As anyone who lives in New England can tell you, there’s a big difference between driving your car in the summer and driving in the winter. Aside from the frost on your windows and ice on the roads, the cold weather affects how the different parts of your vehicle work. If you don’t let your car warm up before taking off, you’ll be in need of auto repair pretty quickly. One part of your car that you may not think of as being affected by winter weather is your brakes.
How does winter weather affect your brakes? Join the auto repair experts at Top Level Automotive to find out!
How Brakes Work
Despite all their moving parts, brakes are relatively simple. You press on the brake pedal, and your car slows down. The brakes apply hydraulic pressure to the brake pads, so they press against the rotor, slowing the vehicle down. One thing to remember is that energy isn’t created or destroyed, only converted into heat. The heat is released through the vents in the rotor. When it’s cold outside, the process remains the same but with different results.
Cold Weather
So, how is it different in the winter? The energy that moves your car is converted to heat through friction. Friction, in turn, results in heat. Brakes can become so hot that they stay heated long after you’ve turned your car off. Heavy braking can result in brake fade over time. On cold days, you won’t experience any difference in brake performance. However, the lifespan of your brakes will be affected. Because cold days often come with wet roads, the moisture acts as a lubricant on your tires, allowing them to heat up at accelerated rates. So, your brake pads will wear away faster, forcing you to seek auto repair before you would otherwise need it.
Expert Auto Repair from Top Level Automotive
Living in New England means that winter driving is unavoidable. Our team at Top Level Automotive are the auto repair experts you need to get you and your car through the winter. Whether you need new brakes or routine maintenance, we’ll always get you safely back on the road.
