Usually it's low brake fluid or a problem with the abs. Check the brake fluid reservoir. Often the brake fluid will go down as the brake pads wear and the calipers has to travel further.
brake fluid changes and brake inspections should be done atleast every two years, mainly the brake fluid has a tendancy to soak up moisture in the air and then this accumulated water tends to boil in the lines and calipers and brake cylinders during use, causing air pockets and a degradtion of braking, and can cause a complete loss of brakes at times.
Well,how often do you slam on your brakes? Calipers last a really long time, and as long as you get brake pads as soon as you need them, and don't get your rotors all ground up and ruined, you won't need calipers for quite a while.
You should check your brake fluid every three months to make sure the levels are okay. If the levels are down, replace the fluids immediately...better safe than sorry.
check your brake lights often to make sure they are clean and working properly
This problem occurs mostly with disc brakes. Over time moisture can condensate inside the calipers causing rust and the calipers to stick. This can cause excessive brake wear. Ford SUVs are especially prone to caliper problems and the Explorer line often wore out the brake pads within 10k miles..
Sometimes it happens and there is not much you can do about that. Sticky brakes are cause by malfunctioning front brake calipers (have to be replaced if it happens). Or sticky brake cylinders (does not happen often). Anyway before drawing any conclusions you need to find out which one is stuck and than make decisions. PS: Sometimes hand brake rod will get stuck, make sure that you check that too.
i had a similar prob but it was related to the brake booster. it is a cylendrical device that creates brake pressure and when deffective causes the brakes to be engadged and causes brake wear and slow gas mileage and warpping of brake drums and excessive wear of brake pads..... often over-looked.
AnswerMy car had a problem like that also, I changed the front brake rotors and the problem went away. If replacing the brake pads and rotors does not solve the problem, you may have an issue with one or both of your calipers. Often calipers can sieze partially or completely. This will make the brake distribution uneven between the front wheels and can lead to shaking or pulsing when applying the brakes.
brake linings should be checked at 15,000 and 25,000 miles and then every 5,000 miles after that.
If you are looking for more information on how often should a brake inspection be performed on cars, the best place to look for the information is on www.autorepairadvisors.com/preventative_maintenance_helps_.htm
There is no set time or even mileage to change ANY brake pads. It depends entirely on the quality of pads and how you drive. -You should check them every 6 months and when they get down to 3/32 of brake material that's the time to change.