Exchange of Brake Fluid

[Raizinman]

A friend took his 6 year old Chevrolet (60,000 miles) to an independent garage to have a Lube Oil Filter. The shop told him that he needs a brake fluid exchange as it appears to have never been done. My friend OK’d this and agreed to the $169 price. When he got the car back, he always likes me to look the car over and when he opened the hood we noticed a new oil filter and when he pulled the dipstick we noticed the oil full and very clean. In looking at the master cylinder, we noticed that the reservoir was also now very clean and we could see the brand new fluid inside. All looked good. I had him start the car and turn the wheels. I looked at the front calipers. There was an accumulation of old dirt on the bleeder valve. I checked the other 3 bleeder valves and they also were very dirty with no signs of ever being opened. My friend called the shop and enquired about this Brake Fluid Exchange. They kept trying to say that it is normal maintenance and that they removed old brake fluid and exchanged it with new brake fluid. My friend kept asking if they replaced ALL the brake fluid. They said like an automatic transmission, when you drop the pan, you only get a few quarts, not all of it. Same thing.

If they had only sprayed a little BrakeClean on the 4 bleeder valves they probably would have gotten away with it. The shop refunded my friends $169.

 

[thescreensavers]

Lol so they just sucked out the old fluid and filled it back up with fresh fluid and called that a "brake fluid exchange" ?

 

[SandEagle]

classic jiffy lube scam. see video below. threaten to call the media and the bbb.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCAJ8ULnaI

 

[RichieZ]

that why i go to a small indy shop and also watch them do the work:

 

[5150MyU]

First off-I don't need my brake fluid changed-I'm not a race car driver.
Second off-The cover has never been off the master cylinder-there is no contamination.
Third off-Hate to tell you that the fluid is good for the life of the car.
Yes there are condtions that negate that-but don't be dumb.

 

[5150MyU]

Also-suck the master cylinder dry and refill-if it makes you feel good.

 

[5150MyU]

I agree he got ripped off-just sayinig he got unnecessary repairs

 

[thescreensavers]

Preventative maintenance(done right) is not a repair imo

 

[Gibson486]

Dam...stuff like this gets me paranoid.....

 

[Raizinman]

First off race cars use DOT 5 silicone brake fluid that does not absorb water. Not mixable with DOT 3 that cars use. You do need your brake fluid changed, check your owner’s manual. Most manufacturers recommend it around the 50 or 60 thousand mile mark. Especially if you have anti-lock brakes, it puts a big demand on the brake fluid. Changing your brake fluid is good preventive maintenance. Well, at least the auto manufacturers and their engineers believe so.

Second - Brake systems do get contaminated even without the removal of the cap. How do you think your fluid got to be a dark brown in color? If the color is not clear, then the fluid has picked up rust or dirt in the system. This rust and dirt is being pushed through the expensive anti-lock brake system, metering ports and the master cylinder. Even if your brake fluid still looks good, it could have easily lost many of its properties.

Third – hate to tell you that the fluid is not good for the life of the car, unless you call a few years the life of your car. There are brake fluid testers (test strips) that most quality shops use to give a very accurate determination of the life left in your brake fluid. There are corrosion inhibitors in brake fluid that can and does wear out.

If you decide to wait and your brake fluid inhibitors are severely depleted, corrosion of the internal components have then already begun. Corrosion can pit the metal bores of the master cylinder, slave cylinder, calipers, and ABS components. This means that pistons will not move freely, seals can be damaged and cylinders can develop internal and external leaks. Changing your brake fluid is cheap insurance.

Many many years ago there was no requirement of brake fluid flushing from the manufacturer, but since the advent of anti-lock brakes, with electric solenoids pounding the brake fluid hard, has caused the manufacturers to now have this maintenance in every owner’s manual.

I check my cars with brake fluid test strips yearly. The test strips run about $50 or cheaper for a package of 100. That will last a long time.

 

[Eli]

First off-I don't need my brake fluid changed-I'm not a race car driver.
Second off-The cover has never been off the master cylinder-there is no contamination.
Third off-Hate to tell you that the fluid is good for the life of the car.
Yes there are condtions that negate that-but don't be dumb.

lolwut

Please refrain from giving car advice. Ever.

 

[5150MyU]

What do the auto makers say about fluid changes? General Motors and Chrysler do not mention brake fluid in their
scheduled maintenance recommendations. A General Motors spokesman said​

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Delco Supreme 11 DOT 3 brake fluid​

contains additives than many other brake fluids do not, so it is essentially a lifetime fluid. Starting in 1993, GM began
using a new type of rubber brake hose with an EPM lining and outer jacketing that reduces moisture penetration by 50%.​

So GM does not consider fluid contamination to be a significant problem.
Being a GM tech, that is what I went by-others recomennend replacing-But I still think you are a deuche bag.

 

[5150MyU]

BTW you can ban me if you like-but my advice still stands.

 

[5150MyU]

http://www.afcoracing.com/tech_pages/fluid.shtml.
Sorry for calling you what I did but there was no need for you to tell me not to give advice. Been working on GMs and MOPARS for 25+ yrs.
I only post to save people money or hassles-you know, share the knowledge.

 

[The Stigenator]

MY 2009 Acura has a thing in the service manual for brake fluid replacement..

 

[5150MyU]

First off race cars use DOT 5 silicone brake fluid that does not absorb water.
Really?-and don't you mean moisture?

 

[5150MyU]

MY 2009 Acura has a thing in the service manual for brake fluid replacement..

That was my mistake-being a GM tech I was unaware of the other manufactures requirements.

But it is nice to know.

 

[Eli]

There's a joke about GM's only lasting 100,000 miles in there somewhere.

The idea of a lifetime fluid in any automobile's system is silly, and doesn't work in the real world.

Especially with brakes, it's not something you want to risk.

 

[thescreensavers]

Lifetime of the car = First owner.

Fluids cannot and do not last the "FULL" lifetime of the car.

 

[5150MyU]

The above mentioned vehicle has 60k-I would change the tranny fluid before being concerned about the brake fluid.

 

[5150MyU]

Even at the stealership that I worked at was 30k,60k,90k brake system flush sold.

 

[halik]

Lifetime of the car = First owner.

Fluids cannot and do not last the "FULL" lifetime of the car.

Reminds me of the VW addage: "Lifetime transmission fluid, replace transmission every 100k miles".

 

[sdifox]

I thought thermal breakdown was the biggest issue with brake fluid?

 

[PlasmaBomb]

First off race cars use DOT 5 silicone brake fluid that does not absorb water.
Really?-and don't you mean moisture?

Technically when the moisture enters the brake fluid it's water and no longer moisture

 

[slag]

Never have changed brake fluid in any of the vehicles I've owned and don't see a need. Its a closed system. Never had a brake failure related to fluid either and my brakes work just fine. I think the whole "relatively" new idea of having to change brake fluid is a CYA type of thing.