When To Replace Brake Fluid ?

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Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: tig1
I turkey baster my fluid ever engine oil change. It very slowly transfers through out the system. This works well for me.


^^I do this as well.


I know that this is likely not the best way of doing it however do you think its sufficient? I guess if done at every oil change it should help..but im guessing it would take awhile to get the old fluid mixed down to the brake lines no?

I have to say ive never touched my brake fluid but thinking i might since its been 115k miles on it LOL..
 
Originally Posted By: ChrisD46
What is the best way to tell when your brake fluid needs changing ?


When brakes get spongy and/or take excessive effort pressure when applying. Almost every car I've owned recommends replacing the fluid every two years. I imagine the vast majority of people never replace their brake fluid, though.
 
Originally Posted By: Ducati996
I replace the brake fluid every time I replace the brake pads.
When the calipers are pushed in 99% of the fluid is returned to the master cylinder, I then remove the fluid with a (turkey baster) and replace it with new.
This takes less than a minute to perform, just don’t get any on the paint.
One precaution I take is to have a bug sprayer filled with water handy, if I spill brake fluid on the paint I rinse it off with water before any damage is done.
I also keep it handy when I’m using the torches under the vehicle; ya-gota be ready!!!
If there are drum brakes on the rear I will bleed them if possible.
Over the years found that removing the bleeders and lubing them with high quality brake grease and then installing them will prevent them from corroding.
After I'm finished bleeding and the bleeders are closed I will take lithium grease in the pressurized can and using the application straw I will spray grease into the bleeder opening to prevent moisture from entering if there are no caps for the bleeders.
90cummins


D, you have great info in your post, but less than 99% of the fluid is in the res when pistons are compressed. I don't know the number, but I would think it's more like a 1/3 or 1/2.
 
Usually I do this every 3 years. Even if the car says DOT3 is okay, I use a premium DOT4. I find the fluid stays cleaner, even though automotive school books say DOT4 would absorb moisture more quickly than DOT3.

I like to flush the fluid sooner in GM cars, because the stuff they are shipped with turns dark brown before any other fluid.

Sometimes I flush the OEM fluid at 2 years because the aftermarket stuff may be better.
 
Originally Posted By: Rolla07
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: tig1
I turkey baster my fluid ever engine oil change. It very slowly transfers through out the system. This works well for me.


^^I do this as well.


I know that this is likely not the best way of doing it however do you think its sufficient? I guess if done at every oil change it should help..but im guessing it would take awhile to get the old fluid mixed down to the brake lines no?

I have to say ive never touched my brake fluid but thinking i might since its been 115k miles on it LOL..


For many years now I have used this way of changing fluid in both the master cyl and PS pump. I do my own brakes and find that the brake fluid that comes out of the caliper when bleeding always looks good. The key is to always do this. Again I do this every engine oil change. Only takes a couple of minutes.
 
tug1 : Nice idea - I can buy large cans of Valvoline Dot3 / Dot 4 on sale easily , so why not ?
 
I like Trav's suggestion about the moisture detector so you can tell when the time is right. May have to get one of those pups!

Up to now, I do turkey baster thing every few years, I do a gravity bleed after when I rotate tires. Empty the reservoir with the baster, refill, crack the bleeders one at a time (clear hose installed) and let it dribble a while. Letting the farthest one from the MC go a LONG time clears the lines. I also put a little anti seize on the bleeder threads when I loosen them (the top threads only as a barrier to corrosion) and keep rubber caps on the bleeder screws, ala many Euro cars. Gravity bleed can be slow. It's really slow on our Honda with ABS... but it works.

I am still running the original brakes on my '86 F250 (linings and wheel hydraulics), though the MC failed in 2000 or so for whatever reason. In any case, I am always able to break the bleeder screws loose on that truck.
 
Every 3 years is usually a good start.

If you go through pads ad rotors quickly, then change the fluid during pad/rotor replacement.

Consider aDOT4 fluid with its higher boiling points. It doesn't cost much more than DOT 3, and sometimes they are the same price.

I use Castrol LMA and flush it during pad/rotor change. Supposedly it absorbs moisture slower than other brake fluids, and it has a higher wet BP of 329 F (compared to the DOT4 minimum of 311, and the DOT3minimum of 284).
 
I have never changed,flushed,turkey basted,or gravity bled the brake fluid in any vehicle I have ever owned. The brake pedal in my 18 year old pickup is hard not spongy, with plenty of pedal, doesn't pulse when the brakes are applied etc.The fluid is still nice and clear and I have never had to add any. Am I an accident waiting to happen? Am I the only one who doesn't change they're brake fluid? I hope the rest of you brake fluid maintenance slackers will speak up for me because I just know I'm going to get flamed...you know who you are! LOL!
 
Originally Posted By: gman2304
I have never changed,flushed,turkey basted,or gravity bled the brake fluid in any vehicle I have ever owned. The brake pedal in my 18 year old pickup is hard not spongy, with plenty of pedal, doesn't pulse when the brakes are applied etc.The fluid is still nice and clear and I have never had to add any. Am I an accident waiting to happen? Am I the only one who doesn't change they're brake fluid? I hope the rest of you brake fluid maintenance slackers will speak up for me because I just know I'm going to get flamed...you know who you are! LOL!


I've had a drivers license for 33 years and I've never bled, basted, or flushed any brake system.
I'm not saying it isn't necessary, but I have never done it and I have had several high mileage cars/trucks that I bought new and used.

My wifes Milan has 120,000mi. ('06) that we bought new
My F350 has 183,000 mi. that we bought new
Eldest sons Honda has 250,xxx mi. we bought at 150,000 mi.
Youngest sons Ford Focus has 105,000 mi.we bought at 95,000 mi.


Daughters Mustang has 150,000 mi., we bought at 90,000 mi.

Plus several older trucks, I guess the '48 Ford had a gravity flush last year because I blew a rear brake line.
 
Any potential harm using the "turkey baster method" such as potentially getting an air bubble(s)in the brake line(s) using this method which could cause a braking failure ?
 
My 89 Honda Accord specified changing the brake fluid every 30,000 miles. I did so religiously. I never had to rebuild or replace any rubber parts, however, the master cylinders would wear out every 100,000 miles almost like clockwork. This happened with both the OEM's (original and the one the dealer replaced under warranty) and the good quality aftermarket brand I installed.

The fluid was pretty dark each time I changed it, but not as bad as many I've seen. I don't think Mazda specifies this maintenance so I will probably keep an eye on the fluid color to decide if I want to do it on this car. I do realize that fluid color is probably not a great indicator of fluid condition.
 
Originally Posted By: tig1
I turkey baster my fluid ever engine oil change. It very slowly transfers through out the system. This works well for me.


I do the same with ours. Although with the Escape I flushed it once around 40k and bunch of junk came out since even with a few reservoir exchanges prior. Checked again around 80k and it was clear. May have to do the same with the motorhome it's dark again and only 400 miles since the reservoir exchange. Unless you start with new a full service may be needed.
 
Originally Posted By: ChrisD46
Any potential harm using the "turkey baster method" such as potentially getting an air bubble(s)in the brake line(s) using this method which could cause a braking failure ?


No harm.
As you can see in this diagram of a master cylinder, you can't get far enough into the master cyl with a turkey baster to cause air to get into the pressure side of the system.
http://www.gobookee.net/get_book.php?u=a...291cmNlIFNpdGU=
 
I think it's a question of luck, and use. Brake fluid is hydroscopic. It absorbs any moisture it comes in contact with, especially if you have a vehicle that the reservoir cap doesn't seal well on. Over time, that moisture can corrode the inside of hard brake lines, caliper pistons & bores, etc. This can cause calipers to stick slightly, or be harder to push back in when replacing pads. Brake fluid also breaks down with heat (use). Thats usually the only time brake fluid will turn dark, is if it overheats. Sometimes it'll be from contaminates, but more often than not it's from heat. Brake fluid SHOULD be flushed annually. Almost nobody does it that often though. BMW's old maintenance schedule (which, truthfully, could help make [censored] near any car last forever) before BMW started picking up the tab for scheduled maintenance called for brake fluid replacement annually. It has since doubled to every 2 years, as has most of the maintenance now.
 
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One good rule of thumb is to flush the brake fluid every time you do a brake job. This is normally longer than every 2-3 years, but then, most people don't even do that.
 
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