YOUR BRAKES ARE PARTICULARLY STRESSED IN THE WINTER
10 December 2006 - Bosch

When changing to winter tires, have your brakes checked

Drivers should have their brakes checked when changing from summer to
winter tires. With the winter season beginning, this is the advice from
brakes expert Bosch. The combination of the temperature extremes
encountered in winter and of salt spread on roads can place a great
strain on braking systems and cause increased wear. Drivers should
therefore get their brakes fit for the winter. Statistics provided by
technical monitoring organizations show that brakes very often exhibit
defects in parts that are subject to wear.

Before the vehicle goes on the car lift for a wheel change, the workshop
can first check the braking effect on a test bench. When taking the
wheels off, mechanics can see if the disk-brake pads, brake disks or
brake drums are worn and have to be changed. They also check to see if
moving parts such as the brake caliper, brake piston and pads, and the
parking brake are stiff. The workshop will go on to check the brake hoses
for cracks and bubbles, and measure the boiling point of the brake fluid.
If it is too low, it can impair the braking effect when the brakes have
been used a lot.

If defective or worn components have to be replaced, the workshop can
find the replacement part it needs from among the 10,000 spare parts in
the extensive range of braking system components made by Bosch, one of
the world''s leading brake manufacturers. Bosch was the first company to
bring important innovations in braking technology to the market, such as
the antilock braking system (ABS) and electronic stability program (ESP),
and has played a key role in their further development.

The Bosch Group is a leading global manufacturer of automotive and
industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology. In fiscal
2005, some 251,000 associates generated sales of 41.5 billion euros. Set
up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as ''Workshop for
Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering,'' the Bosch Group today
comprises a manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service network of more
than 280 subsidiaries and some 13,000 Bosch service centers in over 140
countries.

The special ownership structure of the Bosch Group guarantees its
financial independence and entrepreneurial freedom. It makes it possible
for the company to undertake significant up-front investments in the
safeguarding of its future, as well as to do justice to its social
responsibility in a manner reflective of the spirit and will of its
founder. A total of 92 % of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is
held by the charitable foundation Robert Bosch Stiftung. The
entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by Robert Bosch
Industrietreuhand KG.

www.boschautoparts.co.uk

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