Jeff Steiner's Americans in France.
Resource for people that would like to live or travel in France.

Americans in France

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The CarTires & Brakes

In General

While U.S. drivers will likely insist that knowing about car parts and maintenance has nothing to do with the ability to drive, these sorts of questions could come up on the test. Thus, the topic will be covered here, even if only for the French vocabulary.
Tires are the only point of contact between your car and the ground. Thus, they must be kept in good shape and well maintained. The brakes are the only way to stop the large ballistic object in which you are riding (i.e., your car). Obviously, they must also be kept in good working order to ensure the safety of you and everyone around you.

Tires ("Pneumatiques" or "Pneus")

STRUCTURE: There are many different types of tire available. Most tires you'll see are radial, meaning the metal filiments inside the tire run perpendicular to the direction the tire spins. This may be more info than you wanted to know, but it is important because all four tires on your car must be of the same type. In fact, the two tires on the same axle ("essieu") must even be the same brand, type, and specs.
The one exception to this rule is spare tires. Since they will always be different from normal tires (see SPARE TIRES below), you are allowed to have that tire be different from the others because it is temporary.
WEAR: The tread on a tire is designed to remove water from a wet road to avoid aquaplaning, a condition where water gets between your tire and the road and causing loss of control. It is important that the tread be deep enough to be effective. There is a Tread Wear Indicator (called TWI, even in French) on your tires that tells you when to replace them. There will be a mark on the side of the tire to tell you where to look for the TWI. The TWI itself is an area where the groove in the tread is only 1.6 mm thick. When your tread is 1.6 mm thick, the TWI will be flat and very visible. Then it's time for new tires.
INFLATION: Proper inflation is important for the wear of the tire. Underinflated tires risk bursting and cause higher fuel consumption. You need to check your tire pressure periodically. Do it when they're cold (i.e., not having been driven for a long time). Add 200-300 g of pressure when the vehicle is heavily loaded or when you are going to be traveling at high speed for a long time, like on the autoroute.

Spare Tires ("Roues de Secours")

Just like in the U.S., spare tires are goofy-looking skinny little things that are made for short-term use only. You cannot drive at full speed on them, but there is not official speed limit. They are to be used for 3000 km only. A French slang term for these tires is "galette", which literally means "cake" (a flat cake). Americans might call it a "doughnut" or a "banana" tire.

Brakes ("Freins")

MAIN BRAKES: The main brake is called "frein principal" or "frein à pied" in French, and it brakes all four wheels. There are two types of brakes: disc (frein à disque) or drum (frein à tambour). They all work the same way: you push the brake pedal and fluid is pumped to the brake, which squeezes and slows the car. You must check periodically that there is the proper level of brake fluid in the brake fluid tank, located in the engine compartment.
PARKING BRAKE: The hand / parking brake is called the "frein de parcage" or "frein à main" in French. It brakes either two or four wheels, depending on the car. The emergency brake (frein de secours) on cars is the same as the parking brake.
LOSS OF BRAKING POWER: Applying the brakes creates heat. If you do it for a long time, the brakes could lose their ability to stop the car. This is why on a long downhill road, you should use your engine brake (frein moteur). Sometimes there are even signs to that effect on the highweay. You can downshift, let up on the gas and let go of the brake to slow the car. The engine does not have fuel to spin at the current speed, and it will apply a force to slow the wheels.
Brakes can also lose their effectiveness if there's a leak in the brake fluid, in wet conditions, or when they wear out.