Some Basic Brake Fluid Questions...

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On my prior VW I did brake fluid changes every 2 years, and I swear, I could feel a difference afterwards. Maybe it was in my head, dunno. But I sure felt better...

My '99 never had a fluid change, and when I changed it in 2016 nothing but green fluid came out. I thought I had a decent flush but I wasn't going to spend hours pulling quarts through... Decided to change again this weekend and nope, still getting lots of green fluid out of it. Something going on in there.

Am trying to aim for once a year now. I'm thinking, if I just empty the master cylinder and then pull an ounce or two per wheel, once a year, then the fluid never gets all that old, and I don't have to worry about doing a full flush every time. The fluid itself can go 10 plus years, so a little every year is overkill. Yet cheap.
 
I used to bleed and replace the brake fluid every 30,000 miles on my 89 Accord, as shown in the maintenance schedule. I had to replace the master cylinder every 100,000 miles, like clockwork. The pedal would sink to the floor on hot days, indicating worn out piston seals. I often wondered if changing the brake fluid that often was the cause, or if that vintage of Accord just had short lived master cylinders. When I got rid of the car at 353,000 miles it was on its third. I only used new Nissin parts as replacements. They didn't go any longer or shorter than the OEM part.
 
My Mini is programmed to request brake fluid service, 3 years after the car was assembled.
On my other vehicles, I did it myself when doing a brake job, if I had time.
If not, the old turkey baster method every couple of years.
 
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