When to change brake fluid?

Mercdriver

How many Darwin Award nominees are in this thread?

Save £30 - £50 or risk your (and others') lives. Sounds clever. (NOT)

fred246

House_Martin wrote: »

Me too, but I ve bled hundreds of brake systems and had plenty of seized bleed nipples in brake calipers and rear pistons sheer off. Then a £50 fluid change could turn into the cost of a new front caliper.

If they do the job properly they will have problems from seized nipples and leaks of fluid. If they just syringe fluid out of the reservoir and put some new in they can say they have done the job and they shouldn't have any unhappy customers being charged extra for new calipers etc. If someone says how about the pipes they'll just say 'you didn't ask us to do that' 'that will be extra' etc. That is assuming they do anything at all. Some garages will just charge and do nothing. The last time I bought brake fluid it was Comma 500ml from Wilko for £3. Garages should get it cheaper.

System

Richard53 wrote: »

To be fair, it would take a long time for steel brake pipes to rust through (although I wouldn't want to be a passenger when they do). Cunifer should last almost forever.

My wife was lucky. Hers failed in the MOT. It had gone through the visual inspection for leaks, all the pipes had been checked. When they put it on a rolling road and put full brake pressure on one of the pipes burst. Garage phoned up most apologetic, I just replied I was glad it failed there and not on the road as being a 2 litre V6 it was kind of driven with some gusto by her from time to time.

AdrianC

fred246 wrote: »

If they do the job properly they will have problems from seized nipples and leaks of fluid. If they just syringe fluid out of the reservoir and put some new in they can say they have done the job and they shouldn't have any unhappy customers being charged extra for new calipers etc. If someone says how about the pipes they'll just say 'you didn't ask us to do that' 'that will be extra' etc. That is assuming they do anything at all. Some garages will just charge and do nothing.

If you take your car to somewhere so incompetent and mendacious, then the brake fluid is the least of your problems.

Nobbie1967

For those arguing against following the manufacturers recommendations for changing the brake fluid, do you also ignore the recommendations for changing the oil?

Most manufacturers try to extend service intervals and reduce service work to keep fleet operators happy such as the common move to 2year/20000 mile service intervals. Why would they continue with the brake fluid change unless there was a need for it? Sure, it's something you can skimp on, like missing an oil change and probably not notice it, but somewhere down the line it has the potential to come back and bite you.

takman

fred246 wrote: »

It's amazing how the pipes let water and oxygen in but the brake fluid doesn't get out.

Well considering that you can get a tester for a few quid to see the amount of water in the fluid why don't you buy one and check it for yourself...

The last car i bought the fluid had actually started to turn green, so it was obviously well overdue for a change and not working a full effectiveness.

fred246 wrote: »

If they do the job properly they will have problems from seized nipples and leaks of fluid.

You don't always get problems and its much less likely to be a problem if you get it changed regularly.

fred246 wrote: »

If they just syringe fluid out of the reservoir and put some new in they can say they have done the job and they shouldn't have any unhappy customers being charged extra for new calipers etc. If someone says how about the pipes they'll just say 'you didn't ask us to do that' 'that will be extra' etc. That is assuming they do anything at all. Some garages will just charge and do nothing. The last time I bought brake fluid it was Comma 500ml from Wilko for £3. Garages should get it cheaper.

So just because you don't know of any honest garages that's a good reason to never get the brake fluid changed?.

iolanthe07

I don't understand why some people will risk compromising themselves and their family's safety just to save a piffling few quid, especially when you look at the overall cost of running a car.

reeac

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

I've never changed brake fluid for the sake of it in over 40 years of car ownership/driving; never had a problem.

But has that been the same car for 40 years? If not then maybe you are changing your whole car rather than the brake fluid.

AdrianC

reeac wrote: »

But has that been the same car for 40 years? If not then maybe you are changing your whole car rather than the brake fluid.

Even if it was the same car, I VERY much doubt that not one single hydraulic component has been changed in that 40yrs. Not one pipe, not one flexi, not one wheel cylinder...

Because, if any of those are changed, then the fluid is drained out, refilled, and bled through.