How Often To Change Brake Fluid ?

[The motor guy]

So what's the best way to flush the brakes. Can I accomplish flushing the brakes by simple siphoning out the reservoir to the low mark so it doesn't suck in air. Then just do this one more time so it pretty much changes all of it? Would this method be good enought to avoid bleeding the brakes?

 

[tig1]

I just do the turkey baster method every engine oil change to the master cyl and PS pump. This has worked very well for me for the last 25-30 years.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Quote:
Ford says it never needs to be changed

Where did you hear this?


Dealer and my Ford shop manual

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: ChiTDI
Originally Posted By: Johnny248
Originally Posted By: BigBuck
Brake fluid absorbs moisture which will effect your braking. Changing it is simple anyway.


lol Not if you live in Michigan where every frickin break bleeder screw is seized and either doenst turn or breaks off

Gotta love winters in Michigan with all the salt and other [censored] you have to drive through.


That might be one reason they recommend changing every couple years. Might prevent seizing of those bleeders, never thought of it that way before.


Not really, changing the fluid may protect the inside of the brake system; salt effects the outside

 

[cos]

I've been bleeding my Fords every 2-3 yrs since the car is new and the bleed valves always open right up.

 

[Trav]

Thats weird, Ford Europe manuals recommend 2 years but i see it in an American manual for the same car they do not.
I wonder why? Problems with bleeder screws in the rust belt, the EPA?

Thanks for the info, it raises some questions though.

 

[The Critic]

I will probably reach 30k on my Prius by March/April. Should I wait until the 2 year mark to replace the fluid, or should I have it done then?

I'll have to take it to a shop that has the Toyota Techstream scan tool for a fluid flush since brake bleeding must be initiated via scan tool on the Prius.

One of the best hybrid shops in the area (luscious garage) quoted me 1 hr labor at $120, which isn't bad at all.

 

[crinkles]

2 years or 20,000 miles per my owner's manual. Toyota Dot3.

 

[meep]

I'm in the 2-3 years camp.

bleeding beats baster method as a LOT of contaminant/h2o sits in the calipers/pistons themselves.... water is heavier than oil...

it's an annoying job when you have 3 vehicles but my dad didn't do this, and instead ended up rebuilding and replacing calipers, wheel cylinders, or doing rebuilds that didn't last too long. I flush the fluid and have yet to seize a caliper.

M

 

[Ken2]

I don't think the American manufacturers have ever recommended renewing the brake fluid, and not all shops flush & renew the fluid even when doing a brake job. I agree completely that the fluid does need to be renewed periodically. The time depends on the location--a very humid region of the country will have more moisture accumulation than a very dry region.

So, renew, keep the fluid fresh and dry and able to withstand the highest temperatures of emergency braking without flashing to vapor, or don't renew, risk the fluid boiling in an emergency,* and risk your brake parts rusting. The choice is yours.

*One guy I know was telling me about driving his F150 and horsetrailer down Mt. Adams (should'a had working trailer brakes and downshifted his truck as the main speed control). At one point his brake pedal went to the floor. He was able to stop with the parking brake and a convenient upslope. Stopped, wiped his brow, took several deep breaths, and looked over his truck's brakes. Couldn't find anything wrong. After all this was done he got into his truck and tried the brakes and he had pedal! He drove carefully home and went to his mechanic. The mechanic explained about boiling moist brake fluid that works OK when allowed to cool. Another case was in the papers where a guy driving slowly down a very steep road in a state park had the brakes fail on his minivan and a child was killed in the collision at the bottom of the hill. The state examination showed that the brake fluid boiled.

 

[Cardenio327]

Every 2 to 3 years would be an excellant idea as posted above by many.

Helps prevent degradation/sticking/gumming of rubber components.

Very little moisture enters through calipers/wheel cylinders. Moisture laden air is sucked in through the resevoir vent every time brake pedal is depressed, contaminating the fluid with dust and moisture. The expandable rubber seal found under the master cylinder cap on Detroit designed cars which compensates for fluid level changes helps prevent air from entering, hence the no-change recomendation on U.S. GM & Ford products.

I previously thought boiling brake fluid was only theoretical; maybe possible on track day, but not in everyday conditions.

About once a month we have customers come to us with the complaint that their brake pedal goes to the floor while driving in the mountains. Many times a cursory inspection of their brakes will find nothing wrong, although most have rotors that are worn beyond the throw away specification.

After questioning customers and observing their automobiles I feel that the following conditions lead to brake fluid boiling:
1 Brake fluid not having been changed for at least 5 years.
2 Rotors worn past spec.
3 About 40 minutes of driving in sinuous mountain conditions during hot weather.
4 Driver of car that has never learned to drive in a prudent manner due to lack of education and lack of police vigilance.

The chances of boiling brakes in the U.S. are slim due to the [relatively] high levels of driver education and the excellant design of the highway system. However, changing the fluid can prevent costly untimely replacement of calipers/cylinders/ABS components.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Ken2
I don't think the American manufacturers have ever recommended renewing the brake fluid, and not all shops flush & renew the fluid even when doing a brake job. I agree completely that the fluid does need to be renewed periodically. The time depends on the location--a very humid region of the country will have more moisture accumulation than a very dry region.

The reason is a vast majority of customers don't see the benefit of spending $50-60 or more for flushing/bleeding brake fluid. Rotor thickness below minimum is in need to be changed, pad worn out is in need to be changed, most drivers understand that concept, but they think their brake system works okay for every day driving, why spend any money to change brake fluid, it is a little black but no leaking and no adverse effect while apply the brake.

Same thing with power steering fluid, nobody wants to spend money to maintain it, they will only pay when it is broken.

 

[Bluestream]

North American drivers don't drive to the extreme speeds/braking where they may push the fluid to the point of boiling. Plus, American car builders only care if the car will last to the end of the warranty period, and buyers look for vehicles with little or no scheduled maintenance, because most are cheap, and don't want to have to spend money on things like brake fluid flushes...