Second year car service - they recommend changing brake fluid - is it necessary?

Lum

Changing brake fluid is a pain in the backside job and for £47 I'd rather let someone else do it to be quite honest.

anewman

Lum wrote: »

Changing brake fluid is a pain in the backside job and for £47 I'd rather let someone else do it to be quite honest.

It can be made a little easier with something like a Gunson Eezibleed, which attaches to a spare tyre and the brake fluid reservoir, forcing fluid through the system as you open each nipple. (So it works kind of the reverse way to the garage's gear which sucks from the nipple [oo-er missus]). Niggling things are if you can't get an air tight seal with it it pi$$e$ brake fluid all over your engine bay, and you need to check the brake fluid level regularly otherwise you bleed the entire thing dry and you've cocked it up like a goodun (ABS pump needs special equipment/computers to bleed then). It's also annoying when bleed nipples snap off (presume this is an old car thing).

Pumping the pedal to bleed brakes is a bad idea as this can knacker the master cylinder (as I found out) although apparently you can stick a brick under the pedal to prevent it going further than usual to help prevent it.

Lum

Biggest problem with the easibleed is they stop working after 2 or 3 uses and you have to find somewhere to store the damn thing even though it's covered in horrible brake fluid.

The best method I've seen is a gadget that uses an air compressor to suck the brake fluid out from the nipples, but it was still long winded, messy and annoying, not to mention noisy.

I'd rather just stick to my rule of having a professional do anything with my braking system. I'll have a go at pretty much anything else if I feel up to it (which is less and less common these days) but not brakes.

goldspanners

brake fluid is hygroscopic as it attracts water.

hydroscopic is something different i think.

missile

I would want new fluid, you may be surprised the diffence it can make.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Hammyman wrote: »

Not only is it worth it, its pretty much a must. The first time you'll find out you should have done it is when the brakes fail as you're descending a 1 in 6 hill braking most of the way or you have to brake hard from 70MPH.

What a load of scaremongering ignorant !!!!!!!!.