes replaced. The following are the symptoms that will notify you that you probably need brake service on your Mini Cooper.
- Vehicle takes longer to brake than usual
- Low braking and grip ability
- Vehicle pulling left or right when braking
- Shaky steering wheel when braking
- Soft brake pedal
- Low brake pedal
- Squeal or high pitched noise when braking
- Brake system warning light is on
For a more preventive maintenance approach, you should visually inspect your Mini Cooper’s brake pads every 12,000 miles. A preventive maintenance approach is always better because it avoids more costly repairs of getting brake calipers and rotors replaced. Both need do not need to be replaced as often as brake pads.
The reasons to stay on top on your brake service primarily have to do with safety. Neglecting brake service on your Mini Cooper not only can lead to more costly repairs, but also to hazardous situations to yourself and others on the road.