Brake Repairs in Hazelwood

Hazelwood is a small rural hamlet in the River Avon valley area, reached by narrow lanes. Drivers here usually travel some way for shopping, work and school, so a reliable car matters.

Our garage, Automaster, is at Longcombe Cross near Totnes. Drivers from the surrounding countryside and from nearby Loddiswell, Kingsbridge, Modbury and South Brent come to us for brake, suspension and steering repairs on petrol and diesel vehicles.

How do I know when my brakes need attention?

Listen for squealing or grinding, feel for vibration or a pull to one side, and watch the pedal. If it feels soft, low or different from usual, something has changed. Warning lights for brakes or ABS should always be taken seriously.

Please do not keep driving on brakes that feel wrong. Narrow lanes leave no room for error.

Because journeys from a hamlet tend to be longer than average, small faults have more time to develop between services. A pad that was fine in spring can be close to the metal by autumn, particularly if the car does a lot of school runs, shopping trips and commuting along winding roads. Checking early causes far less trouble than a failure on a dark lane.

• Squeal or grind
• Soft or low pedal
• Pull to one side
• Brake or ABS warning light

What does a brake repair cover?

We inspect pads, discs, calipers, hoses and fluid, then repair what is needed. If we find a problem with the ABS system, we diagnose it with a scan tool and physical checks.

How long a job takes and what it costs depends on the vehicle and parts. The way to find out is to ask for a quote.

What causes clunks, humming and uneven tyre wear?

Clunks over bumps come from worn suspension joints, bushes or shock absorbers. A hum from a wheel suggests a bearing. Uneven tyre wear points to worn suspension parts or alignment trouble.

Each of these gets worse if left, and tyres wear out sooner. A check now often prevents a bigger repair later.

If you cannot tell which wheel the noise comes from, say so. Passengers sometimes hear it better than the driver, and a note about whether it happens when braking, turning or driving straight helps us decide where to look first.

Heavy or loose steering: what could it be?

Heavy steering may be a power steering fluid leak, a failing pump or a rack fault. Loose steering often comes from worn track rod ends, ball joints or bushes. We check each part and explain what we see.

If the steering feels unsafe, do not drive the car until it has been inspected.

Do you cover a small place like Hazelwood?

Yes. Our garage is at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, TQ9 6PL, and we welcome drivers from rural areas around Hazelwood.

When you ask for a quote, give us your registration and describe the problem, and we will tell you the next step.