5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
did your manual suggest a brake fluid change? cause my manual did not.
how often does it need to be replacement anyway?
I have 30 years of wrenching behind me, and i say forget the manual. Toyota is a good company but they are in the business of selling cars not making them last forever. So when in doubt, do more then they say to.
Every two to three years is a good interval. Bear in mind you are not getting all brake fluid out since the only way to do that is disassembly. Some brake fluid is left behind in the bottom of the caliper or cylinder if you have drums on the back. Nonetheless dont let this dissuade you from changing brake fluid if you want to try to keep your car forever, brake parts will wear out but there is no need to get anal about it.
Heres my advice since you asked, buy a turkey baster at the 99 cent store and use it to suck out the reservoir. Refill. Then start flushing. A friend is usefull to pump the brake pedal if someone is available otherwise you will be running back and forth. If no one is free, I suggest a stick, broom handle, board , or anything long enough to hold down the brake pedal.
Pump the brakes 3 times and hold. Start with the right rear. Crack the bleeder (usually 10 mm wrench) and let it spit the fluid. Tighten the bleeder. Repeat ad nauseum til the fluid comes out clean. Repeat for the other 3 wheels. If you do it right you wont have to bleed (air) from any of them.
ahhh the brake fluid swap... i always use DOT 4 as it absorbs less water but never use DOT 5 because its meant for non-ABS applications and is also silicone based as opposed to Glycol...
since DOT 3&4 BF are Glycol based product and with alot of Glycol based products it will absorb water overtime cause its hygroscopic... so it absorbs about 2-3% a year... this is enough to give you a "spongy" pedal feel and thus cause poor braking performance...
Originally Posted by Tremendous_Slouch Again, whats this gonna cost you. I suck out the reservoir with a turkey baster every 10k and refill. This costs me about 5 bucks for everything. Same for the brake reservoir. Do this 3 or 4 times in one day, pretty close to a flush. Moreover you do not break the system or unbolt anything and you have no worry about leaks or a mess.
hey Tremendous_Slouch: i think i will replace the fluid like you suggested in the other post, quoted above^^. but got some questions:
after suck it out then fill it back, do I need to run the engine, turn the steering wheel, step on the brake etc? then suck out and refill again?
cause my 03 V6 has not had a PS or brake fluid change since buying it new in 2003....
the PS fluid is light brown clear, and brake fluid is clear (like cooking oil)...
do you suggest buying the fluids from Toyota dealer (just to be safe, no compatibility issues)??
I rather doubt that Toyota parts will sell you brake fluid but they might. Your neighborhood parts store has it and any DOT 4 should be fine. Follow the directions already given by the other maven and all will be well. As for the power steering, use what is recommended on the cap and generally that is Dexron. Consider a synthetic. Turn the wheels hard to one side. Suck out as much fluid as you can. Add a little back. Turn the wheels hard the other way, such out all you can. Repeat until the fluid looks new, you get tired, or you run out because you underestimated. Really, a quart ought to take care of the job. I use a large syringe just small enough to get through the hole in the top of the fluid bowl.
__________________
2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
I have 30 years of wrenching behind me, and i say forget the manual. Toyota is a good company but they are in the business of selling cars not making them last forever. So when in doubt, do more then they say to.
Every two to three years is a good interval. Bear in mind you are not getting all brake fluid out since the only way to do that is disassembly. Some brake fluid is left behind in the bottom of the caliper or cylinder if you have drums on the back. Nonetheless dont let this dissuade you from changing brake fluid if you want to try to keep your car forever, brake parts will wear out but there is no need to get anal about it.
Heres my advice since you asked, buy a turkey baster at the 99 cent store and use it to suck out the reservoir. Refill. Then start flushing. A friend is usefull to pump the brake pedal if someone is available otherwise you will be running back and forth. If no one is free, I suggest a stick, broom handle, board , or anything long enough to hold down the brake pedal.
Pump the brakes 3 times and hold. Start with the right rear. Crack the bleeder (usually 10 mm wrench) and let it spit the fluid. Tighten the bleeder. Repeat ad nauseum til the fluid comes out clean. Repeat for the other 3 wheels. If you do it right you wont have to bleed (air) from any of them.
Hmmm. I don;t know if I agree with you 100%. I think it's more the other way around. They try to get you to service your car more often than necessary, if you ask me. Keep in mind, they make most of their money from Service and Parts, not so much from sales of new cars. The profit margin for new car is not actually that high relative to parts and service.
I use Toyota's service schedule as a guideline but dont follow it to the T. Having said that, there are certain components of the car I follow Toyota's guideline or better. For example, the automatic transmission fluid, I change it very very often. I want as little wear on the tranny as possible as it's a expensive, delicate, and complex part of the car. For brake fluid, I push it a bit and change it every 2.5 years or so, not the recommended 2 yrs. Coolant, same thing, not the 2 year interval, every 2.5 to 3 years.
I rather doubt that Toyota parts will sell you brake fluid but they might. Your neighborhood parts store has it and any DOT 4 should be fine. Follow the directions already given by the other maven and all will be well. As for the power steering, use what is recommended on the cap and generally that is Dexron. Consider a synthetic. Turn the wheels hard to one side. Suck out as much fluid as you can. Add a little back. Turn the wheels hard the other way, such out all you can. Repeat until the fluid looks new, you get tired, or you run out because you underestimated. Really, a quart ought to take care of the job. I use a large syringe just small enough to get through the hole in the top of the fluid bowl.
^ Tremendous_Slouch mentioned to do it 3-4 times (suck/ refill) in a day for brake fluid change? and do i need to turn on the engine etc in between the suck/refill?
^ Tremendous_Slouch mentioned to do it 3-4 times (suck/ refill) in a day for brake fluid change? and do i need to turn on the engine etc in between the suck/refill?
You do NOT need to do this multiple times to the brake's hydraulic system. Once you see clear fluid at the wheel then it is flushed. For the powr steering, yes, start the engine so the pump is working. There are two hoses to the pump and when turning, one generally sucks fluid in and the other forces fluid out.
__________________
2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
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