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When you press down on your vehicle's brake pedal, your brake pads press against the rotors to cause the necessary friction to slow down and stop your car. Look out for the following signs from your trusted CDRJ dealer in Alexandria, VA, that indicate it's time to replace your car's pads to ensure your safety behind the wheel. Does Your Vehicle Need New Brake Pads From Your Dealer? The Pads Are Thin New pads are between eight and twelve millimeters thick and can wear down to 3.2 millimeters before they need replacing. It's best to replace the pads before they get too thin. If you want to check the thickness, look between the wheel spokes, where you'll see them between the brake caliper and the brake disc. If the pads appear less than a quarter inch thick, replace them immediately to ensure your safety. You Hear High-Pitched Screeching Sounds When you press down on the brake pedal, you might hear a screeching sound when your pads start wearing too thin. This sound is caused by the wear indicator bars built into the pads making contact with the rotors when you step on the brake. Your Brakes Are Making Horrible Grinding Noises If you ignore the screeching warning and continue to drive with worn pads, you'll eventually hear a much more severe sound - a loud grinding noise. The pad is worn to the bare metal and grinding against the steel rotor, which can cause significant damage and be very expensive to repair. Your Brakes Are Unresponsive Worn pads will severely affect your vehicle's braking ability. You will have to apply the brake pedal sooner and use more pressure to get your vehicle to respond. If you don't replace the pads when your brakes are unresponsive, they will wear down completely, significantly reducing your car's stopping power. In extreme cases where the pads are too thin to generate the necessary friction, your vehicle won't stop when needed. The Brake Pedal Vibrates Another sign that your pads are thin and need replacing is when your brake pedal vibrates when you apply the brakes. It's best to have your car technician replace the pads to eliminate the vibrations and ensure your safety while driving. Your Car Veers to the Side Pads can wear down at different rates and unevenly. One side of a pad could wear more than the other, resulting in unevenly worn pads that could cause your car to veer to the left or right when you step on the brake pedal. To avoid brake issues, check your owner's manual for the recommended brake system inspection intervals and ensure your brakes are always in proper working condition. If your car needs new pads, visit Ourisman Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Alexandria today for a replacement and brake confidently, knowing you have all the stopping power you need.

When it comes to maintenance and repairs, quality services are of the utmost importance to keep your vehicle performing at its best. That is why you need to trust the experts at your Jeep dealership in Alexandria, VA. With us, you can rest assured that your vehicle is in good hands and getting top-quality maintenance and repairs from highly qualified technicians. 1. Top-Quality Auto Maintenance and Repair Services We provide superior automotive services performed by qualified technicians who maintain a high standard of workmanship. The experts at our auto service department can assist you with any type of maintenance and repairs your vehicle might need. We will ensure that your Jeep leaves our service department in excellent running condition. We provide to following top-quality auto repair and maintenance services and more: General maintenance and repairs Preventative maintenance Oil changes Tune-ups Transmission services Alternator services Brake system repairs Heating and cooling system services Exhaust system services Fuel system services Steering system services Electrical system services Engine replacements and rebuilds Tire mountings, rotations, and balancing Fluid checks and corrections Warranty repairs 2. Vehicle Tune-Ups Regular tune-ups are crucial for your vehicle to perform optimally and to be fuel-efficient. Our skilled technicians will perform a thorough inspection of your vehicle's engine. They will install or replace parts if necessary to ensure that your engine is in excellent working condition. After a tune-up, you will immediately notice that your vehicle is running much smoother. 3. Oil Changes Oil changes at the prescribed maintenance intervals extend the life of your engine. The correct type of oil keeps the engine clean, lubricates the parts, and reduces friction that causes wear and tear. Our skilled technicians know how crucial the right oil for your vehicle is to increase engine performance and ensure that your car runs perfectly. 4. Brake Services A brake inspection and the necessary repairs and replacements should be performed every six months. Our technicians will perform a thorough brake system inspection to determine if any repairs or replacements are needed. If we inspect your vehicle's brakes regularly, we will identify issues early on. This will ensure that you and your passengers are safe on the road. 5. Tire Rotations Tire rotations should be performed every 5000 miles or when you get an oil change.  When we rotate your vehicle's tires, we switch the front and back tire positions to promote even tread wear across all four tires to extend the life of your tires and save you money. 6. Wheel Alignment Services A vehicle's wheels become misaligned from general wear and tear, driving on uneven and rough surfaces, and hitting curbs and potholes. Ask one of our experienced technicians to perform a wheel alignment when you notice your vehicle pulls to the side and your steering wheel is off-center. Our technicians will ensure that your wheels are perfectly aligned to improve overall performance. We have the knowledge, skills, and experience to ensure that your vehicle is reliable, fuel-efficient, and safe on the road. Contact Ourisman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram today and schedule a service appointment. Our highly trained technicians will ensure that your vehicle performs!

You might need a brake repair without realizing it. Faulty brakes are a major cause of motor accidents. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to tell that you need your brakes fixed. The signs present themselves strangely. Steering wheel issues, strange smells, and unsettling noises are all signs of faulty brakes. We'll go into depth on these issues now. We hope that we can teach you a thing or two about identifying brake faults. The Most Obvious Sign: Your Brake Light It can be tempting to ignore your brake light when it comes on. You may not feel that getting your brakes checked is a pressing issue; you'd know if something was actually wrong, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, that's not always the case. If your brake light comes on, take it as a sign to head to a dealership for service as soon as you can. Less Obvious Signs That You Need a Brake Repair 1. Steering Wheel Issues Is your steering wheel pulling to one side? If it's not pulling to one side, is it vibrating? These are both signs that your rotor is uneven, and you need a brake repair. There's one more sign that can be downright dangerous; if your vehicle wobbles when you use the brake pedal, consider it an emergency. Drive to a dealership as soon as you can, or call a tow truck if you don't feel safe enough to drive there. It's better to be safe than sorry. A wobbly vehicle can easily cause an accident, so it really shouldn't be on the road. 2. A Foul Smell If a foul smell fills the cabin when you use the brake pedal, that's a sign of overheating. This problem isn't usually dangerous. Pull over ASAP, and let your vehicle cool down. When your vehicle is completely cool, start it back up again. You should notice that the smell is no longer an issue. Now you're safe to drive to a dealership. Get your vehicle checked out. There may be nothing wrong, but you want to be sure of that before you start driving normally again. 3. Strange Noises There are several sounds that indicate a brake issue. If you're having brake troubles, you'll typically hear a high-pitched, metallic noise when you use the brake pedal. It might take the form of a grinding sound, but it may also sound more like a shriek. Get your brakes checked out as soon as you can. It's difficult to tell what the issue is from just the sound, but it's definitely something you should be concerned about. 4. Spongy, Unresponsive Brakes If your brake pedal feels spongy when used, something's wrong. You may notice that it takes more pressure than usual to activate the brakes, too. If you experience either of these issues, get to a dealership fast. You need to get your brakes fixed before the problem gets worse; this issue could get dangerous rapidly. If you need your brakes fixed, feel free to come and see us at Ourisman Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Alexandria. We'll take care of your brakes, and we'll service your entire Jeep if you need us to. Call us at 877-855-8479 to talk to our service department.