Worn brake pads can adversely impact your ability to bring your car to a halt. This can be especially dangerous in an emergency situation when adequately working brakes are a must to help you stop your car promptly. There are some telltale signs of pending brake problems; do you know what they are? Awareness of a problem is the key to avoiding potential harmful consequences; let’s examine some well known warning signs.

Signs of pending brake trouble include the following:

Grinding of the brakes

While some of these problems may necessitate you replacing other brake components, an inspection of your brake pads should reveal that they are worn and are in need of immediate replacement.

Your next course of action depends on your expertise, your time, and on your wallet. Most garages offer a free brake inspection and this can be a wonderful opportunity to have someone else inspect your system to confirm your findings.

Ask your mechanic for a complete diagnosis of your brake system and an estimate on what parts and repairs will cost you. A good garage will give you a print out showing a fairly close estimate of what your costs will be. Throw in your local taxes and the price quoted should be within 95% of the final cost, barring an unforeseen additional problem being detected [for example, brake master cylinder failure].

If you feel reasonably confident that you can do the work yourself, you stand to save yourself plenty of money, at least in labor costs. You can save money with parts, too, by shopping around; the highest prices you pay will likely be through your dealer’s parts department. Prices at a national auto parts supply store should be lower, while prices through an online wholesaler should be about the lowest available as they purchase directly from the manufacturer.

If you decide to purchase online, only obtain parts from a reputable dealer selling parts from trusted manufacturers. Be careful of those sites selling generic parts from overseas merchants. Make sure that you can return what you purchase, if needed, to address in based in the U.S.

Copyright 2005 -- Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for the Auto Parts Warehouse, a wholesaler of fine automobile parts and accessories.

A few years back, a friend of mine brought over his newly purchased and "gently used" 325i to my home. I was nearly as excited for him as he was for himself as this was the car that he had always wanted. A recent promotion and raise at work meant he could ditch his LeSabre for something a bit more classier and a bit more expensive. As he rolled into my driveway I gave the car a good "once over" before my eyes rested on his front left wheel. While the rest of his car looked showroom new, his front wheels were absolutely filthy. So, what was the culprit that messed up my friend’s wheels? Please read on to find out all the sordid details!

Brake dust. Yes, something as simple as dust from the 325i’s brakes messed up my friend John’s wheels. I handed him a sponge and a towel with some lukewarm water and he immediately began to touch up the alloy wheels and tires. Unfortunately, this was only a temporary fix as a few days later his wheels were messed up again. By that time, however, he had already ordered a set of brake dust shields to take care of the problem. Honestly, I never knew such a product existed until he told me about it.

When John’s brake dust shields arrived, I helped him install them and was impressed how easy they went on his car. Brake dust shields are fitted right into the wheel, kind of like an internal hubcap. Each shield is a one piece unit that fits into place without any sort of special tool needed. John’s shields were sized just right for his wheels [order by wheel size to make sure] and his car no longer looks dirty. Best of all, his remaining warranty is not voided with this highly functional aftermarket part.

Another thing I learned about brake dust is that besides looking bad, brake dust can eat away at alloy rims. You can’t use harsh chemicals on your rims to remove the dust nor should you use a high powered spray. Instead, brake shields [or brake dust covers as some people call them] take away the problem altogether leaving your wheels looking great at all times. Brake dust shields are vented too to allow your brakes to cool down.

Brake dust shields are available through select auto parts stores including the Auto Parts Warehouse’s always open online store.

Copyright 2005 -- Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for the Auto Parts Warehouse, a wholesaler of fine automobile parts and accessories. You can order brake dust shields such as Kleen Wheels for your BMW or other fine car.