According to the car owner's manual, the brake fluid should should be changed every 20000 miles or so. Can it be done at home or do I have to take it to a workshop ?How do I change the brake fluid in my car?
Sounds like your really interested in maintaining your car. Theoretically your wheel cylinders and/or disc brake calipers will never wear out if you do this maintanance routine about every 20,000 miles or no more than 2 years between flushings. I have been doing this for years on my own vehicles. The reason for this procedure is that break fluid draws moisture and that is what leads to the corrosion of your break lines and wheel cylinders and/or calipers. If you look at the master cylinder of a new car the brake fluid looks almost clear. After about 20,000 miles or two years the brake fluid starts to look like ice tea. That is because it has moisture in it. If your mechanically inclined or like working on your own vehicle this is a job you can do yourself. The way I do it is with a hand operated vacuum pump with a plastic resovour to catch the fluid. Mightyvac makes one for bleeding brakes. You start at the farthest wheel from the master cylinder (rear wheel, passenger side) and remove and save the little rubber boot over the bleeder screw and attach the appropiate adapter (included in the kit) to the bleeder screw and than loosen the bleed screw. Attach the plastic hose from the pump to the adapter and after removing the master cylinder cover start pumping until the little container on the pump is just about full and pour it into a container and continue until you start getting clean fluid. Make sure you dont suck the master cylinder dry. If you have someone helping you they can take a new bottle of brake fluid and keep it topped off. If your working alone you can buy a longer piece of that plastic hose at a hardware store that is long enough to go from the farthest bleeder screw to under the hood where your right there to keep the master cylinder full. Once you have bled that wheel tighten up the bleeder screw and replace the rubber cap. Then go to the next fartest wheel and work you way to the drivers side front wheel which is the closest one. I usually buy 2 quarts to do this job to make sure I dont run out. It usually takes a little more than a quart. If you get a cheap turkey baster you can suck the old fluid out of the master cylinder and replace it with new to save a little time. Also make sure you replace all the little rubber boots on the bleed screws when your done or the bleeder screw can get rusted and may break off the next time you do the job. If they are all dry rotted you can buy some little rubber vacuum caps at the auto parts store to replace them Their cheap. When your done pump ther brakes to make sure they work and thats it. Hope this helps.How do I change the brake fluid in my car?
Depends on the make of car and how skilled a mechanic you are. If you are a bit unsure it might be best to get it done in a workshop. If you do not bleed the system adequately after changing the fluid, it can cause your brakes to fail without warning.How do I change the brake fluid in my car?
This can be done at home, however it is not a fun job. 20,000 miles sounds a little extreme and if the car is that new the dealer should do the service for free.
If you are having doubts, then take it and get it done, brakes on newer cars can be tricky and it is not something that you want to be wondering about when some old lady going 50 mph whips it out in front of you in the passing lane at 75 mph.
If you insist on doing it yourself, go to your local parts store and get a manual for the car you have. These manuals are invaluable once you start ripping into things. You will probably need a %26quot;speed bleeder%26quot; or a one man bleeder to.How do I change the brake fluid in my car?
I would think 25,000-30,000 would be more like it. This is probably best left to a garage, it's actually not that expensive to flush system. You would basically be bleeding the entire system out while adding fresh fluid until clean fluid comes out the bleeder nipple. There are kits you can get so you can do it alone or do it with a second person so one can pump pedal while other opens and closes nipple at wheel. There is a pattern to follow with regards to which wheel to do in what order and of course when to pump and when to release/close nipple. Do it wrong and you end up with a pedal that has no pressure and going to floor(NO BRAKES). You can remove as much as possible the old fluid from the reservoir first and adding your fresh fluid. This will reduce the amount of manual work to get that old fluid from system.How do I change the brake fluid in my car?
It can be done at home. You need a small wrench and a gallon of brake fluid. It is easiest to jack up the car and get all four wheels off. (put four drip pans under the brake assemblies. Then reach in and open all four bleeder screws. the brake fluid will run out. while the fluid is running open the master cyl and keep fresh fluid in the reservoir when you have reached the full gallon going thru the system shut the bleeder screws. Make sure the reservoir is full put the cap back on and check to make sure you have not gotten any air in the lines.How do I change the brake fluid in my car?
First time I ever heard of this requirement in an owner's manual. But I have done this on a couple of my cars to help with a soft brake pedal.
I used a turkey baster to remove all of the brake fluid from both master cylinder reservoirs. At this point, it is very important you do not move the brake pedal as you will get air in your brake lines and get a soft pedal.
Fill the brake reservoir with the correct type of fresh, clean brake fluid. Follow the same procedure of bleeding your brakes, starting with brake furthest from the master cylinder, usually the right rear. Bleed the lines until you get clear brake fluid from the bleeder. usually about 12 -14 ounces for the first line, about half that for the second line. The front brakes will take less as their lines are shorter.
During this, do not allow the master cylinder reservoir to become empty as you will get air in the lines and get a soft pedal.
Dispose of the used brake fluid at the recycler.How do I change the brake fluid in my car?
definitely take it to a pro.
if you are unsure at all brakes are not a good starting point for the backyard mechanic.....
