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Brakes Grinding When Stopping?

1/20/2020

 
It might not be as bad as you think.  Many brake pads have a small piece of metal that sticks out (see picture).
That small strip of metal is design to drag on the rotor and make a grinding noise when the pads are close to wearing out.

That noise is obnoxious, and most people take it to a shop to find out what's going on.  However, there is likely still some pad material left, which makes driving your vehicle safe, just not very pleasant.

When this happens it's a good idea to call your local auto repair shop to schedule a time for them to look at the brakes.  Most likely you'll need new pads and rotors to regain the stopping power you had when the car was new.
Brake Pad Replacement St Louis Park, MN
Brake pad wear indicator
The flip side to this is that not all pads have wear indicators.  So, if you year a grinding noise, and your pads don't have wear indicators, then it's likely that all of the pad material is used up and you have a real safety concern on your hands.  I see this quite frequently, and it can eventually ruin the calipers which can be expensive to replace.

Ultimately, the best practice is to have your brakes checked regularly by a shop you trust.  They can alert you to changes in your pad wear before you experience any grinding and help you plan out the repair so it isn't a surprise at a bad time, like when you just spent a bunch of money on Christmas presents.  Plus, a great shop can spot abnormal or uneven wear, which can lengthen your stopping distances, even though the pads aren't officially worn out.

So, if you are hearing a grinding it's time to take it in to your favorite shop.  If you don't have a regular shop, give me a call.  I can take a look at it for you.

- Joe

Toyota Oil Change Coupons

1/20/2020

 
Looking for oil change coupons for your Honda or Toyota? 

You are in luck. 
.
​Here's a $10 off coupon you can use with any full synthetic oil change on your Honda, Toyota, Lexus or Acura.  
Toyota Oil Change Coupon

What is a Synthetic Oil Change?

1/20/2020

 
Well, oil changes are a lot like marbles...
Synthetic Oil Change Near Me
Let's start with a synthetic oil change, so.....imagine a jar of marbles.  Imagine that the entire jar was filled with small marbles that were all the same size.  If you poured it out on the table you'd expect those marbles to flow smoothly and perfectly through the opening of the jar, and spill out across the table.  This is how synthetic oil behaves in your engine.  It easily flows through the tiny holes and crevices without any trouble.

Now, imagine that the jar was filled with marbles of different sizes.  If you tried to pour that jar out on a table, you might find that some of the time the big marbles would tend to plug up the opening of the jar, preventing the flow of marbles out onto the table.  This situation is a lot like how conventional motor oil behaves in your engine.

So, what does all of this mean for your engine?  Well, take a look at this little part...
Picture

This is a rocker from a Ford V8 engine.  See that little black round hole (the size of a pencil led) in the bottom left of the picture?  That hole is used to squirt oil up onto that little wheel in the middle.

So back to our marbles....can you see how the more consistent-sized jar of marbles would easily flow through that tiny hole and provide more lubrication of that wheel?  It gets worse, as engines age, these tiny holes and crevices get even smaller as they slowly plug up with dirt and engine sludge, making it even harder for the oil to pass through.

This is why we recommend running full synthetic oil in every car and truck.  With modern engine technology, the engines need the more consistent oil to maintain adequate lubrication.  In that Ford V8 we just talked about there are 24 of those little holes and countless other little ports and crevices that all impact the ability of the oil to sneak though and lubricate the engine.  Using synthetic oil makes sure that all of these components are lubricated and working smoothly...and that helps keep repair costs down, and your car out of the shop.

At Motolux, we carry many name brand oils ranging from 0w-40 to 5w30 and all of the important specs like LL01, VW 502, MB 229.5 and many more.  It's important to us to use the correct oil to keep your vehicle operating like new and prevent costly repairs.
Picture

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    We are Joe and Laura and we own Motolux.

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St. Louis Park, MN


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