Volvo Brake Repair in Lagos

Brakes warn you before they fail

Brakes give plenty of notice, and most of it is easy to miss in traffic. A squeal that comes and goes. A pedal that travels further than it used to. A shudder through the steering when you slow from speed. The car pulling gently to one side as you brake.

None of that means the brakes have failed. It does mean something has worn or stopped sitting where it should, and that is a far cheaper week to deal with it than the one after the noise turns into a grind.

Pads and discs

Pads wear out, which is their job. Discs wear too, more slowly, and they can also distort, which is usually what a shudder under braking turns out to be.

Fitting new pads onto discs that are past their limit is false economy. The new pads take up the shape of the old surface and the problem returns. So we measure and inspect both before deciding what actually needs replacing, rather than changing pads because pads are the cheaper item.

Calipers and fluid

A caliper that is sticking wears one pad far faster than the other three and can drag on the car constantly, which costs fuel as well as pads. A car that pulls under braking is worth checking for worn suspension and steering at the same time, since the two feel similar from the driver's seat. Heat, dust and long periods standing still all make it more likely.

Brake fluid absorbs water over time, and water lowers the temperature at which the fluid boils. That matters most in the conditions where you are asking most of the brakes, so fluid is part of the job rather than an extra.

Buying the pads here as well

Volvo brake pads are one of the part categories we stock at Ladipo Volvo Plaza. Tell us the model and the year and we will confirm the exact set before anything is bought.

You are welcome to buy them over the counter and take them away. Most people would rather have the car looked at and the pads fitted in one visit, since the inspection is what tells you whether pads alone are enough.

What to tell us when you call

Worth knowing before you call:

• The model and the year
• What you can hear, and at what speed
• Whether the pedal feels different from how it used to
• Whether the car pulls to one side under braking
• When the brakes were last worked on, and by whom

Booking

Open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, closed Sunday. Call 0802 758 0411, or message 0701 497 7086 on WhatsApp. If the pedal has gone soft or the car pulls hard under braking, say so when you ring rather than leaving it another week.