How often does the brake fluid need changing?

flang

photome wrote: »

Me neither, as you say it is a recommendation, I didn't think anyone actually had it changed

Same here, I never bother changing it either.

Ultrasonic

photome wrote: »

I didn't think anyone actually had it changed

Well everyone having their cars serviced at main dealers will be having it changed regularly for starters.

Interesting that this might be a complete waste of time though. If it is possible to simply check water content to spot if it needs changing then this does sound like a bit of a scam...

colino

Forget the aircon needing, "changed", it doesn't. With most garage testers it can be checked as, at pressure, but nothing to do with quality.
Brake fluid is an interesting one. Years ago, with basic fluid and drum brakes, it really did, "cook" but we didn't seem to have many failures. Nowadays, with less hygroscopic brake fluids, it seems to be the flavour to, "change" the fluid. However, these changes tend to scoop out the nice clean fluid in the reservoir and only get out a smidgen of the (brake seal) contaminated fluid from one line. I can hand-on-heart say that, having driven all sorts of rubbish on all sorts of continents, I've never had a failure due to brake fluid.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

i tend to change my brake fluid out if i,m doing a all four discs and pads why not brake fluid is cheap enough and a peice of mind?

good idea to change it out if your car has stood for 12 months though you dont what could be in it due to brake line corrosion if any is in it.

photome

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Well everyone having their cars serviced at main dealers will be having it changed regularly for starters.

Interesting that this might be a complete waste of time though. If it is possible to simply check water content to spot if it needs changing then this does sound like a bit of a scam...

My car is having its 4th main dealer service in a week or so time (4 years old) and the quote was more expensive this year partly due to the optional brake fluid change, I declined

mattyprice4004

If you have water in your brake fluid, it'll corrode the inside of the calipers (bore and piston) meaning it'll start sticking when the corrosion gets bad enough.

Having replaced bother rear calipers on my old car (no history of a fluid change, old stuff was full of water) I'll be doing it regularly in future. Calipers aren't cheap, and when they stick on it's usually new pads, or possible discs and pads, too.

mrsmortenharket

Thanks all, you've given me some stuff to think about.

Lisa

ILW

Was the MOT carried out at a brake repair type place (Kwikfit)?

Horizon81

Toyota state every 2 years. Brake fluid isn't expensive and it's not a big job so why not just get it done. I seem to remember on my old Ford the dealers used to take a sample of it and check the boiling point of it - too watered down and it would boil too soon. You'd probably have to be doing some intensive braking to get it to boil over, but I've seen a few vids on youtube of brake discs/pads glowing red/smoking after serious abuse so you never know.

Strider590

Brake fluid 2 years, but in all honesty I know very few people who've actually had it done.