Brake fluid - need to change?

[ss55]

I've been told that I should have my brake fluid changed out on my 2014 F150.
I have 120k miles on it.

Is this really necessary. I think it's a waste of money. Am I wrong?

Dumb question:
Are brake fluid testers and test strips worth using to determine if brake fluid is getting contaminated? Likewise, are coolant test strips worth using?

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SER4598

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_8006B

 

[Dean]

Some manufacturers recommend brake fluid flushing at specified intervals. After working on a lot of older cars and draining out fluid that looks like bean soup, I'm a believer in flushing.

Bingo.

 

[showcrop]

Yes, good idea.

Unless your vehicle has new, synthetic brake fluid (it doesn't) the brake fluid is hydroscopic and will attract water which will collect in the lowest point of the system, e.g., calipers and wheel cylinders.

I had the brake fluid in my 2017 vehicle changed a couple of years ago.

No, I did not say that it is "necessary."

Dean, thanks for differentiing between calipers and wheel cylinders!

 

[showcrop]

I've been told that I should have my brake fluid changed out on my 2014 F150.
I have 120k miles on it.

Is this really necessary. I think it's a waste of money. Am I wrong?

IT DEPENDS!!!!!!!! on how much use the vehicle is getting. It is the same as transmission fluid and hydraulic oil in old tractors. If you are using it pretty much everyday you should be using your brakes enough to generate adequate heat to drive the moisture out. They are all getting moisture sucked in, and has already been posted, the moisture with time will make its way to the bottom. To the wheel cylinders, where it will grow rust. Then you will need new wheel cylinders. That can get spendy. Ask me how I know.

 

[jdeere562]

I have mine changed every 30,000 miles or so. Cheap insurance.

 

[Harold Hubbard]

I don’t change my brake fluid as a maintenance item. With the local road conditions, salt, mud, snow, etc., opening the system for repair is almost a given. Having it opened for you by rotting components, or opening it to replace said components before they fail, gives plenty of chance to flush nd replace the fluid.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I've been told that I should have my brake fluid changed out on my 2014 F150.
I have 120k miles on it.

Is this really necessary. I think it's a waste of money. Am I wrong?

Tom
I had a 1985 Goldwing.
The rear brakes were locking up.
The brake fluid turned to a jell, I changed it.
Another person had a similar problem with is Honda Motorcycle.
I have a 19 year old Buick. I haven't had any problems and haven't changed the brake fluid.
If you are worried, use a suction gun and pull out some old brake fluid from the brake reservoir and add some new.
What can it hurt?
What is the difference between DOT 4 and DOT 5 brake fluid??
Answer: One DOT!

 

[showcrop]

Tom
I had a 1985 Goldwing.
The rear brakes were locking up.
The brake fluid turned to a jell, I changed it.
Another person had a similar problem with is Honda Motorcycle.
I have a 19 year old Buick. I haven't had any problems and haven't changed the brake fluid.
If you are worried, use a suction gun and pull out some old brake fluid from the brake reservoir and add some new.
What can it hurt?
What is the difference between DOT 4 and DOT 5 brake fluid??
Answer: One DOT!

BAD ADVICE!!! Do not rely on a sample from the reservoir!! It will tell you nothing about your wheel cylinders which is where the problem will be.

 

[UncleTom]

To properly flush the system you will need a scan tool with bidirectional controls to activate the ABS pump. To do the job as it should be done you will need a Brake fluid flush machine. There are a few vacuum and low pressure systems on the market they do not do a good job at this other than easy on the pocketbook. I am a firm believer in flushing brake fluid along with that tooled up well to perform the job.

hydroscopic = the fluid will mix with water, dot5 synthetic does not so the issue will be as you stated water will collect in spots of the brake system. Either way water is an issue. On the black fluid its a reaction to metal most all the time I see this is when aluminum calipers are used.

Back to hydroscopic what's the best thing to clean brake parts when soaked/covered with brake fluid. Water it is noting will match it.


I flush for all the right reasons its part of the gig... To properly flush the system you will need a scan tool with bidirectional controls to activate the ABS pump/valves. To do the job as it should be done you will need a Brake fluid flush machine. There are a few vacuum and low pressure systems on the market; they do not do a good job at this other than being easy on the pocketbook. I am a firm believer in flushing brake fluid along with that tooled up well to perform the job.

View attachment 63866

Hey Hobo NC, Ive worked on a lot of brakes in my time but not the new stuff. Would a person need the scan tool with bidirectional controls to just bleed the brakes such as on a Toyota Tundra when just replacing pads or calipers?

 

[Geo-TH,In]

BAD ADVICE!!! Do not rely on a sample from the reservoir!! It will tell you nothing about your wheel cylinders which is where the problem will be.

Empty the reservoir with suction gun and add new each time I change oil has worked for me.
Each to their own.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Tom
I had a 1985 Goldwing.
The rear brakes were locking up.
The brake fluid turned to a jell, I changed it.
Another person had a similar problem with is Honda Motorcycle.
I have a 19 year old Buick. I haven't had any problems and haven't changed the brake fluid.
If you are worried, use a suction gun and pull out some old brake fluid from the brake reservoir and add some new.
What can it hurt?
What is the difference between DOT 4 and DOT 5 brake fluid??
Answer: One DOT!

If you are worried, use a suction gun and pull out some old brake fluid from the brake reservoir and add some new.

The amount of fluid in the reservoir is fairly small compared to the volume of the four calipers, brake lines and ABS unit. You need to bleed the brakes to flush out the old stuff.

What is the difference between DOT 4 and DOT 5 brake fluid??

Fun Fact: The difference between DOT 4 and DOT 5 brake fluid is far greater than the difference between DOT 4 and DOT 5.1.

 

[Dean]

The amount of fluid in the reservoir is fairly small compared to the volume of the four calipers, brake lines and ABS unit. You need to bleed the brakes to flush out the old stuff.

Fun Fact: The difference between DOT 4 and DOT 5 brake fluid is far greater than the difference between DOT 4 and DOT 5.1.

Agreed, and the accumulated water will not be in the reservoir but rather the calipers and and/or wheel cylinders.

Even bleeding the calipers will not get all of the water from the low spots of the calipers/wheel cylinders.

 

[Levi81]

To properly flush the system you will need a scan tool with bidirectional controls to activate the ABS pump. To do the job as it should be done you will need a Brake fluid flush machine. There are a few vacuum and low pressure systems on the market they do not do a good job at this other than easy on the pocketbook. I am a firm believer in flushing brake fluid along with that tooled up well to perform the job.

hydroscopic = the fluid will mix with water, dot5 synthetic does not so the issue will be as you stated water will collect in spots of the brake system. Either way water is an issue. On the black fluid its a reaction to metal most all the time I see this is when aluminum calipers are used.

Back to hydroscopic what's the best thing to clean brake parts when soaked/covered with brake fluid. Water it is noting will match it.


I flush for all the right reasons its part of the gig... To properly flush the system you will need a scan tool with bidirectional controls to activate the ABS pump/valves. To do the job as it should be done you will need a Brake fluid flush machine. There are a few vacuum and low pressure systems on the market; they do not do a good job at this other than being easy on the pocketbook. I am a firm believer in flushing brake fluid along with that tooled up well to perform the job.

View attachment 63866

I respect your automotive expertise greatly.
How much of the old fluid is flushed out when I change all 4 calipers? Especially if I run alot of fluid through the lines?
How many issues do you see from brake fluid not being flushed at a regular interval.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Agreed, and the accumulated water will not be in the reservoir but rather the calipers and and/or wheel cylinders.

Even bleeding the calipers will not get all of the water from the low spots of the calipers/wheel cylinders.

Even bleeding the calipers will not get all of the water from the low spots of the calipers/wheel cylinders.

Correct. Most of the fluid will go right out the bleeder without mixing with the old fluid.

 

[Hobo,NC]

Agreed, and the accumulated water will not be in the reservoir but rather the calipers and and/or wheel cylinders.

Even bleeding the calipers will not get all of the water from the low spots of the calipers/wheel cylinders.

One more time Dean, conventional fluid is (maybe I will get it right this time) hygroscopic the water mixes and becomes part of the composition of the fluid. Water contaminants the whole system. Dot 5 is a different animal water does not mix with it and the issue as you state is a big issue with it. I have had to make this dissension on classic cars the owner wanted Dot 5 the manufacturer of the replacement parts said Dot 5 would void the warranty. They go on to say there would be no way I could hind the use of Dot 5, water would settle in the lower part of the caliper and eat it alive. Warranty VOID! : (.

Domestic manufactures have never pushed brake fluid service Euro manufactures have Asian manufactures have been on a vendetta to add this in their maintenance schedules. You could set on the fence about this issue and probably never suffer an affect from it. As a one man show its time consuming along with performing a proper system service on the system. I brought the holly grail system its fast saves me money makes money and the icing on the cake does a excellent job I can be proud to offer. If a shop did not have good equipment to perform this service I would pass. A few pumps hear and there is not gonna help much. A good machine will have all the adapters needed to fit the master some systems require 50 PSI applied to the master to get the fluid to the rear. You force feed the master and use suction at the bleeder some go real easy some are a pain to seal the adapter at the master. If performed correctly brake pedal feel can be improved greatly.

There is also procedures that vary who looks that up?. I would wager most do RR, LR, RF, LF and ship it. Then you have shop help that will not use the equipment I see this often. One more thing it will amaze you the contamination that comes out of the system. Out of a 5 gal. pail I find around 1/4 to 1/2" of crud in the bottom. My machine has a filter I have to keep a check on it. Even going the extra mile you will never get all the contamination. This operation does not mean you will not have a component failure.

 

[NDIHC]

Tom
I had a 1985 Goldwing.
The rear brakes were locking up.
The brake fluid turned to a jell, I changed it.
Another person had a similar problem with is Honda Motorcycle.
I have a 19 year old Buick. I haven't had any problems and haven't changed the brake fluid.
If you are worried, use a suction gun and pull out some old brake fluid from the brake reservoir and add some new.
What can it hurt?
What is the difference between DOT 4 and DOT 5 brake fluid??
Answer: One DOT!

Did somebody mix DOT 3/4 with DOT 5 fluid? That's the only time I've seen brake fluid gel. DOT 3 and 4 are compatible in that 4 can be used in a 3 system. 3/4 mixed with 5 is a bad deal.

 

[Levi81]

Agreed, and the accumulated water will not be in the reservoir but rather the calipers and and/or wheel cylinders.

Even bleeding the calipers will not get all of the water from the low spots of the calipers/wheel cylinders.

What about if a person was replacing all four calipers at once and flushed the system before hooking up any lines?

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I will also admit to waiting till the salt makes a component fail up here. I do the old drip bleeding method one at a time on the chevys that has worked quite well for me low tech and that changes out quite a bit of the fluid it’s a full quart can added usually and takes all afternoon like hobo has described but I am not looking for that business. It works well enough for me id save your money. Why manufacturers still use steel lines I’ll never know other than they are cheap.

 

[Hobo,NC]

What about if a person was replacing all four calipers at once and flushed the system before hooking up any lines?

Not all systems gravity bleed. I know some chevy trucks with rear disc need 50 lbs of pressure. If it works go for it.

What about if a person was replacing all four calipers at once and flushed the system before hooking up any lines?

I have done that a many a time, if it will gravity bleed go for it. I don't think any flush is gonna be prefect but if I am paying big bucks it better be close to prefect. With the way folks butcher brake repair new fluid is not going to clean up what they induce.

 

[Leroy]

I've been told that I should have my brake fluid changed out on my 2014 F150.
I have 120k miles on it.

Is this really necessary. I think it's a waste of money. Am I wrong?

Well I am 80 years old and never heard of a need to change brake fluid. Will suppose getting the fluid mostly change now as I am getting all new pads, rotors and calipers done on my 2003 Dakota as the brakes were supposed to be new when I got it and over a year ago the right rear caliper blew apart when the pads that should have been good for at least 2 more years were so thin and rotors wore out it left the caliper blow apart and the condition of it garage said replace all parts. Truck was supposed to have had new brake cables as well and found out NO cables. Newest vehical I had was a 2006 grand caravan that was totaled when a semi tractor and trailer went left of center.