Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
True, in and of itself, but is there a clear connection between brake fluid at 2-5 years old and experiencing vapour lock or corrosion, vs fluid changed every 2 years?
Car buying; does anyone enjoy it?
- Thread starter raysablade
- Start date
I doubt it. Most people don't change it at all, so every 5 years would be progress. IME brake calipers start suffering internal corrosion and seizing up about 12-15 years on. I'm sure that 2-yearly fluid changes would help that, but I'm equally sure that every 5 years would also help.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Yes, that's pretty much my take on it. I'm all for appropriate preventative maintenance, but replacing brake fluid every 2 years feels a bit more like creating work and income for dealers than an actual effective and important preventative task. And it generates a lot more waste 'spent' brake fluid to be safely and cleanly disposed of.
Darren
So gentle when he tries to understand.
I once saw an article in Car magazine about buying a high end sportscar using the same technique. In every dealer, the writer was told the same thing - no chance of a deal on one of these/they are much in demand/there is a waiting list/the manufacturer wont let us discount this model. In 90% of cases they rang him over the next few weeks with 'good news'
I don't actually mind shopping for cars nowadays after I became old enough and wise enough to see through it all. I mostly laugh at the prices and seek out something that costs very little and is low mileage. I have no interest in the latest model or spec. I dont care which brand it is or what colour it is as long as its reliable. My partner refers to my purchases as 'dead man's cars' I dont give a flying one whether it has android auto or driver assistance features
Have fifty grand locked up in a depreciating asset or pay the depreciation on someone else's property via a lease, 'You will not own the car"
hahahaha..... no. Thanks, but no. I'm interested in assets not burdens.
raysablade
pfm Member
If it was my money I'd tend to the same view, my favourite car will always be our old 205 I wish I could have that back.
However something my wife wife said did strike me. Essentially she's over 60 and however well she feels, she is not as alert and capable as she was. She doesn't care about herself but if driver assistance saves someone else from her stupidity, and she can afford it, why not?
Then she encountered the indefatigable Lexus excess speed bong
SteveG
pfm Member
We used to have a 205 GTi and it was great fun - it was made of tinfoil though, so not sure I'd want to drive one now.
Darren
So gentle when he tries to understand.
You can get Restomod ones for the thick end of a hundred grand!
Darren
So gentle when he tries to understand.
Fair point Ray. I'm not in that place. My driving is far safer and more defensive than most drivers I meet. But respect to your wife.If it was my money I'd tend to the same view, my favourite car will always be our old 205 I wish I could have that back.
However something my wife wife said did strike me. Essentially she's over 60 and however well she feels, she is not as alert and capable as she was. She doesn't care about herself but if driver assistance saves someone else from her stupidity, and she can afford it, why not?
Then she encountered the indefatigable Lexus excess speed bong
James
Lord of the Erg\o/s
Well, except for DOT5 brake fluid, all others in common use are hygroscopic. The rate at which they absorb water from the atmosphere, I guess, will depend on the relative humidity. You might get away with 5-yearly change living in the Arizonian desert, but probably less so in South East Asia.
As for how likely vapour lock or corrosion is avoided by regular change, I imagine there are far too many other variables at play to make a clear association. All I can say is regularly refreshed brake fluid is a good preventative measure.
James
Lord of the Erg\o/s
There is about 500ml of brake fluid to be disposed of every two years. Compare that with 4-6L of used engine oil every year.
Both are easy DIY jobs if you have an aversion to paying someone to do it.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Oh sure, but I think there's a point of principle here, and it aligns with the 'right to repair' ethos inasmuch as we should try to avoid waste or unnecessary replacement of serviceable goods. Engine oil is pretty shot after a year of regular use, brake fluid (and I've already noted the hygroscopic point, upthread) not so much. If, as a general rule, it was replaced at 5 year intervals rather than 2 year, consumption of brake fluid for domestic vehicles could be usefully reduced.
Well, setting aside the fact that very few people actually have it changed every 2 years, it can be recycled with waste oil. Back to the refinery you go, to be turned into diesel and petrochemical building blocks. If we are so concerned about 500 ml of AN Other petrochemical, we should be working harder on the fuel economy and taxing big heavy cars with big engines. That would save gallons, every month.
martin clark
pinko bodger
And DOT5 is silicone based, and has a different problem - it absorbs/traps air, makes the pedal squidgy far, far faster /worse than trad DOT4 !
Besides which - for hydroscopic action to imperil DOT 4 fluids - thre are only few relavant routes -in
- Dodgy caliper seals (fix: service/new calipers)
- Leaky joints in lines/flex hoses (ditto, replace - but you'll know about this in damn short order, anyway)
- Idiot left brake reservoir lid loose (v,v small ' attack' surface for water absorption: esp given most of the storage is in the lines, barely every moves, certainly does not circulate to this & other problems above)