OT- vehicle brake fluid

Yup it is real

Dustmaker (Mike)

Also it is a good idea. Now with that said and a little bit of time on your part you can do it yourself a lot cheaper.

Basically all they are doing is opening each bleeder and letting the old fluid flow out while adding new fluid. When the fluid comes out clear or what ever color they are adding they are done.

You can do this with a $30 to $50 tool and about half an hour. If they are charging over $90 then I would do it myself.

There are several Youtube videos on how to do it.

The reason is the fluid collects moisture over time which brakes down the brake fluid. At least that is what I think. I do this to all my cars, if I keep them over 6 years.

Regular maint. *LINK*

Hoa in Alameda

As a regular maint., I change brake fluid every 2 years.

I have a copy of a bleeder kit, similar to the one below, which makes life much easier.


Motive Products 101 Brake System Power Bleeder

Re: OT- vehicle brake fluid

Mark Nowicki

Good idea to get it done.

It is not the mileage, it is the time

Re: Yup it is real

Mark Nowicki

If you can, post a video.

I would love to see how it can be done in 30 minutes.

Re: Regular maint.

Mark Nowicki

You might find the "pedal pumper" of interest.

http://www.realfixesrealfast.com/realfixesrealfast.com/Home.html

http://www.realfixesrealfast.com/realfixesrealfast.com/Pedal_Pumper_2.html

Just a qucik look at youtube

Dustmaker (Mike)

and I found this one. I use the Motive tank to do mine. The tank works like a champ. I have even fixed air in the ABS module with one of these. It pressures the system and forces the fluid though.

Re:.... and do not mix different fluids

Jesper, Denmark

Keep to the same grade/specification fluid which was original. It's probably type 4 - and that should not be mixed with the newer type 5.

Re: Just a qucik look at youtube

Brian Holcombe

Pretty sure this is done rapidly with a vacuum setup. It's been a number of years since I've done it but that is what I recall.

It's a pretty small time operation for most shops....unless the valve is frozen.

Wear gloves

Bruce, a MN Galoot

And don't get any on painted surfaces. At all.

Re: OT- vehicle brake fluid

TomD

I did my brakes, Ford F-150 this year, and 08. The impression I got was that basically the replace your brake fluid thing was a scam. In certain extremes if it boiled, or you immersed your car in a flood, well sure. When I bled my brakes the stuff coming out looked like the stuff going in. If you know the history and performance of your car, then you aren't taking a risk to leave well enough alone. Now your dealer, what does he know. It is safer for you (if a non participant in maintenance) to just replace it, and he gets the cheese to boot. But the experts were suggesting flushing it all out was pointless.

Here is where I went wrong though. I did the front rotors and pads a year or so back, and they were still pretty new. I couldn't get to the US for some cheap stuff, so I paid a huge bill for parts alone, what it would have cost 10 years ago to get it done at the dealer, interesting that, they have returned to what they figure is our tolerance. This spring my wife was driving along and the brakes seized and overheated. I had to do the whole thing, pads rotors, and calipers, because the calipers seized. From now on, I will do all 3 at the same time. It costs an extra 50 in parts once the cores are returned to do the calipers. And it is about the same, or easier to do the calipers at the same time.