What to Do When Your Car Starts to Drive Differently

When you drive your vehicle every day, you begin to get accustomed to how it feels going down the road. Often one of the first signs that something needs repair is a change in the way the vehicle feels to the driver. If you notice something different that is persistent, taking the vehicle to an auto repair shop for a check-up is the best place to start. Read on to learn more. 

Handling Changes

Your vehicle should drive straight down the road without pulling to either side or wandering in the lane. If you notice that the car starts to pull one way or the other, the front end feels loose, or the vehicle is wandering a lot, then it needs checking. 

A pull to one direction could be a low tire, but it could also be a worn ball joint or tie rod end in the front suspension. Mechanical parts that start to wear out can begin to cause many changes in the handling, and over time, they can break or fail, causing an accident or leaving you on the side of the road waiting for a tow. 

The mechanic at your local auto repair shop can inspect the suspension and steering for you to determine if there are worn parts or if something else is causing the car to drive differently. Once the problem is diagnosed, the auto repair technician will correct the problem before it gets worse. 

Brake System Changes

The brakes on your vehicle will wear as you use them, but sometimes there are problems that come up in the system that you notice in the driver's seat. One of the most common problems that can arise with brake systems is a soft brake pedal when trying to stop.

In some cases, the pedal travel falls far enough that you need to pump the brakes to get the car to slow down. This condition can be related to air in the lines, and it is dangerous because emergency braking becomes nearly impossible. 

Brake system problems warrant immediate inspection by an auto repair shop, and you should not continue to drive the car until repairs are made. If the brakes fail completely, you may find yourself in an accident because you could not get the vehicle to stop. 

Pulling when braking is also a concern and often happens when one caliper is working better than the other. This condition can also be caused by air in the lines or a brake caliper that has stopped working altogether. The auto repair tech can inspect the entire brake system for you, correct problems they find, and bleed the system to ensure there is no air in it, and the brakes will work when you need them. 


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