Can anyone tell me the frequency of which brake fluid should be changed? Is it two or three years? My car is booked in for a service, but got a call from the garage asking if I want brake fluid changed as they havent got a record of it being done in two years. I know that its hyrdoscopic (?spelling) so I agreed to it, but I want to make sure the main dealer isnt pulling a fast one, they want £50 for this privilege, OK its VW, but this seems a bit steep even for a main steeler. Before I get shot down for taking it to main delear which I'm not happy about, the reason is that I'm only letting them do it to get the warranty stamp.
Thanks in advance
Edited by BMDUBYA on 14/02/2008 at 08:19
|
|
handbook says every 2 years. I stick to this schedule as the car has a very expensive ABS system......
|
Its amazing how anything new and advanced cost more money to service than the reliable predecessor if you don't change your brake fluid for ten years it will still work and will not have done any damage there are thousands of cars out there were the fluid will never be changed in the vehicles lifetime and are perfectly safe I have never seen it as a failure on a TUV or MOT.
Or do car makers produce cars that if you do not change the fluid every two years you are liable to drive into a brick wall or the whole braking system will disintergrate due to microscopic particles of H20 I think not just a ploy to get you to spend/waste more money.
|
|
|
|
Thanks 547, I have no problems sticking to this schedule, just have a deep rooted suspicion of main dealers.
|
|
|
|
Can anyone tell me the frequency of which brake fluid should be changed? Is it two or three years?
Varies depending on make. It is a safety item so I would get it done. Despite that, I do know people who have never changed either brake, cooling, or gearbox fluids.
the reason is that I'm only letting them do it to get the warranty stamp.
That implies 5 year warranty on 03 Golf?
|
Replacing brake fluid on a 24 month cycle is typical for many manufacturers. Don't see book time being any less than 0.5 hours, and if your dealer is charging labour at getting on toward £90 per hour (not unusual), then quote is reasonable.
I had my fluid changed as part of my last service (37,500 miles on a 2 year old Mondeo), and the additional charge was £25 (inclusive of VAT and fluid). Maybe I'm just benefitting from our Ford main dealer labour rates being below the national average.
|
I did it myself on Yaris
New fluid about £4.50
New bleed tube and non return valve £2.50 - my Easisbleed kit will not fit the Yaris master cyclinder top.
Time taken : 30 mins maximum.
I would ALWAYS change brake fluid every 2-3 years. I once had brake fluid boil on me in Scotland on a VERY steep long (1 mileish) downhill on a Rover 75.(not a modern one: 1953 variety) When I changed the fluid afterwards it was full of crud. The brakes felt much better afterwards. I was terrified....
It's my life and I think £5 or so every 2 years is worth it as insurance aginst a potential £1000 bill for new ABS. (Altho the 3 years old fluid expelled was as clear as the new I put in).
Edited by madf on 14/02/2008 at 10:09
|
|
|
>>Don't see book time being any less than 0.5 hours
For Vauxhalls, it used to be 0.3 (and, when done as part of a service, would seldom detain me for much longer than 0.1!)
|
|
OP - take comfort in the fact that an Audi dealer would charge you close to twice your quote for the same job.
|
|
|
|
vw recommend every 2 years.
|
|
|
For Vauxhalls it used to be 0.3 (and when done as part of a service would seldom detain me for much longer than 0.1!)
0.1 hours - A six minute brake fluid change - impressive!
|
>>0.1 hours - A six minute brake fluid change - impressive!
Not particularly difficult to do really - if you already have the car on the ramp, it's just a case of connecting the bleed bottles, opening the bleed nipples, and pumping some new fluid through, and shutting the bleed nipples off again, and topping up the reservoir again. If you have long enough pipes, you don't even have to take the wheels off.
|
When my car is serviced they use some device to measure the water content of the fluid, by finding out its boiling point I think, and then tell me if it needs changing or not. Ie - done when necessary and not at a fixed time interval.
|
|
|
If the car is on a lift, it's a 5 minute job, and who knows how cheap their fluid is. I can do my Passat (and indeed I do) in 10 minutes on a gravel driveway, without lifting the car, just by feel. The fluid costs me about £2.50. You are supposed to cycle the ABS, but all the dealers I have watched do the brake fluid never bother. Incidentally, when asking them, Vauxhall used to do mine for free when I had an MOT and they really did as I would always wait and watch!
Edited by Webmaster on 16/02/2008 at 12:09
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
