Was it smart to say NO to brakes?

3856 Views 15 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Buddywh1, Aug 26, 2010

KnightRider

Discussion Starter · Aug 25, 2010

I had my truck in for a simple oil change recently and when I went to pick it up they were trying to tell me that my exhaust system was also dirty and needed cleaned and that my brake fluid was to old and dirty and needed flushed. All of this could be done for the super low price of about $230 or something. I declined but am having some second thoughts on the brake fluid. The level is good and the color looks fine, but it is 5 years old now. Is it possible that moisture or anything could build in it over several years? What do you all think?

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

the.phantom

· #2 · Aug 25, 2010

not a expert

i would look for a different place to do my work !!!!

i think $230 for super bleeding breaks is a bit of a rip off

Buddywh1

· #3 · Aug 25, 2010 (Edited)

KnightRider said:
... The level is good and the color looks fine, but it is 5 years old now. Is it possible that moisture or anything could build in it over several years? ...

Absolutely yes...and the color in the reservoir doesn't mean it's that clean/clear in the caliper/wheel cylinders/lines. 5 years is a bit much for something so critical to safety.

Do it yourself for about $15 and less than an hour of your time..it's really easy since the truck is so high up. Just need couple big bottles of DOT3, a length of hose, preferably clear, and an empty coke bottle.

Start at the back right (furthest), slip the hose over a bleed nipple and open it up with a wrench..then pump the brake pedal until if comes out clear, putting fresh fluid in the master cylinder every so often. Then left rear, right front, left front. Then again backwards: right front, left rear, right rear.

Keep the hose on the bleed nipple and in the old fluid at the bottom of the coke bottle until you tighten it to keep from drawing air back into the wheel cylinders before moving on to the next one. It won't draw the old fluid up.

Do not be stingy with the fluid...it's really cheap when you think about what it does!

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yosh2000

· #4 · Aug 25, 2010

yep, they say completely drain/refill/bleed brakes at least every 2 years. now the whole cleaning of the exhaust system...?!!

NOhara24

· #5 · Aug 25, 2010

KnightRider said:
I had my truck in for a simple oil change recently and when I went to pick it up they were trying to tell me that my exhaust system was also dirty and needed cleaned and that my brake fluid was to old and dirty and needed flushed. All of this could be done for the super low price of about $230 or something. I declined but am having some second thoughts on the brake fluid. The level is good and the color looks fine, but it is 5 years old now. Is it possible that moisture or anything could build in it over several years? What do you all think?

These are also the same guys that told you your exhaust was dirty. Of course it's dirty, it's an exhaust system! While they may be right that you may need a brake fluid flush, I sure as hell wouldn't be getting it from some guy who wanted to your hard earned money to clean your exhaust system.

05Moose

· #6 · Aug 25, 2010

I've been avoiding the brake fluid change for awhile now. But thanks to the OP and everyone's responses, I guess it's time to do it. I'm coming up on 6 years and close to 100K miles. Longest I've ever owned a single vehicle...

Hmm, I'd like to hear how the dealership cleans out the exhaust system and how much they wanted to charge for that little bit of "extra" cleaning.

Splicer

· #7 · Aug 25, 2010

05Moose said:
Hmm, I'd like to hear how the dealership cleans out the exhaust system

I know how we used to do it when I was younger... we called it "blowing the carbon out" and it was best done on a deserted stretch of road, with no LEO around.

worthywads

· #8 · Aug 25, 2010

Oddly, NO WHERE in the toyota scheduled maintenance guide is brake fluid even mentioned.

Honda says every 3 years, I may do mine this fall at 5 years. Since we have a transparent master cylinder I haven't even opened it, so there is no way I've allowed any moisture in, it's a sealed system. I just checked and it's still full and clean.

spp

· #9 · Aug 25, 2010

yosh2000 said:
now the whole cleaning of the exhaust system...?!!

If this is not done your muffler bearing will go bad.:thumbsup:

dl1027

· #10 · Aug 25, 2010

I bought a brake bleeder to do my boy's car and my girlfriend's 4runner. In both vehicles the fluid turned black again within two days. This was after a complete flush. Moral of the story is you cannot tell brake fluid condition by visual.

Splicer

· #11 · Aug 26, 2010

spp said:
If this is not done your muffler bearing will go bad.:thumbsup:

:facepalm:

:lol:

05Moose

· #12 · Aug 26, 2010

spp said:
If this is not done your muffler bearing will go bad.:thumbsup:

Splicer said:
:facepalm:

Yeah, he's probably been sitting behind the right rear wheel with the truck running staring endlessly into the black void (otherwise known as an exhaust pipe).

Dark Taco

· #13 · Aug 26, 2010

worthywads said:
Oddly, NO WHERE in the toyota scheduled maintenance guide is brake fluid even mentioned.

Honda says every 3 years, I may do mine this fall at 5 years. Since we have a transparent master cylinder I haven't even opened it, so there is no way I've allowed any moisture in, it's a sealed system. I just checked and it's still full and clean.

This is a great point.

I agree that it needs to be monitored and 5 years or so sounds reasonable to me.

Dante's Taco

· #14 · Aug 26, 2010

Buddywh1 said:
...Then left rear, right front, left front. Then again backwards: right front, left rear, right rear.

As I'm not a brake guy, I have a couple of Q's:

Just to be clear for me - at the part where you say "Then again backwards" - so are you starting again on the left front wheel (the wheel you would have just finished bleeding the first round?) So you bleed drivers front wheel back to back?

Why is it done in this sequence ? Does the truck have to be perfectly level for this, or is a mild incline (driveway) ok?

Thanks for posting this - I'll give this a go :clap:

Buddywh1

· #15 · Aug 26, 2010 (Edited)

Dante's Taco said:
As I'm not a brake guy, I have a couple of Q's:

Just to be clear for me - at the part where you say "Then again backwards" - so are you starting again on the left front wheel (the wheel you would have just finished bleeding the first round?) So you bleed drivers front wheel back to back?

Why is it done in this sequence ? Does the truck have to be perfectly level for this, or is a mild incline (driveway) ok?

Thanks for posting this - I'll give this a go :clap:

You got it right. I'm not doing this for bleeding brakes so much as to flush old fluid all out. Maybe it doesn't matter, but I figure going through it twice, in both directions, and it won't leave any old contaminated fluid behind in fittings or anything.

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Buddywh1

· #16 · Aug 26, 2010

worthywads said:
....Since we have a transparent master cylinder I haven't even opened it, so there is no way I've allowed any moisture in, it's a sealed system. I just checked and it's still full and clean.

Actually, brake fluid is extremely hygroscopic, i.e., it attracts water. It even draws moisture vapors through seals. And the fluid in the wheels, as it heats up, will degrade over time. It's a good idea not to be deluded into thinking all the fluid in the system is as nice and clear as that in the master cylinder reservoir.

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