How much should this cost?

Many don't have a drain bolt. Have to take the whole pan off, 10-20 bolts, spill fluid down yourself as the fluid sloshes over the edge. Clean the strainer and filters. Then you need a new gasket.

Or you suck some (50%-80%?) of the fluid out of the fill tube and refill. And F**K cleaning the strainer and filters.

Reply to
Peter Hill
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Indeed. And some need a computer hook-up to get the level right.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the atmosphere over time. Reducing its boiling point.

Also changing it regularly - say every two years - extends the life of the calipers and cylinders etc.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Other slight problem is if the fluid is obviously 'dirty' it means things ain't right inside the box. Clutch plates etc beginning to break up.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Absolutely.

Bit the same as never changing the engine oil. Provided it is kept topped up. Could well be 'ok' for many times the recommended milage interval for changes. But will shorten the engine's life.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Right. Gearboxes and clutches are so much cheaper to replace than brake pads. ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

And you've still got a considerable quantity left in the torque converter (if that type of auto).

You'd need several changes to actually replace most of it with new.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Gosh. I've been doing it wrong for all of these years. My garage is anything but cheap.

Reply to
Mr Pounder

Jeez, don't let my Focus hear that or it'll start whining at me for some TLC. It's had the same brake fluid, coolant and cambelt on it since Ford made it in 2001.

Reply to
Dave Baker

If you want to keep it, rather than wait till it breaks and scrap it, I would seriously consider changing the cambelt asap.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

You've had the car from new?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Can't imagine Focus calipers are particularly expensive, so...

Reply to
Adrian

*ding*

But much more predictably likely.

Reply to
Adrian

Same brake fluid. And you have lived to tell the tale!!!!!!!!

Reply to
Mr Pounder

Had it since March 2004. Can't imagine anyone changed any of those things before that. But by any measure they're nearly 11 years old.

Reply to
Dave Baker

If it was a problem there would be millions of cars failing MOTs on brake fluid. I guess that the vast majority of MOT brake failures are cured by replacing only the pads/disks and with no wholesale replacement of fluid.

Reply to
alan_m

The MOT is a minimum standard and can be easily passed with badly neglected cars.

Reply to
SteveH

and the only check on the brake fluid is whether it has any.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

The brake fluid isn't testable in the MOT. The MOT tests the brakes cold, so fade due to boiling won't show.

You're forgetting all the leaking or seized calipers and wheel cylinders.

Reply to
Adrian

Possibly because the test only loads the braking system up for a short time which is unlikely to fry them,

Reply to
steve robinson

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