Cold Season Driving: Should You Service Your Brakes Soon?

The cold season can create a number of issues for drivers each year, including brake system problems. Roads covered in snow, salt, and ice can weaken and even corrode the parts in your brake system. If you drive your vehicle regularly during the cold season, service your brake system soon. Learn how the cold season affects your brakes and why you should service your brakes below. 

How Does Snow, Salt, and Ice Affect Your Brakes?

Canada's weather can be harsh during the cold season. To keep vehicles from sliding on the icy and snowy roads in Canada, officials deice the roads with salt. Although salt makes it easier for drivers to navigate the roads, it can also damage the brake systems of some vehicles. 

The chemicals used to create deicing salt cause steel and other metals to rust over time. Many of the parts sitting along the undercarriage of your vehicle contain steel, including the calipers, lines, and rotors in your brake system. Particles of salt can fly off the road and coat the surfaces of your brakes. The coatings of salt can stick to your brakes and slowly corrode them. The corrosive parts can eventually fail. 

If you haven't serviced your brakes in a long time, see a mechanic immediately.

How Do You Protect and Secure Your Brakes?

A mechanic can examine the surfaces of your brakes to see if they contain thick pieces of salt. A mechanic can also see if your brake parts contain rust. If the parts in your brake system contain salt, a mechanic may clean them with an alkaline-based product. Alkaline products neutralize the chemicals that cause rust and corrosion. A mechanic may also use other methods to remove the salt buildup from your brake system. 

A mechanic will also replace any parts in your brake system that contain rust. Even the tiniest bit of rust can damage your brakes in the future. Rust can also spread to other metal pieces in your vehicle, including the engine, frame, and wheels. You want to keep your vehicle in good condition for as long as you own and drive it. 

If a mechanic finds anything else wrong with your brake system, such as brake line leaks and kinks, they'll fix it right away. If brake fluid leaks from your vehicle, your brakes may potentially stick in place or fail. 

Contact a brake repair shop near you for more information.