Brake Fluid Change

[stephen wilson]

Can you go 100K miles? yes. should you? probably not.

I know people that have gone 200K and 10+ years without changing the brake or transmission fluid. I think 2 years a bit excessive, most manufacturers seem to recommend 3 year intervals. Porsche brake components are no different than a honda's.

My old '89 Toyota PU get's it every 10 years whether it needs it or not! No problems so far.

Track driving would make it more critical. Let your conscience be your guide!

Steve

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

Porsche brake components are no different than a honda's.

I really wouldn't bet on that.....................

[stephen wilson]

What's so special? A caliper is a caliper, master, ABS controller, etc. They're sure to be more expensive than a "lesser" car, but many cars have brake systems and controls that are complex, with stability & traction control, etc.

Having said that, I'll flush mine every 2 years because it's still under warranty, and service records help with re-sale. I actually look for brake fluids with a high wet boiling point, more than by dry boiling point. With normal street use and change intervals, it's likely to spend more time "wet" than dry.

[paulv]

Here's an interesting article I found a while back that supports [frequent] brake fluid changes.

Regards,
paul...

[Mike_Yi]

My question is, "Why would you skip a brake fluid change?" Once you have the bleeder (which costs $55), every change will cost you about $15 and take about an hour, maybe less. It's easy, doesn't take much work or getting dirty, and is a good chance to take a look at the condition of your rotors and pads.

If you every track your vehicle, you MUST change your brake fluid. I had a friend tell me that I only needed to replace the fluid that was in the calipers. His theory was that the fluid didn't circulate through the system, so only the stuff near the actual calipers got hot. I didn't think it through and we changed just a bit of the fluid before my first track day. Of course, my brakes failed as a result. We quickly changed all of the fluid at the track, and the car was fine for the rest of the day. BTW, the fluid that failed had about 45k of normal, road miles on it.

[Samson]

Originally Posted by Mike_Yi

My question is, "Why would you skip a brake fluid change?" Once you have the bleeder (which costs $55)...

You can also get a one-man bleeder kit for under $10. I've used mine on several cars, and it works great.

[stephen wilson]

Interesting article, it's a shame they stay very far away from mentioning any sort of timeline, such as typical levels in 5 year old fluid. The pictures are not very helpful either, except as extreme examples. There is no mention of the cars they came from, or their service history. They could have come out of a 20 year old car from the junk yard.

I'm well aware of the bad thing that can happen, fluid testing is wise, and replacement cheap insurance. But there is a bit of paranoia, if I don't flush my system every 2 years the brake system will explode and fall out of the car.

[sasha055]

Originally Posted by Samson

You can also get a one-man bleeder kit for under $10. I've used mine on several cars, and it works great.

Samson, where do I get a bleeder kit for 10$?

Thanks
Sasha

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

What's so special? A caliper is a caliper, master, ABS controller, etc. They're sure to be more expensive than a "lesser" car, but many cars have brake systems and controls that are complex, with stability & traction control, etc.

Vehicles, like the Boxster, with ABS and stability management systems are more prone to issues due the system pump, the number of valves in the control network, etc. in the PSM/PASM technology. You want to see big repair bills, screw up the hydraulic control network in the PSM. Conveniently, the replacement or removal for cleaning of any of the hydraulic pump or control valve system requires cycling the system electronically with the PIWIS computer system just to get the air out of it; hardly a “backyard” project. This is why the standard maintenance schedule for the 986/987/Cayman and other models included brake/clutch system flushes at least every two years. Astute shops actually pull fluid samples and test them rather than depending on a fixed schedule; and some cars actually need to have the fluid done more frequently due to environmental or usage related issues................

Considering how low-cost a system flush is, it also qualifies as cheap insurance……

[SeanZ4]

I did a complete brake and clutch slave flush per pedros instructions this past Saturday. It had last been done by the p-dealer I bought the car from on 2/07, almost three years. It looked brand new when I started flushing it out. I figured it probably didn't need it. When I was done... wow! what a difference in the brake pedal feel! It can still look ok and not be ok is basically what I learned. Flushing your brakes is a very easy diy. Especially if you have a bleeder machine. I'll have to say, the clutch slave was a bit of a nightmare to get to. I knew what I was getting into reading other posts. I'd rather spend a few $ on brake fluid and a Sat. afternoon doing it myself than say.... I don't know, $1k on brake work at a dealer after it's too late..... I would find a different mechanic.

sean