Your brakes must work as well as possible. That means you need to pay attention to your brakes' health. To do that, you need to know some signs that your brakes are going bad. If you aren't sure, you can always take your car to an auto shop so that they can check your brakes for you. So what are some of the signs that you should watch out for so that you can get your brakes fixed?

Funky Smells

One of the things that you should watch for is funky smells coming from your tires. That can be because the friction of trying to stop your car can cause the brakes to heat up, which can cause them to start to smell. 

Squealing

Brakes are designed with metal strips in them. When the material that covers those strips wears away, the strips are exposed and the metal will start rubbing when the brakes are engaged. The more the strip is exposed, the louder it will squeal. You should take it in to get the brakes checked and replaced as soon as you start hearing that metal squealing when you hit the brakes. 

Wobbling

Your car may also wobble a little when your brakes start to fail. That's because one side may be grabbing more than the other, so you'll get a little wobble in the steering. It might not be much, and it might be one of the things that you only notice was there after you get your brakes repaired, and it isn't a problem anymore. 

Mushy Brakes

If it feels like you are pushing your brakes down into a bowl of oatmeal or a sponge, that can also be a sign that it's time to get your brakes worked on. Ideally, you should feel some resistance when you hit the brakes, and the pedal shouldn't go all the way to the floor. Mushy brakes can signal that air is in your brake lines or that your master cylinder isn't working correctly. 

You need to have brakes that are functioning as well as possible. If you are worried about your brakes, you need to take your car to your local car shop to get them repaired as soon as possible. When you repair your brakes, they will simultaneously fix or replace all the brakes on that axle, just so that everything is wearing evenly and so your car will stop evenly. 

For more information, reach out to a brake service near you.