If you are going to own a car, it's a good idea that you have some basic knowledge of the workings of your car. You may never change your oil or fix your brakes, but you are going to need to talk to professionals. Having a good idea as to what the problem is and having a good way to describe it can help you when you are talking to the mechanics to get your car fixed or repaired. 

Brakes

Your brakes are arguably the second most important system in your car, with the engine being the first, and they are also the most important safety feature. In most cases, your brakes don't just wear out all of a sudden. They give you some warning. If you have an electric sensor, you will see a warning on your dashboard. However, not everyone has that sensor, or they may not be accurate. Luckily, your brakes themselves have a built-in warning system. There is a piece of metal on the brake pads, as they start to wear, that piece of metal gets closer to the rotors and acts as an early warning system as it starts to touch the rotors. First, it's a high pitched squeal. If you don't get your brakes repaired soon, it becomes a grinding noise. That happens because two bare metal surfaces are rubbing together. That's a clear sign you need to take your car in to get your brakes worked on. 

Steering

If you notice that your car is pulling to one direction as you are driving, there are several things that could be causing it. However, the simplest reason is the most likely cause. In this case, misaligned tires is the simplest cause. When you get new tires put on our car, they are aligned and balanced for optimal performance. That means that the tires are set so that they will wear evenly and not pull your car to one side or the other. As you drive on them, the road surfaces will start to cause your car's tires to wear unevenly. The way weight is distributed in your car will also cause your tires to wear unevenly. As your tires wear unevenly, they cause your steering to go a little wonky. Your car will start to pull to one side, causing your tires to wear even more unevenly, which causes even more problems. Getting your tires rebalanced and realigned is a simple fix and the best place to start. 

Other things that could be causing your car to pull to one side include tire separation, where the belt of the tire has separated from the body of the tire, and binding ball joints.  

Knowing some basics about your car's functions can help you know when you need to get your car fixed, and give you some language to use to describe the problem to your mechanic. Contact a mechanic, like Advanced Auto Care, for more help.