Brake and cluth actuator fluids

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 23, 2012
Messages
87
Location
San Antonio, TX
I have a 2018 Kia Niro Hybrid with about 12k. I have been reading up on future services and at 22,500 I have to swap the actuator fluid. It's Dot 4. So your think it would be sufficient enough to turkey baster out the old fluid at 15K during the oil change and again at 22,500? Does the fluid mix enough to make a difference? I was planning to do this to the brake fluid also. Dot4 is low cost it would be easy to do. Kind of like dump and filling the transmission.
Thoughts?
 
It does help. Fluid is cheap. Better than nothing. Not everyone can crawl under a car or have a garage with a lift. is it approved NO. Would I do it. No

Rod
 
Last edited:
the fluid is always dirtiest near the slave, i.e. the brake caliper or clutch actuator...thats why you want to bleed it to make a difference
 
Brake and clutch fluids are not circulated or pumped in those systems. Removing fluid and refilling the reservoir does nothing to the fluids that's farther down the line. That fluid stays in there untill it's bled out or blown out during a leak.
 
Originally Posted by justintendo
the fluid is always dirtiest near the slave, i.e. the brake caliper or clutch actuator...thats why you want to bleed it to make a difference


Yup. Sediment goes where the line is lowest. That pesky creature known as "gravity".
 
Brake/clutch fluid is hydroscopic. That's why it needs flushing. Every 2-4 years is usually sufficient. Mileage doesn't really matter, in my opinion. I usually do it every 3, personally. Toyota dealer wants $100. Independent wants $90. On my old Honda I used to do it myself with a mighty vac. That costs about $25-30 in fluid and (assuming you already have jacks, jack stands no other costs) until you're swearing over the rusted bleeder valves, then an extra $20 in every PB Blaster type product I could put on them, waiting another hour after repeatedly soaking them, then maybe finally getting to work on them.

Or, every 3 years I can skip the alcohol for a month and spend an extra $40-60, watch HGTV in the waiting area, and check BITOG.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top