Brake Fluid Change

C

cj10jeeper

Lifer
 Lichfield, England
Had the Zed in for its MOT today (which it passed) :) and an oil service. While at it I asked them to change the brake fluid. Frankly at their rates it's not worth my effort to source fluid retail and mess about.

So they bring it back, but did not do it as they tested the fluid as 'OK'. Seems they put it on a machine and boiled a sample that reached 275c with over 170 being acceptable on a performance car. Bled some from a caliper and same result.

Now I trust them and don't want to change for the sake of it but I'd never heard of this test before, nor am I interested in spending for the sake of it.

Any thoughts or anyone familiar with this procedure?

Remember I'm a road driver not track/circuit so the 'change every 2 races' opinions are not what I'm after.
 
Brake fluid change is every 2 years. When was the last change?
 
pvr said:
Brake fluid change is every 2 years. When was the last change?
Click to expand...

Sure pvr I know that and according to the stupid dash indicator and the service book it's due August. The reason however to change fluid is largely due to its hygroscopic property and as water enters the system it's boiling point will lower and of therefore under heavy braking could induce fade. If however it's boiling point is so high the conclusion is it has little if any water in it.

I was interested specifically in this boiling test as it's a new one on me.
 
cj10jeeper said:
pvr said:
Brake fluid change is every 2 years. When was the last change?
Click to expand...

Sure pvr I know that and according to the stupid dash indicator and the service book it's due August. The reason however to change fluid is largely due to its hygroscopic property and as water enters the system it's boiling point will lower and of therefore under heavy braking could induce fade. If however it's boiling point is so high the conclusion is it has little if any water in it.

I was interested specifically in this boiling test as it's a new one on me.
Click to expand...

Interesting, must be dealer specific then. Mine always followed the book re the 2 year change. My VW which is hardly used follows the same routine, even though it might only do 2000 miles in 2 years .
 
pvr - this is done by my indy not main agent. They would have just changed the fluid no questions asked and bille me for it
 
ah, that explains it ... An indy might actually know what they are doing. Will tell you the story sometimes about my first X5 MOT yesterday where the dealer told me that I had a space saver spare wheel which could not be used for the MOT, that my E53 iDrive needed a software update and after putting them straight, suggested that they would need the car overnight to fix a MKIV satnav update via the software CD which takes 30 seconds as you know. :cry:
 
So I'm going to bump this.


I called up the stealer and they quoted me $145 for a brake fluid change, maybe take 10-15 bucks off since I have my own fluid.

What I'm wondering is changing the brake fluid the same as non bmw cars and i can just take it to a regular brake shop or do it myself with a buddy?
 
After I had my brake fluid changed the brakes were fine.....but before they were absolutely brilliant. I sent it back to the stealer and all they did was the mot test and said it passed (and it passed a subsequent MoT).

So a) maybe let sleeping dogs lie and b) has anyone else had a similar experience?

Cheers

N
 
Ah........My Z4M was in for its first oil service last week and i was told it was due a 2 yr brake fluid change so i had one done just for the BMW stamp, the next one will be at MY discretion when its out of warranty, the car has only 10k on it and just over 2 yrs old.
 
So do I change the brake fluid at the dealer before my track event, or trust the brake fluid in the car, or go to an independent brake mechanic and say change it? Or just simply wait till after?
 
The BMW official line is 2 years for a change in fluid regardless of mileage as it is a hygroscopic fluid.
MY LINE would be change it if you are slightly concerned that brake fade may occur when at its boiling point or it has passed the 2 years without change.

MY other thinking is that its a dealer scam, play with our minds and make them feel it is a necessary evil, which of course it is........... :D

The choice is yours................... :driving:
 
Aebous said:
So do I change the brake fluid at the dealer before my track event, or trust the brake fluid in the car, or go to an independent brake mechanic and say change it? Or just simply wait till after?
Click to expand...

I always change it before AND after a track event. The local BMW CCA chapter usually holds a pre-track tech session day at someone's garage. Changing the brake fluid is one of the easier procedures to do. Unless it was warranty work I wouldn't let my dealer do it because of how easy it is. Saying that there is always a caveat: if one doesn't know how or is uneasy doing this, have someone around that does, take notes for the next time, but have it done and tested by an experienced hand.
 
Beyond the possible problems with high temperatures causing boiling of the fluid, there are a couple of other reasons for changing the DOT4 fluids. One is to prevent sponginess in the brake pedal because as the fluid absorbs water it is more compressible. The second is to prevent corossion in your brake system, which could be very expensive in the long run.

The DOT4 fluids are typically a very light yellow when fresh. They get darker and darker as they absorb moisture, so this is a good visual clue that they need to be replaced. Every two years is a good rule of thumb that I've used for years on my motorcycles and other European cars that have required DOT4 brake fluid.

I picked up the Bavarian Auto bleeding kit and I'm looking forward to using it this winter while the car is hiding from the ice and snow.

Bill
 
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