The general rule is that if your car has over 70,000 miles then you should have your brake fluids flushed every two years or 50,000 miles. However, the lifespan of brake fluid will depend on various factors such as driving style, age of the car, type of brakes, and quality of the original fluid.
Brake fluid flush how often and important is it to you and your car? Brake flush should be carried out more often than most people do it. Brake fluid is the hydraulic fluid used in a vehicle’s hydraulic brake system. when you apply your foot to the brake pedal, brake fluid transfers this force into pressure to the front and rear brakes and stops the vehicle.
How Often is a Brake Fluid Flush Needed
Contents
- 1 How Often is a Brake Fluid Flush Needed
- 1.1 Brake Fluid Change vs Flush Differences
- 1.2 What Happens if You Don’t Change Brake Fluid
- 1.3 How Long Does It Take to Change Brake Fluid
- 1.4 Common Signs You Need Brake Fluid
- 1.5 Can You Drive Without Brake Fluid?
- 1.6 Is a Brake Fluid Flush Really Necessary?
- 1.7 Can you Change Brake Fluid Yourself?
- 1.8 Conclusion
The brake fluid flush procedure is quite simple. You should use a funnel or some other container to pour fresh brake fluid into your master cylinder, replace the old brake fluid, and then top up with clean coolant. The amount of time it takes for this process can depend on how much brake fluid you have in your system, but it shouldn’t take any longer than 10 minutes.
Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid that is used in the braking system of a car. It’s usually stored in the master cylinder and it’s what causes the wheel to stop when you apply pressure to the brake pedal. Brake fluid needs to be changed every time your car goes through an annual inspection.
A hydraulic system has three components, the pumps, valves, and lines that connect these two parts. A pump is responsible for generating pressure in the system by using an external source of power like electricity or diesel fuel. Valves regulate the flow of fluid through the system and are responsible for controlling how much braking force is applied to the vehicle’s wheels at any given time.
The last component is a set of hoses connecting pumps with valves and vice versa which transport hydraulic fluid throughout the system to make it work effectively. So yes, if you want to be safe and drive with other people’s safety in mind brake flush is needed every 50 miles.
Brake Fluid Change vs Flush Differences
Both brake fluid change and flush are methods used to clean the braking system and keep it working as expected.
Brake fluid is a liquid that is used in hydraulic braking systems to provide the necessary hydraulic pressure to create resistance in order to slow or stop the rotation of a vehicle’s wheels. Brake fluid is typically stored in a reservoir, which often has an air bleed valve.
When brake fluid needs to be replaced, it can be done through an automatic flush or by changing it with new brake fluid. The most important difference between these two procedures is that when you are changing your brake fluid, you are removing all of the old brake fluid from your system and replacing it with new brake fluid.
When you are performing an automatic flush, you are adding fresh brake fluid and removing old brake fluids from your system at the same time. The advantage of changing your brakes over performing an automatic flush is that when you change your brakes, there will not be any air bubbles left in your system which may have been introduced during the flush process.
What Happens if You Don’t Change Brake Fluid
The brake fluid is a liquid that is present in the brake system of your car and helps to keep the brakes from overheating. It needs to be changed every 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. The brake fluid needs to be replaced because it can become contaminated with water and dirt which will reduce its effectiveness.
If your car doesn’t have enough brake fluid, it can lead to the following:
- Reduced braking power
- Extended wear on your brakes
- Increased risk of overheating
- The brake pedal may go soft or spongy
- Brakes may start to squeak or make grinding noises
A car’s brake fluid is an important part of the braking system. It helps to reduce the heat and friction that takes place when you apply your brakes. If you don’t change the brake fluid, it can lead to a number of problems, such as reduced braking power and a shorter lifespan for your brake pads.
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How Long Does It Take to Change Brake Fluid
It takes about an hour to change brake fluid, but the time will depend on what type of brakes are in your car. For example, disc brakes require a few more steps than drum brakes and will take longer to complete.
The process starts by opening the hood and removing the air filter housing or an air cleaner. Next, you need to find where your master cylinder is located and disconnect all of its hoses, which will allow you to remove the top of the master cylinder.
Then you need to use a wrench on the bleeder screw located at the top of the master cylinder and loosen it just enough for fluid to escape from it, this is called bleeding your system. After that, you can replace your old brake fluid with new brake fluid and tighten up the bleeder screw again before reconnecting all of your hoses.
Common Signs You Need Brake Fluid
Knowing when to have a brake flush is very important. These signs and symptoms indicate that the brake system is faulty and needs attention.
You do not need to wait until you come to stop by almost colliding with another vehicle on the road before you can tell that it’s time to have brake fluid flush or exchange. Signs and symptoms that suggest the need for brake fluid exchange are as follows
- Dashboard ABD light comes on
Vehicles are equipped with a lot of lights and indicators on the dashboard to indicate when some things are not working properly. The ABS light on the dashboard comes on when it senses any problems in the vehicle’s brake system.
You could be wondering what ABS even means, well ABS, is an abbreviation for Anti-lock Braking System. ABS is more sensitive and said to be more functional in newer vehicles.
The primary function of the ABS light to be more specific is indicating when fluid needs to be replaced or is below the normal gauge. However, if the ABD is your vehicle is not functioning properly there are other signs to look out for to know when to have a brake fluid flush.
- The brake pedal unusually becomes soft or harder
The brake pedal is responsible to take pressure from the foot, transferring through the fluid to the front and rear brakes to slow down the vehicle and eventually stop For the braking process to be complete, the fluid has to be up to the required fluid gauge and the system has to be leak free.
The presence of either under-gauged fluid or a leak can lead to the brake pedal being unusually hard or soft. If you find that lately, you’ve been having a harder time pushing down on your brake pedal, it means that you probably need more fluid.
It might mean that it’s time to replace the fluid that’s already there. If it feels much “softer” when you push your foot down, it’s definitely time for a change.
- Unusual scream-like Noise
Three reasons why your brakes are making noise are because either there is a leak, less hydraulic fluid in the brake, worn-out fluid, or worn-out brake pads. If you don’t have enough brake fluid in your car, or if that brake fluid is old, your brakes are sure to let you know.
Low or dirty fluid will inevitably affect your brake pads. If yours aren’t working as they used to or you hear any squealing, grinding, or squeaking, it might be time to check out that brake fluid. Either of these mentioned problems could lead to the brake system making unusual noise when applied. Whenever you observe your brakes making such noise, just bear in mind that something is wrong and the brakes need attention.
- A Burnin Smell
A chemical odor after repeated hard braking is a sign of an overheated clutch or overheated brakes. If this happens, pull over immediately and allow your brakes to cool. If you don’t, you’ll risk heating up the brake fluid, which will lead to brake failure. If you smell anything strange or see any smoke, it’s a sign that not only do you need new brake fluid, but there may be other damage as well.
Can You Drive Without Brake Fluid?
Driving without brake fluid is not an option and if you do, just know that you are putting yourself and others at risk. The brake fluid comes to play when pressed on the brake pedal, the master cylinder then squeezes the fluid into the lines, and that force is then transmitted almost completely to operating the brakes.
Well, driving without brake fluid will not cause any harm to you or your engine directly but you will not be able to stop or slow down your car which in turn can lead to premium damages to your car. If you are driving without brake fluid, you also stand a chance of getting yourself injured and others too.
Your action of pressing the pedal, then fluid flowing through lines makes slowing down and complete stop possible. If you really want to enjoy safe driving and being comfortable as you accelerate, having brake fluid flush often is necessary.
Is a Brake Fluid Flush Really Necessary?
As I have mentioned before, brake fluid can get worn out and lose its ability to work efficiently as a result of age, corrosion, and rust. Brake fluid if not regularly replaced on time could even lead to damage to the metallic internal structure of the brake system.
A direct answer to this is yes, brake fluid flush is really necessary to protect you, your car, and others driving on the road. At least you now know the importance of brake fluid and the role it performs in the hydraulic brake system.
Brake fluid flush or brake fluid exchange is as important as the regular engine oil change. Brake fluid exchange is recommended every 30,000 miles or 2 years, depending on your driving and braking patterns.
Can you Change Brake Fluid Yourself?
No, you as a car owner would not be able to do a full and complete brake fluid exchange except you have the knowledge. Brake fluid exchange needs a professional hand or handling for a full flush to be done.
It is advisable to consult a professional to carry out the flush and run a complete brake system diagnosis. What you could do as a car owner with less knowledge is a fluid swap which is more like brake bleeding.
During a brake fluid swap, most of the old hydraulic fluid is flushed and replaced by a new one (note I said most not all). A fluid swap is enough to make a difference and improve the efficiency but at some point, a complete brake fluid exchange would be needed.
Conclusion
Over time, the hydraulic fluid becomes corroded, and rusty which can lead to a less efficient brake system. Worn-out brake fluids can also cause structural damage when the brake fluid is corroded.
Because of how crucial the car brake is to you as a car owner or a car driver it is good to consider having a brake flush on every oil change. Yes, brake fluid is as important as the engine oil, if your brakes stop working and you crash your car, you might end up not having an engine you will change the oil for. If you have any questions on “how often is a brake fluid flush needed” please ask using the comments section.
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