Manufacturers recommend that brake fluid is changed every 2 years. Brake Fluid is Hygroscopic – meaning it absorbs water. Moisture gets into the braking system via the seals near the caliper pistons. Furthermore copper corrosion of the braking system occurs over time.
New brake fluid has anti-corrosion additives ensuring that if changed regularly, the braking system will perform reliably over a long period.
Unfortunately this is an area of servicing that gets neglected. We test your brake fluid free of charge and it is 2.5% or over it should be changed, not just to keep the system healthy, but for safety.
Brake fluid boiling point reduces as the fluid absorbs water. In addition, the fluid near the wheels degrades fastest due to the high heat levels. Under heavy braking the disc and pads can hit 550 deg c or more and the calipers can get to 250 deg c or more. The boiling point of the Synthetic Comma DOT4 fluid we use is 265 deg c when the fluid is dry, but drops to 160 deg c when “Wet” (This means that it has absorbed 3.7% water). An older designation of Brake Fluid is DOT3 – this boiling point will be as low at 140 deg c when wet. If brake fluid is left for many years the water content will increase by something like 2% per annum. By the time it gets to 8% water content a DOT3 fluid will boil at a little over 100 deg.
So don’t delay and book in a free brake fluid check with us today !
