Your car's brakes are capable of generating an extreme amount of heat. Whenever you step on the brake pedal, the brake pads press against the brake rotors attached to your wheels in order to stop your car, and the friction between the two causes your brakes to heat up. Mechanical problems with your brakes can cause them to constantly overheat, which is dangerous — overheating brakes don't work as well, so you'll have a harder time bringing your car to a stop. If your brakes are overheating, you'll need to have them repaired as soon as possible. To learn some signs that your brakes are overheating, read on.

You Smell Something Burning While Braking

One of the first things you'll notice when your brakes start to overheat is a burning smell. It's caused by a combination of your brake pads starting to char and your brake fluid boiling.

Of course, there are several different mechanical issues that can lead to burning smells while you're driving. Thankfully, there's an easy way to narrow it down to your brakes. If you ever notice a burning smell while you're using your brakes, try to pull over in a safe area and feel your wheels. If there's a lot of heat coming off of them, it's likely that your brakes are overheating.

Your Brake Pedal Loses Responsiveness

When your brake fluid starts to boil due to overheating, your brake pedal will feel loose and you won't be able to brake as hard. Boiling brake fluid creates air in your brake lines, which is a major problem.

When you step on the brake pedal, you push brake fluid into the brake calipers, which causes them to press down on the pads that bring your wheels to a stop. If there's air in your brake lines due to your brake fluid boiling, some of the force from your foot will compress the air instead of pushing the brake fluid to the calipers. This causes your brakes to feel unresponsive, and you'll need to use a lot more force in order to brake than you're used to.

Your Car Shudders and Your Brake Pedal Pulsates When You Brake

If you've been driving with overheating brakes for quite some time, the high heat can cause the brake rotors to warp. The brake rotors are what the brake pads press against in order to bring your wheels to a stop when you brake, so they're subjected to a substantial amount of heat due to friction. When they start to warp, they'll start wobbling against your wheel when you try to brake, which will result in your car shaking and your brake pedal feeling like it's pulsating against your foot.

If you have any of the symptoms of overheating brakes, take your vehicle to a brake repair shop immediately for an inspection. Driving with brakes that overheat constantly is dangerous. Boiling brake fluid makes it harder to stop when you're driving at high speeds, and warped rotors can cause you to lose control of your vehicle when you're braking — both are serious safety hazards. In order to stay safe on the road, you'll need to have a brake repair shop find out what's causing your brakes to overheat and fix the problem.

Contact a company like Greg's Japanese Auto Parts and Service to learn more.