(763) 784-7944
MN Dealer License #23285

Tag Archives: Vehicle Brake Replacement

Brake Repair Circle Pines, MN

Circle Pines Break Repair ShopIt is rightfully argued that if you don’t have brakes on a car, you don’t have a car. At Clark Automotive, we want to make sure that your car is something you feel safe and comfortable driving. Whether your brakes need an assessment, a repair, or a replacement, Clark Automotive will provide you with outstanding service at an affordable price. Located just a few minutes for Circle Pines.

The Braking System

When you feel like something is wrong with your brakes it can still mean a variety of different things. The brake system is made up of a combination of different items. We will take a look at the actual brakes and ensure that they are in working order, but it could also just be another part of the brake system that needs replacement. Brake pads, shoes, rotors, drums and calipers are all part of the brake system.

Brake System Warning Signs

As you are driving your car, it’s important to keep an eye out for warning signs that your brakes need to be serviced. In most vehicles, there is a brake light that will appear on your dashboard. When this happens, it’s important to get checked right away. Other signs include feeling a grinding sensation as you are making a stop, hearing a squealing sound when you are driving or stopping, feeling like the brake pedal is further down towards the floor, or perhaps even feeling the vehicle pull to one side when you apply the brakes. All of these signs indicate that it’s time to let the professionals look at your vehicle.

Our Brake Repair Process

When you take your vehicle to us, you are taking it to highly trained and certified technicians that perform quality work every single time. We begin by doing a complete and thorough inspection of your car and its braking system. We look at the pads, shoes, wheel bearings, backing plate, and caliper anchor. We replace and lubricate these parts as needed. We will also add brake fluid and flush as needed (recommended every 30,000 miles). We inspect the hydraulic system, adjusting and evacuating air as needed and lastly, we check the drums and rotors and replace them as needed.

So, if you are having brake issues with your vehicle, and need a certified mechanic at an affordable price, contact Clark Automotive today at (763) 784-7944.

Brake Installation Blaine MN

Don’t Ignore Your Brakes!

Brake Repair Blaine MNAre your brakes squeaking? Have they been for a while? Or maybe you’re worried because you now have to put your brake petal all the way to the floor to fully stop – if this sounds like something you’re dealing with contact Clark Automotive. We offer Automobile Brake Installation Services for Blaine, MN and the surrounding areas. Don’t wait to get your brakes fixed, they are one of the most important mechanisms on your vehicle.

Brakes Keep Everyone Safe

Neglecting to service your brakes can be harmful to you, your loved ones and everyone else on the road. Imagine, if just once, your brakes didn’t bring your vehicle to a slow halt. That’s scary, the results can be extremely damaging and even fatal.

Not only are brakes an extremely crucial for safety but they are used very frequently. In one trip it’s not uncommon to brake over ten times – every shift, turn, stop sign, red light, speed limit reduction, slow moving for the vehicle ahead of you and to arrive safely at your final destination. Don’t keep putting brake repairs off, you use them more than you notice.

Worn Brake Pads Cost Extra

If the safety isn’t enough to get you to pick up your phone, than the cost might. If you continue to drive on extremely worn brake pads the material will wear down to nothing. Which leaves you with the metal caliper grinding against the rotor, this leads to less effective braking and then you’ll not only need your brake pads replaced but you’ll also need to get your rotors resurfaced or replaced. The effects add up.

Brake Replacement Services Blaine MN

If you know your due for a brake replacement or you’re listening to your squealing tires call Clark Automotive, we offer affordable automotive brake replacement services. Call us today and we’ll get you in as soon as we can, our number is 763-784-7944!

Car and Auto Brake Mechanic Blaine MN

Brake Repair Blaine MNCars, trucks and SUV’s all have brakes and the braking system is a vital aspect to any vehicle. Clark Automotive Clinic, located in Blaine, MN is a full services automobile repair shop, with years of knowledge and experience. We offer Brake Repairs and Maintenance Services, as well as Second Opinions, Engine Diagnostics, Electrical Repairs and just about any other repair a vehicle owner could need.

Honest Blaine Auto Repairs

We want to inform our clients and potential clients, so they can have knowledge on their side when seeking repairs, either at our shop or another. Below you will find that we put together common brake issues we have seen and our professional opinion. This is no way the ‘exact answer’ to your problems but it might give you some insight and help direct you towards the correct solution or help you recognize when the exact issue your seeking fixed is not being address by another mechanic.

Common Vehicle Brake Issues:

You notice a strong, hot odor and or smoke coming off the brakes:

You will generally have to have the car towed in. The brakes are locked up and great damage will be caused or you will become stranded.  There are a number of causes, but generally will be the brake calipers being stuck on or rear drum brakes frozen or stuck.

You step on the brakes and the brake pedal seems to move very little, it is firm, and the braking force is low:

This can be the brake master cylinder or brake booster not working correctly. This is difficult to diagnose and can also be a mechanical issue with the brakes. Immediate attention is required and may even be serious enough consider having the car towed in.

The Red brake light is on:

The first thing to check is to make sure the emergency brakes are not on. The emergency brake sensor switch can also be out of adjustment or defective. The second thing to check is the brake fluid level in the master cylinder. As the brakes wear the fluid level drops and should have fresh brake fluid added. The next thing to review is there any other brake performance observations that need to be considered. Even if the brakes are working fine a visit to your mechanic should be planned.

The Orange ABS light is on:

This means the Anti-Lock brakes are not operating. The regular brakes are still working and will not be a safety issue during normal braking. This issue is generally caused by defective speed sensors or electronic controllers. It can be very easy to fix or quite expensive, but will require that the fault codes in the ABS controlled be retrieved and perhaps some diagnostic time.

I bet you were wondering if I forgot about; when you step on the brakes there is a grinding noise:

Well it is time to get the brakes fixed. In Minnesota we are generally going to be replacing the rotors anyway, so it needs to get fixed, but you do have time to make an appointment and get it in. That does not mean you can go for two more weeks as you will ruin the calipers given long enough. If the scraping only occurs at bumps or when turning it can be a wheel bearing. Again Clark Automotive will provide you a free estimate and review your options with you.

We offer free advice and affordable vehicle repairs, contact Clark Automotive Repair Clinic today and we can repair your vehicle: efficiently, honestly and correctly.

Shop Location
9985 Davenport St. NE
Blaine, MN 55449

Phone: (763) 784-7944
Email: info@clarkautomotiveblaine.com

Shop Hours
MON – FRI 8:00 – A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
SAT (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)

Brake Repair Service Blaine MN – Part 2

Blaine Auto Brake Repairs

Brake Repair Blaine MNThere are many questions that come with vehicle repairs and Clark Automotive, located in Blaine, MN does our best to share our knowledge so that car, truck and SUV owners can make more informed decisions when it comes to vehicle repairs. We would like to extend from our Brake Repair Service blog previously posted.

How Long Should Front and Rear Brake Pads Last?

Generally Front disc brakes are designed to last approximately 40,000 to 50,000 miles. Yes they can last much longer if there is a higher ratio of highway miles or less city stop and go driving. Some of our customers have gotten over 100,000 miles on front pads because of where and how they drive. It is not uncommon for a cab to only get 20,000 or fewer miles on their front brakes.

Things that shorten a vehicle’s brake life:

  • Not using lower gears when in the downhill portion of mountain driving
  • Driving with our foot on the brake pedal
  • When a vehicle is used to pull a trailer

When the car is ready for its first front brake repair the life of that operation will be determined by many items. If the rotors are turned and not replaced it will shorten brake life. Some customers have actually just put new pads on top of the old rotors without turning the rotors; this is called a pad slap. This brake job will not last long, especially if the caliper were not cleaned and lubricated.

Rear brakes, drum or disc, will last much longer than the front brakes. One reason is that the front brakes do about 70% of the braking. This allows the rear brakes to run much cooler and last longer. WE have personally seen car owners that drive so nice that the rear brakes hardly wear at all, and last the life of the car. In many occasions rear brakes require repair due to rust from lack of use. When a car is sitting in storage it is not uncommon for rear brakes never to recover from the rust without being repaired.

Contact Clark Automotive today to set up a free test drive or an affordable brake repair service!

Clark Automotive Repair Shop Blaine, MN

Shop Location:
9985 Davenport St. NE
Blaine, MN 55449
Phone: (763) 784-7944

Email: info@clarkautomotiveblaine.com

Shop Hours:
MON – FRI 8:00 – A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
SAT (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)

Brake Repair Service Blaine MN

Car, Truck, SUV Brake Repair Services Blaine MN

Brake Repair Blaine MNIf your car, truck or SUV is in need of a brake replacement, repair or it’s running differently but you just don’t know why – Clark Automotive Repair Shop, located in Blaine, MN can offer you an affordable solution. We are a Blaine vehicle repair shop that is dedicated to helping our customers in any way we can. We are a no pressure vehicle maintenance and repair shop that is backed with over 17 years in the industry.

What Should a Brake Repairs Cost?

The first question, why are you thinking you need a brake repair for your car? If you, as the operator, have an observation about poor braking or noises, it will not cost you anything at Clark Automotive Clinic. We will go on a test drive with you and offer our recommendations. These recommendations can vary from doing some diagnostics; to saying you need rear brakes. Generally there is not much need for diagnostics, so let’s just move on to the question at hand, how much does a brake job cost? The braking system can be broken into three areas; the hydraulic area, the mechanical area, and finally the computerized control systems.

Different Types of Vehicle Brake Issues

Noises are generally mechanical, soft or low brake pedals are hydraulic, and the ABS and Traction control lights on your dash are the computer controls. So if we are just addressing noises it should end up being the mechanical aspects of the front or the rear brakes. Parts and labor for front or rear brakes will be in the vicinity of $200 to $350 dollars. You generally will not need to repair both the front and rear brakes at the same time. The variables in cost are caused by the quality of parts and differences in labor. If the estimate is much higher, then the repair shop will need to inform you about what they will be repairing beyond brake pads and rotors for the front or rear brakes.

Hydraulic Brake Repairs

The repair of the hydraulic portion of the brake system may or may not require diagnostics. If there is an obvious leak at a caliper or a rusted steel brake line an estimate can be prepared without diagnostics. Because there are so many variables there is no estimate in cost I can provide. If you are getting an estimate from an unknown repair shop because you’re having problems on the road, call you regular repair shop for advice. We at Clark Automotive welcome that request and will communicate with the other company to resolve questions you may have.

ABS Dash Light Lite Up

The repair of the computerized control systems can be difficult to diagnose. In short when the ABS light is on, you have your regular hydraulic brakes but do not have anti-lock brakes. This is not a safety issue, but for optimum braking should be repaired. Repair of this area of your brakes requires some level of trust between you and the repair shop. If that is not present we recommend a second opinion be sought. Again the cost of repair is all over the place and requires extensive trouble shooting and expensive parts.

If you have concerns about your vehicles brakes, would like us to complete a free test drive or are looking for a second opinion on another repair shops estimate drive in or call us today.

Clark Automotive Repair Shop Blaine, MN

Shop Location:
9985 Davenport St. NE
Blaine, MN 55449
Phone: (763) 784-7944

Email: info@clarkautomotiveblaine.com

Shop Hours:
MON – FRI 8:00 – A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
SAT (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)

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