Replacing Brake Fluid

[Alain]

Fellers, my car is a 2016 with 14,800 miles on it. Never tracked or raced.
I haven't touched the brakes other than replacing the OEM pads with aftermarket pads for less brake dust. I'm wondering when I should replace the brake fluid to avoid it from getting corroded and causing issues down the road. I always hear that brake fluid should be replaced every 5 years or so.

Should I stick to the recommended interval of 5 years or can it go a little longer? I don't want to mess with bleeding brakes unless I have to after dealing with rebuilding the calipers on my girlfriend's Wrangler last summer. It's a pain in the ass !!!!!!

I live in NJ so the weather doesn't get terribly humid in the summer.

 

[sad]

I believe the recommendation is every two years. Which the la-person never does.

You should alter base upon your usage. I road-course mine, the they get flushed 2x a year with Motul 600.

If you do not road course your car I suspect the two-year recommendation is plenty

 

[MiHiHemi]

Not a bad thing to do. I prefer Motul DOT4 myself. I purchase the fluid then take it to Brakes Plus. They do it in less than 30 mins. for under $40 with their bleed and fill machine. Well worth it to me.

 

[BULL]

Including what's stated above, the way I approach my vehicles that I don't track is this.

When I can clearly see that the fluid has any color to it (you can easily see it in the reservoir because it's tinted), it gets flushed completely at the next brake change.

When I flush a car, I use much more fluid than most. 2 or 3 of the large containers.

 

[Alain]

Including what's stated above, the way I approach my vehicles that I don't track is this.

When I can clearly see that the fluid has any color to it (you can easily see it in the reservoir because it's tinted), it gets flushed completely at the next brake change.

When I flush a car, I use much more fluid than most. 2 or 3 of the large containers.

I will be looking at the color of the fluid this spring when I take the car out of storage. I'm definitely going to change it this year, I'm not sure where I got that 5 year interval from, it's clearly not correct.

I'd rather get shot at than flush brakes, especially on cars with ABS.

Anybody got any tips/tricks they want to share?

I bought a Power Bleeder last summer for the brake job I did on my girlfriend's Wrangler. I wasn't confident that I had done a good enough job so I ended up taking the car to the dealer and had them bleed the brakes for me after I rebuilt the calipers and replaced the rotors.

I don't want the dealership touching my Hellcat unless I have no other choice.

Not a bad thing to do. I prefer Motul DOT4 myself. I purchase the fluid myself then take it to Brakes Plus. They do it in less than 30 mins. for under $40 with their bleed and fill machine. Well worth it to me.

For $40 I'd be inclined to let a shop do it. Last year the dealership charged me an hour's labor to bleed the brakes on the Wrangler...….. $90 !!!!!

 

[BULL]

Check this out, I wrote this up a few years ago.

Brake flush.

 

[Alain]

Check this out, I wrote this up a few years ago.

Brake flush.

Wow, I'm glad you linked me to that (I should have checked for the Wiki first).

Very interesting reading about fluid dynamics, now it makes sense why it takes so much more new fluid to replace the old stuff.

I don't remember which attachment I got for the Power Bleeder (I suspect the one I used for the Wrangler will work on the Hellcat since they are both Mopar).

Thank you again for the knowledge sir.

EDIT: I just went back and checked my amazon account purchase of the power bleeder, I do have the proper adapter.

 

[2017 Redline HC]

Check this out, I wrote this up a few years ago.

Brake flush.

I am looking to flush my brakes this spring. Up to now I’ve used the brake pedal method with a helper. I want to get a power bleeder to make this a 1 person job. What are you guy using to do this? Any recommendations would be helpful.

 

[BULL]

I am looking to flush my brakes this spring. Up to now I’ve used the brake pedal method with a helper. I want to get a power bleeder to make this a 1 person job. What are you guy using to do this? Any recommendations would be helpful.

I use the Motive Power Bleeder, except I DON'T use it to feed the fluid, I ONLY use it to pressurize the system.

The reason for this is that if the connection at the cap isn't absolutely perfect, it will overfill and then overflow the reservoir dumping all of your very expensive DOT-4 fluid on the ground.

Then you will panic not because you've just lost $100 worth of fluid on the ground, but you're spraying brake fluid all over the place...

Check the link above, I cover how much you can bleed per step and how much to bleed in total per corner, depending on your goals.

 

[2017 Redline HC]

Thanks Bull

 

[Alain]

I use the Motive Power Bleeder, except I DON'T use it to feed the fluid, I ONLY use it to pressurize the system.

The reason for this is that if the connection at the cap isn't absolutely perfect, it will overfill and then overflow the reservoir dumping all of your very expensive DOT-4 fluid on the ground.

Then you will panic not because you've just lost $100 worth of fluid on the ground, but you're spraying brake fluid all over the place...

Check the link above, I cover how much you can bleed per step and how much to bleed in total per corner, depending on your goals.

i never thought of using the power bleeder just to pressurize the system and not to feed the brake fluid.
ill give that method a try instead of using it to feed fluid AND pressurize the system.

 

[BULL]

i never thought of using the power bleeder just to pressurize the system and not to feed the brake fluid.
ill give that method a try instead of using it to feed fluid AND pressurize the system.

Neither did I until I pumped a quart of fluid on the ground....

 

[Hellcat Cuda]

I'm an old coot and have used many "bleeders" over the years. The one I liked the best (so I bought one) operates from vacuum. You attach a compressed air hose to it and the air runs through a small venturi, creating a vacuum into a clear canister of about a gallon capacity or so. There's a small, clear vacuum hose (with various end attachments) that you push on to your caliper bleed fitting. There's a mild vaccum that pulls fluid from your caliper into the canister and you just keep bleeding it until the fluid becomes clear, with no air bubbles. It's very simple. You don't step on the brake pedal. Just let the vacuum do it's job. You start at the furthest position from the MC which would be right rear; move to the left rear; then right front and lastly, the left front. You DO have to monitor the MC level and keep filling it. (leave the MC cap off during this process). DO NOT let it get too low or it will suck air and you will have to start over. You should consider it. Makes it a one man job and is pretty faultless unless you let the MC get too low...

 

[thetalonguy]

^this...Been using for a few years now and it’s the easiest flush method that I’ve ever used, provided you already own an air compressor.

It’s also good for sucking out any additional fluids from a tranny or rear.

https://www.harborfreight.com/brake-fluid-bleeder-92924.html

 

[SIXGUN]

I bought a Motive bleeder a while back for this task. The MC cap I bought with it fits perfectly on my Dodge products and doesn't leak a drop. Highly recommend it.
Bull, maybe you got a bad cap?
On the other hand, I bought a couple of "universal" lids for other MCs in the fleet and the old Jeep uses a GM style MC. That rectangular aluminum "universal" lid leaks for me so far.
I believe if you start with the MC between the low and full line and the lid doesn't leak, the fluid can only displace the fluid that is bled from the system. If the lid leaks, air escapes, and more fluid flows in...until it leaks fluid and overflows through the leak, which is really irritating and damages paint!
I would not trust a $40 brake bleed job. If you consider the fluid (at least a quart) cost and just paying the tech, there is not much margin. I believe a more proper flush and drain includes pushing the pistons into the calipers with the bleeder(s) open to get as much old fluid out of them as possible, then removing as much old fluid from the MC as you can before filling the MC with fresh fluid and bleeding fresh fluid to each caliper. The Motive pressure bleeder works great for this IMO.
I haven't tried it, but Jegs sells USA made DOT 4 fluid that has good dry and wet boiling point numbers at a fraction of the cost of other 600° DOT 4 fluids. My first change to DOT 4 was with Wilwood EXP 600...man that stuff is expensive!

 

[Alain]

[

I'm an old coot and have used many "bleeders" over the years. The one I liked the best (so I bought one) operates from vacuum. You attach a compressed air hose to it and the air runs through a small venturi, creating a vacuum into a clear canister of about a gallon capacity or so. There's a small, clear vacuum hose (with various end attachments) that you push on to your caliper bleed fitting. There's a mild vaccum that pulls fluid from your caliper into the canister and you just keep bleeding it until the fluid becomes clear, with no air bubbles. It's very simple. You don't step on the brake pedal. Just let the vacuum do it's job. You start at the furthest position from the MC which would be right rear; move to the left rear; then right front and lastly, the left front. You DO have to monitor the MC level and keep filling it. (leave the MC cap off during this process). DO NOT let it get too low or it will suck air and you will have to start over. You should consider it. Makes it a one man job and is pretty faultless unless you let the MC get too low...

im gonna try this if i struggle with the power bleeder.

Neither did I until I pumped a quart of fluid on the ground....

Yikes !! I hope it didn’t damage any of the paint in the engine bay.


by the way, does it matter which bleeder you start with on the calipers? inner first or outer first?

 

[Old Mopar Guy]

Found this thread:
https://www.lxforums.com/board/the-srt-8-6-1l-and-6-4l-v8-/217731-bleeding-brembo-brakes.html

Containing this procedure:

3. Open inboard bleeder screw (2) at least one full turn or more to obtain an adequate flow of brake fluid.
4. After 4 to 8 ounces of brake fluid has been bled through the brake hydraulic circuit, and an air-free flow (no
bubbles) is maintained in the clear plastic hose (3) and jar (4), close the bleeder screw (2).
5. Remove clear hose and install bleeder screw dust cap.
6. Attach a clear hose (5) to the outboard bleeder
screw (1) at that same wheels brake caliper and
feed the other end of hose into a clear jar (4) containing
enough fresh brake fluid to submerge the
end of the hose.

 

[BULL]

[

im gonna try this if i struggle with the power bleeder.



Yikes !! I hope it didn’t damage any of the paint in the engine bay.


by the way, does it matter which bleeder you start with on the calipers? inner first or outer first?

It was on my Power Wagon, and while I certainly care about it, it wouldn't have been the end of the world like if it had been on the Hellcat. And no, I didn't lose any paint, but I cleaned it up immediately.

I alternated back and forth twice, but I don't recall which one I started with. But it is important to do both inner and outer. I specifically got air out of both and obviously, regardless of how much you bleed from one or the other, you'll never get that bubble that is in the other one.

 

[McLovin]

Pick up one of these so you'll know exactly rather than just looking at the color...

Brake Fluid Tester

 

[BULL]

Pick up one of these so you'll know exactly rather than just looking at the color...

Brake Fluid Tester

I have that exact model.

I find it to be less than useful in the sense that I've tested what I would call "old" and completely useless, brown, thick, dirty brake fluid and it still said it was fine...





Maybe it's the dry climate here???