Brake fluid test

[nirvana 3,657]

Are those testers any good or is there a cheap DIY solution to test?

No brownie points for saying use your tongue 

cheers

[Long time lurking 26,586]

A decent one works well ,they just detect water/moisture levels ,if you are going to spend that sort of money i would just buy a vacuum or pressure bleadder instead and change the fluid

What makes you think there is something wrong with the fluid ? 

[MrPin 22,874]

It cost next to nothing the get the brakes bled through. If it looks dirty/discoloured then it's well up for a change. Make sure you use compatible stuff, but a garage would know that.

[Nippy 1,825]

On 30/10/2020 at 01:30, Long time lurking said:

What makes you think there is something wrong with the fluid ? 

Don't most service schedules state that it should be changed every couple of years regardless?

[Long time lurking 26,586]

11 minutes ago, Nippy said:

Don't most service schedules state that it should be changed every couple of years regardless?

They do a lot of things regardless it don`t  mean to say it needs doing 

Cam belts X amount of miles or four years  mileage is the only factor really ,a fool and there money  

Edited October 31, 2020 by Long time lurking

[Snark 1,514]

Look at the colour, it should be clear with a very slight hint of yellow, light = good, dark = bad........ Who knew that brake fluid was racist?

I do my own brake fluid changes using a Gunson Eezibleed kit, which forces brake fluid into the reservoir under pressure, so you can just go round each wheel bleeding it through (end furthest from the reservoir first).

Edited October 31, 2020 by Snark

[Snark 1,514]

2 minutes ago, Long time lurking said:

They do a lot of things regardless it don`t  mean to say it needs doing 

Cam belts X amount of miles or four years  mileage is is the only factor really ,a fool and there money  

Cam belts "age", they start to crack and become less flexible.

BUT cam belts rarely fail, it's usually the tensioners which either cause the belt to jump and throw off the timing, or the pulleys which lock up, create heat and cause the belt to break.

Both of the above will make obvious noises before they cause a failure, but low mileage can hasten that failure.

[Long time lurking 26,586]

4 minutes ago, Snark said:

Cam belts "age", they start to crack and become less flexible.

I have been changing  cam belt`s for 30 years and i have never seen one cracked due to age 

In fact i checked my old man`s last month it`s a 53 plate astra it has 29K on the clock and the belt has never been changed in 17 years it was fine 

Oil leaks are the enemy of cam belts, and just like anything else rubber UV light and long periods of dormancy will cause it to perish ,i had a camper van that i only done 20K in ten years in it but put three sets of tyres on the thing and it had 6 of the feckers   

[nirvana 3,657]

On 30/10/2020 at 02:30, Long time lurking said:

A decent one works well ,they just detect water/moisture levels ,if you are going to spend that sort of money i would just buy a vacuum or pressure bleadder instead and change the fluid

What makes you think there is something wrong with the fluid ? 

I hardly use this car so it just sits around.....it's an 8 year old Civic with about 25k miles on it

It's still got the original pads and rear tyres but the brakes feel 'soft'......I'm sure they didn't feel like that 18 months ago when I bought it from an auction for a song (was written off but just needed 2 nearside doors)

[Long time lurking 26,586]

3 minutes ago, 5min OCD speculator said:

I hardly use this car so it just sits around.....it's an 8 year old Civic with about 25k miles on it

It's still got the original pads and rear tyres but the brakes feel 'soft'......I'm sure they didn't feel like that 18 months ago when I bought it from an auction for a song (was written off but just needed 2 nearside doors)

What does the rear discs look like ?are they shiny like the front ?

seized rear callipers are usually the cause of a long travel on the brake pedal ,and if you couple that with worn front pads that will definitely cause a long pedal

To test pull the hand brake up until it just bites and feel the pedal then if its a lot shorter and harder its worth having the brakes checked out you would probably need front pads anyway 

Water in the fluid would not cause a soft pedal unless you are driving it hard and at that point the water will boil as the brakes get hot causing steam bubbles in the line and a soft or no pedal but with 25k on it i doubt it very much

[nirvana 3,657]

12 minutes ago, Long time lurking said:

What does the rear discs look like ?are they shiny like the front ?

Discs look fine...it just sits with the handbrake off.......it's probably me.....it's well overdue an MOT but it's over 500 miles to the nearest mot station 

[Mr Miyagi 2,285]

I change mine every 4 years or If I'm doing the brakes, don't bother with all the fancy bleeding gadgets get yourself a one man bleeder from Halfords and just make sure to top up the reservoir when you're pumping. 

[MrPin 22,874]

On 01/11/2020 at 11:41, Mr Miyagi said:

I change mine every 4 years or If I'm doing the brakes, don't bother with all the fancy bleeding gadgets get yourself a one man bleeder from Halfords and just make sure to top up the reservoir when you're pumping. 

Sounds like dirty sex advice?