Break Fluid??!

[Artem]

Originally Posted By: Ethan1
You can't break a fluid


Originally Posted By: THafeez
My favorite fluid on breaks is water you should try it


2x, I've never hear of fluid breaking either.

On a serious note, my 2014 Mazda 3 has the brake fluid and clutch fluid in one container. When I changed the Lube at around 30k miles or so, the clutch pedal certainly felt better and more engaging then before.

You won't feel any difference in braking power with a fluid change. You'll feel a difference if say you took the car to the track and start noticing major brake fade after a few laps on old fluid vs going around for 2-3x more laps on new fluid with proper, in spec boiling point. THAT is where the difference is.

 

[i_hate_autofraud]

Hey miden851,

When you replace the brake fluid, you’re not supposed to feel any difference
unless you had air in your system, etc,

Brake fluid is VERY hydroscopic and absorbs water from the air and once absorbed,
corrosion begins – I’ve seen it in plenty of cars, pitting corrosion in wheel cylinders
and calipers to the point you can’t use a rebuild kit or hone it out, fluid will leak after that.

The big dollar item is the ABS pump when it jams ups due to old fluid, even if you
can swap out the ABS unit, the bleed procedure in GMs for instance requires special tools
and commands to open up all paths to bleed out the air.

So it’s better to get it done every 2 –3 years!

 

[Rand]

Water is the best Break fluid, maybe a slice of lemon for flavor.


That being said Fresh Brake fluid if it makes a difference is a bad thing.. you shouldnt let it get that bad..
You shouldnt notice much difference unless its a track car and you are boiling the brake fluid previously.

 

[BHopkins]

Originally Posted By: philipp10
Originally Posted By: KGMtech
Brake fluid flushing is done by less than 10% of North American drivers, based on my seat-of-the-pants research. I've done it for the last 25 years, every 24-30 months & I've never had a ABS system failure, ever. Is it overkill to do this service? if you never tow a trailer, never drive in the mountains, never keep your cars over 10 years, never give your old cars to family members, it might be a waste of time & money. Otherwise it doesn't cost much and is in the spirit of all things BITOG.


Ancedotal. Who ever has ABS system failures? I have never seen nor heard of one.


You mean anecdotal? Like this?

Originally Posted By: philipp10
I have been saying it for years (but no one will listen) that a well designed brake system will keep the fluid dry. Furthermore, even if water gets in the fluid, unless your in the mountains or towing, your not going to boil the fluid. I never bleed my brakes yet have never replaced a caliper. Go figure.

 

[i_hate_autofraud]

Hey miden851,

BTW, how do you like the slotted rotors?

who makes 'em?

Any pulsations with them when braking hard?

How long have you had them on?

 

[Popsy]

The biggest improvement I usually get when changing brake fluid is in the action of the clutch (most of manual cars use the same fluid and same fluid reservoir).
Brakes...not much of a difference, but I do it every 2 years as a preventive measure.

 

[Astro14]

Well, I'm a coffee fan...but...

But I do flush the brakes on my cars every two years, or if I do a pad or component replacement. I use a Motive power-bleed with DOT-4.

I also do all the hoses at the ten year point.

I've still got the original calipers and ABS pump/module on all the cars.

Both Volvo and Mercedes recommend fluid changes every two years, annually if the car is driven "hard".

 

[miden851]

Originally Posted By: i_hate_autofraud
Hey miden851,

BTW, how do you like the slotted rotors?

who makes 'em?

Any pulsations with them when braking hard?

How long have you had them on?

I got mine of ebay a while ago from these guys
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-F150-4x4-05-06-08-09-Slot-Brake-Rotors-Premium-F-R/170400077556?hash=item27aca2d6f4:m:m8JNqbsBOwZXd7crnJ8EYKA

I went with these because it is very hard to find slotted only rotors; those with holes and slotted are worn out easily so I went with these; I have never resurface them to this point, and I don’t know whether is it possible or not; there is a small pulsation feel from time to time, but I opt for soft brake pads, the ones with low warranty numbers, so that they run out faster vs the rotors; all in all, I do not have any major complaint about.

 

[eyeofthetiger]

I have a set of speed bleeders ready to put on my Fiesta for its first brake fluid flush. Racecar.

 

[JLawrence08648]

I flush mine every 30,000 miles which would be every 2 1/2-3 years.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: miden851


Also how about shelf life of the fluid that is opened now; how long it is reasonable to keep it around as an open bottle please?


Standard "official" advice is don't keep it at all.

Logically it has to depend on how well you can re-seal the bottle. If you can be bothered to, say, stick the top in hot wax, put it in multiple plastic bags/sealed containers, and/or store it with dessicant, I can't see why you couldn't keep it for years.

I've done all that except the wax, and stored the bottle upside down. Had it for a year and a half and will be using it up in the next month or so, but really I should just chuck it and buy new stuff.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Rand
Water is the best Break fluid, maybe a slice of lemon for flavor.


Water may be the best break fluid, but I prefer soda. Coffee I think is the most popular break fluid though.

 

[eyeofthetiger]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: Rand
Water is the best Break fluid, maybe a slice of lemon for flavor.


Water may be the best break fluid, but I prefer soda. Coffee I think is the most popular break fluid though.


I often wish entire days could just be long coffee brakes.

 

[miden851]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: miden851


Also how about shelf life of the fluid that is opened now; how long it is reasonable to keep it around as an open bottle please?


Standard "official" advice is don't keep it at all.

Logically it has to depend on how well you can re-seal the bottle. If you can be bothered to, say, stick the top in hot wax, put it in multiple plastic bags/sealed containers, and/or store it with dessicant, I can't see why you couldn't keep it for years.

I've done all that except the wax, and stored the bottle upside down. Had it for a year and a half and will be using it up in the next month or so, but really I should just chuck it and buy new stuff.


Ill just do another flush this coming weekend with the fluid that's left, and all bases covered; Thanks for down to earth advice!

 

[billt460]

I just had a new master cylinder put in. So I had all the fluid flushed as well. The new stuff is as clear as water.

 

[billt460]

Here is a question for all the brake experts. Does brake fluid "move around" in a brake system? By that I mean can fluid in the right rear wheel cylinder end up in the master cylinder? Or does it remain put in the system over time?

 

[Pelican]

+10 Brake fluid is Hydrophilic and absorb water even from the air. My life depends on those brakes, that's why I always get the best brakes and change the brake fluid every 2 years. It's cheap so why gamble with your life?

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Here is a question for all the brake experts. Does brake fluid "move around" in a brake system? By that I mean can fluid in the right rear wheel cylinder end up in the master cylinder? Or does it remain put in the system over time?


Be surprised if anyone knows the answer to this as a fact, but my inexpert guess would be no. I'd think the fluid itself will pretty much stay put. The pipes are too narrow to set up much in the way of turbulence or convection circulation due to temperature differences (though there will be some) and its a LONG way from a rear wheel cylinder to the master cylinder.

Water, however, will diffuse slowly down any concentration gradients, so if it mostly gets in at the ends, it'll diffuse slowly towards the middle. Similarly, if you add fresh fluid to the reservoir, some water will diffuse out of the master cylinder.

Incidentally, my experience from stripping the wheel cylinders and calipers in the neglected system pictured above is that repeated flushing doesnt remove corrosion sludge once its there. You have to take the thing apart and clean it up.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Originally Posted By: Pelican
+10 Brake fluid is Hydrophilic and absorb water even from the air. My life depends on those brakes, that's why I always get the best brakes and change the brake fluid every 2 years. It's cheap so why gamble with your life?


Funny, isn't it that so many users on a site devoted to vehicle maintenance often on an OCD level will willfully neglect a system vital to them and their vehicles' well-being.

I guess they can still admire the clean engine and nicely pleated oil filter if the car is crunched up in a ball...as long as they're still alive.

 

[MCompact]

My street cars get fresh DOT 4 every two years, the track rats every six months.
Cheap insurance, in my opinion.