Any recommended place to do a Brake fluid exchange on my car?
Called Pepboys - they want $90 to remove the oil in the master cylinder and fill it up - I told the guy I can do it with a syringe - he says yes, I can!
Fluid needs to be taken out through the valve near wheel and filled and air needs to be bleed-ed.
Is there a place you guys recommend?
I may be on the lesser end of the spectrum, but request it be done when brakes are serviced. That $90 is wated money imhop if they do not do a complete flush.
Barkydog is right. The best time to have this done is during your next brake job.
At that time the shop will already have the car in the air, with the wheels removed and it will be little extra work to flush the lines at that time.
Why would you go to the doctor today for that sore knee, then next week for a sore elbow…and pay two office visits. When you could have just seen the doctor once, and pay one office visit.
Yosemite
@Yosemite - but it is a car not human.
Human can not move at 60mph but the car can causing potential loss
@sciconf ;It was meant as an analogy.
I didn’t think that would be that hard to figure out.
So; Why pay a shop to pay the mechanic to drive your car around the building, get it on the hoist
and do a flush with $5 worth of fluid. That would be paying the mechanic shop $85.
But if you wait until the next brake job the car will already be on the hoist and you will only be paying $5 for fluid and 10 minutes of the mechanic’s time.
Is that simple enough. If not, I may have to resort to; Little billy had three apples…
Yosemite
Suggest to use a local inde shop rather than a chain repair store. Auto repair shop selection is a local thing, internet advice on that about as good as internet advice on where to get your hair cut. Ask friends, co-workers, relatives, fellow pub-goers which inde shop they use for routine auto maintenance and repairs.
When did brake fluid eschange/flushing become a seperate, scheduled mantenance procedure? It seems that someone recognized a high profit opportunity by taking an incidental procedure out of normal brake service routines and making it a seemingly critical procedure and charging an astronomical price for it. From Chevettes to E-350s the fleet vehicles that I have serviced never had a “brake fluid exchange” yet there was never a hydraulic failure with vehicles often accumulating well in excess of 300,000 miles.
Normally this is done when a brake job is done. When a brake job is done the piston has to be pushed back anyway, and the best way to do this is to open the bleeders and push the piston back because it pushes old fluid out and prevents the possibility of pushing any crap back through the system. With ABS, crap pushed backwards through the lines could even interfere with the operation of the solenoid-operated valves in the ABS modulator. It makes sense to flush the system at the same time.
Just out of curiosity, what motivated the question? Is there a problem you’re trying to solve?
@the same mountainbike
The handbook of this Acura Integra states replace brake fluid every 2 or 3 yrs (depending on the year of make) - I have been doing just that. But now I need a new shop to do it for me.
@Yosemite - your analogy is not right.
Rod Knox: I agree 100%. I checked my owner’s manual scheduled maintenance and brake fluid exchange does not exist. This morning I had my car serviced at the dealership and asked them. They agreed that it was unnecessary unless the hydraulics had been contaminated. Another cash cow for the Iffy Lubes.
Brake fluid changes are definitely not an invented “cash cow”. They may BE a cash cow for some shops but changing fluid is important. Cars will not pass inspection in most EU countries without changing the brake fluid every 2, 3 or 4 years depending. There are tools to measure moisture content in brake fluid. You’d be surprised how much water gets in to your fluid. The meter tops out at just 4% which happens at just about the 4 year mark for many cars.
Americans have never been told they need to change brake fluid 'cause American carmakers never recommend it. If some do now, most never read their owners manuals… some of which say to change it, like the Acura Integra. Time is more important than mileage so waiting for a pad change may be too long for some.
So don’t change your fluid. It will get changed when you have to replace corroded, seized calipers or a leaky master cylinder (was that a seal or corrosion??) anyway.
BTW I wouldn’t let Pep Boys wash my windshield, let alone change brake fluid. Take it to an indie mechanic.
Yes but is not just replacing the fluid in the master cylinder as stated in the original post for $90 a waste of money? I think so. That borders on unscrupulous to me.
This OP has comprehension problems at times so we are probably talking about a brake fluid flush. Weather that is really necessary I don’t know but if it makes the vehicle owner feel better than that is all that counts.
@“VOLVO V70” - THe only value I have noticed coming out of VOLVO V70 is picking on my language
I stated “Fluid needs to be taken out through the valve near wheel and filled and air needs to be bleed-ed.” - I also stated “Brake fluid exchange” - noone else ever posted asking for clarification.
I suggest MR trashy VOLVO V70 go brag yourself somewhere else - no body cares volvos anymore. I appreciate you don’t participate in my forums - and another reason you stated "…really necessary I don’t know " - you don’t know just stay away.
I went and checked my last service - this is exactly how it is written:
“BRAKE FLD, EXCHANGE”
They empty the whole fluid and bleed on all 4 wheels.
THis is not a conference publication. Ask me and will tell u how many I have.
@VOLVO V70 is a waste
I am wondering if Pepboys had hired a newer service writer that was being too honest on how they do the “brake fluid flush”, just change the fluid in the master, show it to the owner and charge for a flush.