Did mine other week car is 5 yrs in December the book says every 2 years but i let it pass to 4.5 yrs.
It's a much better pedal more firm as moisture can build up behind the piston and can boil.
Used a syringe to suck it all out..
Do you bother changing it regular or not?
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Changed brake fluid once in my life, on the rear brake on a bike. Never on a car, despite clocking up over 100k on a few models.
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I syringe the old out of the reservoir, replace with new, then I just go round opening bleed nipples while the wife pumps it through with the brake. When each leg comes out clean and new looking its done.
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Done as standard item on 30000km/2year service on my Toyota this week
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Every two years. It's cheap and prevents the fluid boiling.
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Suppose I should, but to be honest never have. Bit of a "If it ain't broke don't fix it" sort of thing I guess and in lots of years and lots of miles, that particular feature, er, um, ain't never broke. Famous last words I suppose.
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I dont suppose anyone has boiled brake fluid for the last 20 years.
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>> I dont suppose anyone has boiled brake fluid for the last 20 years.
I'd think that too.
However, a few years ago we were camping at the foot of Alpe d'Huez. Englishman in Astra on next plot had his brakes fade to nowt descending the Alp. Strong suspicion was vapour locking due water contamination of the fluid.
GM dealer in Grenoble sorted it for him.
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Did the sharan at 2 years as the dealer advised it, but not bothered since. Now approaching 8 years old
Last edited by: mikeyb on Sun 2 Jun 13 at 17:20
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Yes, every two years, always have done, always will. No point risking it, particularly in the sort of terrain where I live!
Last edited by: Mike H on Sun 2 Jun 13 at 17:20
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I'm idle about it. But it needs doing - brakes fluffier than they used to be and I don't like that - so I will get it done soon.
When I did my own maintenance and had to bleed brakes after changing pads or shoes, changing the fluid came easily. I guess I could still do it with herself - actually no, a man, preferably a son-in-law who I could easily get to do the whole job if I cared to exploit him - pumping but that grovelling doesn't come as easily as it once did. There's said to be a kit that does it all for you without pedal pumping (which can damage master cylinder piston seals), all you have to do is open the bleed nipples in order, but it's either very expensive or very rare because I've never seen one.
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There's said to be a kit that does it all for you without pedal pumping (which can damage master cylinder piston seals), all you have to do is open the bleed nipples in order, but it's either very expensive or very rare because I've never seen one.
One of these:
www.gunson.co.uk/item.aspx?cat=664&item=1818
An exorbitant £32 quid! Used mine frequently. Halfords have them, so hardly rare!
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>> There's said to be a kit that does it all for you without pedal pumping
>> (which can damage master cylinder piston seals), all you have to do is open the
>> bleed nipples in order, but it's either very expensive or very rare because I've never
>> seen one.
>>
>> One of these:
>> www.gunson.co.uk/item.aspx?cat=664&item=1818
>> An exorbitant £32 quid! Used mine frequently. Halfords have them, so hardly rare!
Complete waste of space, does not fit on mine unless you pay another 20 quid for a special fixing, When I complained to Gunsons that they don't state it wont work on most japanese cars they said tough doo dah.
They can stuff their products where the sun don't shine. Hope they go out of business. And soon.
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Thank you Sp. Might get one of those.
Bit of a nuisance having to take a wheel off and let nearly half the air out. A viable spare would come in handy for this at least.
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>> One of these:
>> www.gunson.co.uk/item.aspx?cat=664&item=1818
>> An exorbitant £32 quid! Used mine frequently. Halfords have them, so hardly rare!
>>
Hmm, I have flirted with pressure bleeding kits several times and it always ends up having the same result.
Something, somewhere becoming loose or detached and my wondering why I'm getting nothing at the bleed nipple while a bottle full of brake fluid empties itself all over the engine bay.
When they work they're great, but when it goes Pete Tong the mess has to be seen to be believed.
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The tricks with the cheap Gunson pressure bleeder are don't fill the bottle with fluid, don't use any more than 20psi, and make sure the cap on the master cylinder is a really good seal.
Do those 3 things and it is a good tool.
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>> and make sure the cap on the master cylinder
>> is a really good seal.
Difficult when they don't make a cap to fit japanese cars, and you have to buy some cack handed clamp thing for over 20 quid.
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>> One of these:
>> www.gunson.co.uk/item.aspx?cat=664&item=1818
>> An exorbitant £32 quid! Used mine frequently. Halfords have them, so hardly rare!
Have to say, I had a bad experience with a Gunson one man bleeder which sprayed brake fluid all over the shop, never again. Not sure what went wrong, it was about 12 years ago, but the design looks the same.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 3 Jun 13 at 10:30
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>>>Englishman in Astra on next plot had his brakes fade to nowt descending the Alp. Strong suspicion was vapour locking due water contamination of the fluid. <<
About 10 yrs ago some Astras had an issue with rain water being channelled down and leaking into into the MC reservoir. A friend had a worrying event. IIRC CM implement a program of installinf a plastic water deflector plate/
.
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>> About 10 yrs ago some Astras had an issue with rain water being channelled down
>> and leaking into into the MC reservoir. A friend had a worrying event. IIRC CM
>> implement a program of installinf a plastic water deflector plate/
It was the Astra-F
tinyurl.com/mczfxzb - link to Vosa's Recall site
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>>... the wife pumps it through with the brake. When each
>> leg comes out clean and new looking its done.
>>
Your leg or the wife's ?
I've had my share of seized bleed nipples in the past so I bleed an EU standard jam jar full of fluid through every year. I don't bother with the syringe empty and refill. And Mrs H was never around when I needed a foot on the brake for bleeding so I've got a Gunson Ezibleed kit now. More efficient then Mrs H and no backchat.
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My car is 8 years old and on its third lot of brake fluid. First lot changed at 4 years, second lot at 8 years. Surprising how the price to change has risen from 40€ in 2008 to 120€ in 2012. The brake fluid used by one Volvo dealership must have really come on in leaps and bounds in the last four years.
I changed the fluid on our Honda bike in 2009 before a long trip, the bike is a '97 plate. I know it had not been changed since 2000, not sure if it was done at 2 years. I didn't really notice any improvement in feel or stopping distance/power.
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I read an article about this somewhere recently that said in the US, manufacturers (it specifically quoted Toyota) reckon there's no need to regularly change brake fluid.
I know there are different types of brake fluid - perhaps they use a "better" one than we do?
Last edited by: Bill Payer on Sun 2 Jun 13 at 17:35
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I seem to recall N_C saying he just slightly loosens each bleed nipple and keeps the reservoir topped up until the fluid runs clear at each corner - presumably no air can go up as the flow is slow and steady.
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>> I seem to recall N_C saying he just slightly loosens each bleed nipple and keeps
>> the reservoir topped up until the fluid runs clear at each corner - presumably no
>> air can go up as the flow is slow and steady.
>>
Yes thats the gravity bleed it works just fine i did it towards the end of the cycle it just takes longer of course but if your in no rush why not.
There is other bleed kits on the market that require compressed air ie a small home type 25ltr compressor would work fine it's a small hand held tank with pipe and air fitting fill resovoir and fit to you master cylinder it's the garage type and can be found for around £25.00
But im a tight sod as i now only service about 3 cars a year i can't be bothered to get one but i may it would make life easier.!!
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Well, I'm sure you're supposed to, but a bit like the 'new tyres must go on the back' thing, the absolute 'need' for winter tyres, the pressing necessity to change AT fluid at whatever interval, the dangers of extended oil service intervals etc etc etc, does anyone actually know anyone who's brakes have actually failed as a direct result of not changing the brake fluid on time in a road car in recent decades? I'm sure I don't anyway. Happy to be corrected of course, as always.
I do though always get my cars serviced when either the manual or a wee light comes on to suggest it so maybe it gets done sometimes then of course. Widne ken to be honest, I just sort of drive them and leave the oily bits to those who say they know about them. Don't like to interfere in these things !
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 2 Jun 13 at 17:41
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I get mine done every 2 years as per the service book recommendation. Only costs something like £25 inc. of VAT and the fluid.
Works out at ~£1.04 a month for peace of mind.
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Yes i do change it.
My kerbside cowboy days when replacing or dismantling leaking wheel cylinders and replacing worn and broken seals was regular showed just how filthy and gungy the slave cylinder end of a braking system could get, and the insides of master cyls could hold be nasty looking.
Rust would get in where cylinders were steel, that could only have come from the water content in the fluid.
If done at the same time as the normal ''strip clean lubricate and work the pistons'' service of the braking system it takes but minutes extra.
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>> just how filthy and gungy the slave cylinder end of a braking system could get, and the insides of master cyls could hold be nasty looking.
Aaaargh, stop it gb, you're bringing it all back. And dodgy damaged pipe unions. And bleed nipples that break off deep in the caliper. The brake-fluid-soaked linings. The totally disintegrated seals in bits in the cylinder. All out of doors in the street in the cold after dark.
'The horror! The horror!'
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Do I think it's very important to follow the recommendations and change it every 2 years? Yes
Do I actually bother? No.
What mileage have I covered in a car that has not had its brake fluid changed?
Previous car 250,000 miles. Present car 100,000 miles.
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I changed the Yaris every 5 years.. ie.. the second change is due NOW. Made no difference last time: old fluid very clean,
Maybe modern seals last longer/work better?
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I'm sure I've told the story on here or maybe the "other place" about the Mondeo 1.8TD estate I bought from an erstwhile employer at 18 months old but with 85,000 miles on it. I got it very very cheap ( £3500 ) because it was a favour to me and indeed because the sales rep who'd had it had never taken it into a garage from the day it was new. The only thing it had ever had replaced were its tyres and the diesel in its tank.
I had it serviced straightaway of course but then went on to run it myself for another trouble free 18 months and 50,000 miles. Eventually got my £3500 back for it as a trade in so not a bad deal really.
I'm sure it's not clever to neglect cars and of course I'm not suggesting anyone should, but I do sometimes wonder if they're often a bit more robust than we might imagine.
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I just do it whenever changing pads, so circa 2 years.
The fluid at the wheel end is always dark and manky.
It also means I can open the bleed nipple when retracting pistons without fear as I know I'll be replacing the fluid next.
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BellBoy posted this many moons ago: workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Can-You-Believe-This/video/486759/31710.html
The relevant bit's about 1:40 onwards.
I tried it on my Nissan. The brake fluid passed (I bleed a little every year when I service the brakes). The clutch fluid failed (never been touched in nine years).
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Mondeo was changed at the last service after the dealer phoned to say it was due, and Bertha was changed last year for the first time.
No point in risking it for the cost involved.
Pat
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How is this alleged water supposed to get into the system, and find its way down to the calipers? As water vapour through the filler cap breather hole? Just how moist is the air in a hot engine compartment?
Why not just have a deeper cap filled with desiccant?
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I used (and still have) a Gunson Easybleed Pressure kit. I have not used it for years but always found it easy to use, it is now done during routine servicing when due by the garage. A few years back (a lot thinking about it) I sent a kit to my pal in Australia for his farm vehicles, he had not seen or heard of it as it was not available there and he didn't have internet access at the time.
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>> How is this alleged water supposed to get into the system, and find its way
>> down to the calipers? As water vapour through the filler cap breather hole? Just how
>> moist is the air in a hot engine compartment?
AIUI fluid, or at least some types of conventional fluid, is hygroscopic and picks up water from the atmosphere - presumably through the breather.
The mineral oil LHM in the Xantia has no hygroscopic characteristic but replacement is recommended every 50k miles or so.
>> Why not just have a deeper cap filled with desiccant?
Dunno!!
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I think it was Zero said his Mitsu has a membrane that keeps the fluid and air separate in the reservoir when this subject came up a short while ago.
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>> >> How is this alleged water supposed to get into the system, and find its way
>> >> down to the calipers? As water vapour through the filler cap breather hole? Just
>> how moist is the air in a hot engine compartment?
>>
>> AIUI fluid, or at least some types of conventional fluid, is hygroscopic and picks up
>> water from the atmosphere - presumably through the breather.
Motorcycles have a (semi)sealed system, with a membrane, but you can never expel ALL the air from a system, and the water will come from the air within the system. (but not between the master and slave pistons - that would cause a spongy pedal.)
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Brake fluid do you change it.? - Robin O'Reliant
