Tips for driving on bad brakes

[ladymoreta]

*Panic* So it's been really rainy here lately, and my brakes have always squeaked when it was damp, which is probably why I missed this earlier. When I was almost home from work yesterday, my brakes started grinding whenever I came to a full stop. I planned on taking my car in this weekend to get them repaired. Then, this morning, it sounded even louder when I would stop, so I googled it as when I got to my desk, and now I'm panicking! I scheduled an appointment for right after work today, but these websites have me afraid that my brakes are going to fall apart at any second.

It's about 12 miles from my work to the repair place, and most of it is highway, so I won't need to come to very many complete stops. The brakes aren't making any sound when I use them until the complete stop. I think I'm going to be okay, but any tips to get me there without killing myself or others would be greatly appreciated!

[HouseofWool]

Honestly - if the grinding noise just started you will probably be okay. The rotors will probably need to be machined (not necessarily replaced) because the grinding is metal on metal which generates more heat and warps the rotors.

[Pollyanna]

Do you have AAA? If so you could just have the car towed just to be safe. Let us know what happens.

[ladymoreta]

Thanks! Yes, I have AAA. Do you think I should just have it towed? I get off work at 4:00, and my appointment is for 4:30 (the place closes at 6:00). So I'm kind of afraid that if I have to wait for the tow truck, I'll miss the appointment or have to leave my car overnight and not have a way to work tomorrow. But I also don't want to get into an accident... If it had been happening for a long time, I would definitely have it towed, but I'm kind of thinking like Kris that since it just started yesterday, it will probably be fine. Ugh, I hate making decisions like this!

[Sheherezade]

From what my DH has told me previously, the brakes are designed to make more and more noise as they get worn and old so that the driver will notice before a brake failure. I'm sure if you are set to get them repaired now, you will make it to the repair shop safely.

[Pollyanna]

Thanks! Yes, I have AAA. Do you think I should just have it towed? I get off work at 4:00, and my appointment is for 4:30 (the place closes at 6:00). So I'm kind of afraid that if I have to wait for the tow truck, I'll miss the appointment or have to leave my car overnight and not have a way to work tomorrow. But I also don't want to get into an accident... If it had been happening for a long time, I would definitely have it towed, but I'm kind of thinking like Kris that since it just started yesterday, it will probably be fine. Ugh, I hate making decisions like this!

If you need new brakes you will likely need to leave you car overnight anyway. You pay AAA for a reason, might as well use them. Just call them and explain you situation and I am sure they can help you. The OK group is super nice.

[alison]

Go with Tara's suggestion!!!

[ladymoreta]

Okay, so after stressing about this all morning, it occurred to me to call my dad, who knows a lot about repairing cars. I feel tons better! So, I thought I'd share what he told me for future reference. He said that since it just started, it's probably a warning disk the brake pads have built in that is designed to give an audible warning. It's okay to drive it limited distances, like to the repair place.

Since the sound is coming from the front brakes, I can use the emergency brake for low-speed stops, like on city streets. That only activates the back brakes. You should only use it for stopping at very low speeds, but it works fine if you've almost come to a complete stop.

Also, he said that if the limited amount of driving I have left on these pads is enough to damage the rotors, they were probably to the point of needing to be replaced anyway, so I probably won't be doing much additional damage to them by driving 12 more miles.

Hope this helps if anyone else is in this situation. Thank you for your advice, and I'll let you know how it goes! Could still use good thoughts and prayers that the brakes hold out, but I feel pretty confident as long as I drive carefully.

Also, the guy at the brakes place said he thought they'd be able to fix it this afternoon, so I'm really hoping that I don't end up having to rent a car.

[ladymoreta]

Okay, all safe and sound back home with new brakes! So, it turns out that they only put the "squealer" thingie on one side of your brakes, with the idea that they wear at the same rate, so you only need a warning on one side. My wonderful luck goes that the passenger side of my car was wearing much faster than the driver side, so I had no warning until it was worn all the way down. Lovely...

Moral of today's story - as soon as you hear any kind of grinding, it's bad. Get thee to the repair shop that day! Shouldn't have driven on it today, but I made it, so I'm happy!

[Pollyanna]

glad you are home safe and sound.

[Momo]

I'm glad all is well! Thanks for the info

[SuzySunshine]

Glad you're safe and that the car is fixed

[alison]

What a relief! The part that had me freaked out was that you said it had been rainy. You really can't underestimate the rain/oil from the streets/bad brakes combo.