Brake fluid. Does it need changing every 5 minutes? (1 Viewer)

[wingman]

I booked a service today with a Peugeot main dealer. It was a 'first' service (20,000 miles or 2 years). I've done the two years, but only 8,400 miles!

Once I had regained consciousness after suffering supra-ventricular tachycardia on hearing the cost, the receptionist says, "Well, I could include the £55 for changing the brake fluid in with the price"

I could understand it if the fluid had bubbles in it and was black from 20 year's abuse by a throttle & brake merchant, but surely my brake fluid is in its virgin state!

I declined the fluid change and negotiated a discount on the service BUT, does it really need to be changed every 'five minutes' or is this a ruse?

 

[scotjimland]

Brake fluid is hygroscopic and should be changed as per schedule..

not changing the fluid can result in brake fade due to moisture boiling and turning to steam in the slave cylinders.. so it's not a ruse..

edit..

more info here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_fluid

 

[Wildbill]

Mark one eye ball is it cloudy is it dirty no I changed mine when I changed my brake linings.
I would think my brake fluid was original and was a clean as a whistle.
in my humbill opinion you don't need to change it every service.
if I have broken containment of the system I usually change it
if for instance.
I have changed out a master cylinder or slave cylinder .
if I don't know the history of a vehicle a new vehicle to me
but at 20000 Frome new NO
regards bill

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[wingman]

Mark one eye ball is it cloudy is it dirty no I changed mine when I changed my brake linings.
I would think my brake fluid was original and was a clean as a whistle.
in my humbill opinion you don't need to change it every service.
if I have broken containment of the system I usually change it
if for instance.
I have changed out a master cylinder or slave cylinder .
if I don't know the history of a vehicle a new vehicle to me
but at 20000 Frome new NO
regards bill

No Bill. It's not done 20,000 from new, it's only done 8,400. It's a 20,000 or 2 year service

James

 

[Wildbill]

No Bill. It's not done 20,000 from new, it's only done 8,400. It's a 20,000 or 2 year service

James

each to there own it will be on the service schedule but I do mine as above but it is recommended ever 1to2 years
bill

 

[olley]

Get them to do a boil test, that will tell you if it needs changing.

Ian

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[Neckender]

What did they quote you wingman, as my Peugeot based Auto Sleeper is due in March 2 years old and 16,000 miles.

John.

 

[Minxy]

Might be worth getting prices for a service from other places too, even main dealers, as they can differ quite a lot. As for the brake fluid change, it's part of the vehicle service requirements to maintain any warranty so needs to be done regardless of whether you think it's needed or not.

 

[jonandshell]

Wait for a brake related recall and it gets changed for free!

It's a SEVEL chassis you won't have to wait long!

Only joking, but in all seriousness, Scotjimland's answer is textbook.

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[PeteH]

Lots have been written, over the years about the "need" to change the brake fluid. It is a recommendation that it be changed every couple of years ONLY because the fluid absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, that lowers the boiling point and can lead to loss of braking.

Viz: A18 slight downhill into the village of Wraby (Melton Road if anyone knows it?.) 7tonne Pusher R-V, Towing Smart. Moderate braking, Oh poo! (stronger!) NO BRAKES, SWMBO says What`s Wrong? Me. No ******** brakes. Managed to get to a halt in the Bus lay-by at the bottom and jambed the tyre into the curb! Phew!! (Change underwear!!). Made some check`s plenty of fluid, no leaks, the the light bulb moment, The last fluid change had been 3 to 4 years earlier when the disks where replaced, sure enough about 3/4hrs later fired up and I now had braking. Found a site (behind Pub) in the village and spent the weekend changing the fluid.

Lesson Learned. Change fluid in any vehicle that spends a lot of time standing!!, forget Mileage not relevant.

Pete

 

[Techno]

Following another thread about the stopping fluid, I bought a moisture detector on recommendation of @dave newell lvs
My 2009 Berlingo has Zero reading and so too does the motorhome that I bled two years or so ago.
Unless you have a complete trustworthy mechanic I'd not trust that it gets done even when paid for.

So in answer to the topic title NO
I'd hazard a guess the £55 waived is no loss to them

 

[steviebouy]

No one has mentioned the corrosive effect of the "damp" fluid on the ferrous parts of the braking system leading to stuck pistons in the future.
I've never had an incident caused by boiling fluid but plenty caused by "cheap" pads/linings. For the avoidance of doubt boiling fluid would allow the pedal to hit the floor as the steam produced is compressible whereas faded pads just lose their effectiveness and pressing the hard pedal gives little or no results.
Steve

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[Techno]

Clear the fog of misinformation and test it yourself . As I said my car from new has original fluid now in seventh year and its clean as a whistle and BTW Berlingo stopping power is awesome by design
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261830761845?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[Wildbill]

Clear the fog of misinformation and test it yourself . As I said my car from new has original fluid now in seventh year and its clean as a whistle and BTW Berlingo stopping power is awesome by design
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261830761845?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Thanks just going to order one
bill

 

[Badknee]

I use ally change the fluid when I bleed the brakes every two to three years on all my vehicles/bikes. It's not massively expensive stuff.

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[iandsm]

No, not every five minutes but every two years as recommended by the manufacturer. It might be a belt and braces approach but to ignore the recommendation if very foolish and could result in stopping distances in emergency being greatly increased as I once found out myself. Normal gentle braking will not show your fluid is not up to the mark, sudden violent braking with the resultant fast heat build up will.

If you have the tools and belief in your own ability to test the fluid yourself and are competent then perhaps you could leave it longer but otherwise why, for the sake of £50 possibly put yourself and others in danger.

 

[DBK]

Brake fluid testers can work, but some don't according to this: Broken Link Removed

I remember my first car had awful brake problems and they were down to corrosion of the brake cylinders due to moisture in the fluid which had probably never been changed.

 

[Techno]

f you have the tools and belief in your own ability to test the fluid yourself and are competent then perhaps you could leave it longer but otherwise why, for the sake of £50 possibly put yourself and others in danger.

There's always the doubt that it was actually done and properly too. If in doubt test it yourself before they claim to have done it. If it passes no need if it fails then it should be better after taking your money

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[Techno]

Brake fluid testers can work, but some don't according to this: Broken Link Removed

I remember my first car had awful brake problems and they were down to corrosion of the brake cylinders due to moisture in the fluid which had probably never been changed.

I tested mine on new fluid, my existing fluids and fluid with water added

 

[Wildbill]

I tested mine on new fluid, my existing fluids and fluid with water added

So you make a control sample grate idea is it hard to get the fluid to absorb the water
bill

 

[Techno]

If it passes no need if it fails then it should be better after taking your money

However they don't always do a full bleed so testing at the master cylinder is still not conclusive if you've been had.

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[Techno]

So you make a control sample grate idea is it hard to get the fluid to absorb the water
bill

Not really, you only need a small percentage and a shake. The percentages for new to fail are quite small

 

[Wildbill]

Thanks @Techno100
bill

 

[Landy lover]

I do work on land rovers and Range Rovers - these day just to keep my hand in for fun (been working on them for 50 years so its a bit of a habit) just before xmas a P38 range rover was bought to me with total brake failure - examination showed inside to outside corrosion of the front to rear brake lines causing catastrophic fluid loss under extreme braking conditions - he had a 3.5 tonne fully loaded trailer on the back. Fortunately he managed to control it. Examination showed the brake fluid was last changed 4 years previously as a part of the main agent program. He had gone to back street garages since for cheap servicing which is what he got. Cost of repairs and to bring it back to the correct level of service over £3k on parts and labour. Cheap servicing ---- really !!!

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[Techno]

Personally I think its hard to believe it would degrade that much in four years,. A main agent service is no surety that they actually changed it and that is the serious nature of the business

 

[MikeD]

Brake fluid will absorb water.

Water is heavier than the brake fluid and will sink to the lowest point in the system.

Usually the brake calipers. It will get hot and boil/vapourise and cause spongy brakes or brake failure.
Plus it will cause corrosion of the internal parts of the caliper and cause stiffness in the pistons.

My caddy - (brake fluid age around four years) suffered total failure of the brakes because of this. It was diagnosed as a failed master cylinder. Replaced and they again failed.

Then diagnosed as a sticking piston in the rear brake caliper, both calipers overhauled with new disks and pads.

Then all the brake fluid was replaced and not just the bit between the ABS and master cylinder.

Total cost over £500 in parts alone. Expensive lesson - its about £8 for a litre of brake fluid.

 

[Landy lover]

Personally I think its hard to believe it would degrade that much in four years,. A main agent service is no surety that they actually changed it and that is the serious nature of the business

True - the point being that internal degradation happens and cannot be seen and the last 4 years could have cost this chap his life. The best course of action is to ensure the job is done. Many garages will cut corners some unwittingly because a mechanic will tick a job as done yet not do it. The person doing the bill only has the job card to work to.

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[Techno]

I get that but personally I've never encountered internal degradation (why are they still using steel?Oh Please!). All the Mot failures I experienced were external corrosion and often nonsense to get a brake pipe replaced that wasn't needed.
I always took it away and made my own brake line up from Kunifer and went for retest much to their disappointment.

 

[PeteH]

Lesson Learned. Change fluid in any vehicle that spends a lot of time standing!!, forget Mileage not relevant.

Get a test kit if you feel the need, Or as Olley said, have a boil test done. It`s TIME and NONE use that are the major cause of the issue. Vehicles that are in use Daily Regular use are unlikely to have an issue. But in the "Classic" Car World. Many are now on DOT5 (Sillcone) Fluids for this very reason.

£55. is a very reasonable charge for the work involved, and the peace of mind. Plus the fact that it is easier and more comfortable to do on Ramps or in a working pit!. (I Know having carried out the task Umpteen times on my driveway on both boys cars and my own classics!.) But in all seriousness, I would advise that it IS changed (or at least tested) every couple of years, and DEFINITELY if you experience "Soft" brakes.

Pete

Pete

 

[Wildbill]

Think that most thing have ben covered now but if containment has to be broken.
and a bleed is needed a full bleed and brake fluid change is the best way to go
bill

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