Routine brake service is essential for staying safe while driving and avoiding costly repairs down the road. The more you use your brakes, the more they gradually wear down and need parts replaced. Regular checkups with a trusted technician will make sure any problems are caught early and sorted out promptly before any serious problems develop. The following are five good reasons to visit your local Subaru dealer to have your brakes inspected. Check Fluid Levels The first thing a technician will do is check your brake fluid levels. As with any of the fluids in your car, brake fluid serves a vital function and can gradually break down over time. Any reduction in your fluid reduces the hydraulic pressure that allows your foot on the pedal to activate your brakes effectively. If your fluid levels have dropped, you might even have a leak, which a technician will find and fix. Replace Brake Pads The brake pads are the parts that do the hardest work in your braking mechanism. When you press down on the pedal, the brake pads clamp onto the rotor, creating friction, which slows and stops the wheel. With so much friction and heat, brake pads inevitably wear down and require replacing every 10,000 to 20,000 miles. An inspection of your brakes will find overly-worn pads and swap them out for new ones. Inspect Your Rotors Rotors are remarkably tough components, and they last a good long time. Rotors are most often made of iron, but they're sometimes made of high-tech materials like carbon fiber or ceramic. Whatever the material, rotors can become dented or warped by overheating from too much consecutive braking. The heat can even melt the resin in your brake pads, which then hardens into a lumpy layer over the rotor, which you might feel as vibrations through your steering wheel or pedal. It's important for any warped or damaged rotors to be repaired or replaced, as rotor faults lead to more overheating and sometimes brake fade. Brake fade is where your brakes become spongy, often leading to accidents. A good technician will make sure your rotors are in tip-top shape. Inspect Your Clips One small piece of the braking mechanism helps to reduce the aforementioned chance of overheating. In between the brake pads and rotor, you'll find your brake clips, which serve to push the pads away from the rotor. In this way, the clips keep your pads cooler, help them last longer, and also reduce noise. If a clip comes loose, the other essential parts of your braking mechanism will falter faster. A quick examination will see if you need new clips or not. Calibrate Your Caliper The main casing of all the braking components is called the caliper. This is the least likely part of your brake system to break down, but sometimes corrosion can set in, or parts of the caliper may come loose. It's always wise to have it checked, just to be sure. To have friendly, highly-experienced technicians service your brakes, head down to Dulles Motorcars of Leesburg. We treat every customer, new and old, with the care and respect of family members.
4 Incredible Outdoor Activities Near Leesburg, VA
Leesburg, VA is a beautiful town well-known for its picturesque tree-lined streets and the abundant greenery of its surroundings. When the sun's out and the weather's warm, there are many wonderful ways to spend your day here. Let's take a look at four of the best outdoor activities on offer. Leesburg Animal Park If you're looking for something to do with your children, there are few better options than this charming petting zoo. Leesburg Animal Park is a family-run operation with all kinds of animals to meet, pet, and feed. You can stroll through an enclosed field of llamas, goats, and sheep, and also see alpacas, donkeys, pigs, cows, ducks, and more. There are tons of fun activities to partake in, such as wagon rides around the grounds. You can also ride ponies and even camels on select weekends. The outdoor and indoor playgrounds mean you can fill an entire afternoon with entertainment. Just be sure to catch one of their live animal shows before you leave. Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park If you're in more of an educational, historical mood, pay a visit to the site of one of the region's largest civil war engagements. At this peaceful park, you can take a tour with one of their volunteer guides and learn all about the exciting stories of that tumultuous time. There are authentic cannons on display, and a national graveyard built in commemoration of the heroes of that battle. You can also stroll through the park on your own, picking up tidbits of knowledge from the many interpretive signs on the trails. From high on the bluff, there are wonderful views of the Potomac River, and plenty of benches to stop for a picnic. The Golf Club at Lansdowne If you're into golf, why not practice your swing across the 45 holes of three championship courses at the area's finest golf club? The stunning greens at The Golf Club at Lansdowne were designed by world-renowned golf course designers Greg Norman and Robert Trent Jones. Blending with a larger resort property, this club now stands as one of the most prestigious clubs in the entire country. It's well worth a visit. Camping at Broad Creek If you'd rather escape into the great outdoors, far from the hustle and bustle of town, then you really can't beat this well-equipped, totally-secluded campground. It's set deep in the woods, far from the nearest sleepy road, with a great deal of shade provided by overhead foliage. Your tent site is located near a beautiful creek that's teeming with darters, bluegill, bass, and sunfish, making it a perfect spot for fans of fishing. There's also a fire pit for cooking your catch or any barbecue food you bring along with you. Best of all, there are no other campsites nearby, so you have all the privacy and quiet you could desire. Whichever of these outdoor adventures you go for, we hope you have a blast. On your way home, pay a visit to Dulles Motorcars of Leesburg. Since 1990, we've been helping out the local drivers of Leesburg and all of Loudoun County. We strive to offer the region's very best service to each and every customer who steps through our doors.