Hi - the brake fluid needs to be changed every 2 years, how much does the dealer charge for this? Is it an easy DIY job with one of those brake fluid kits?

thanks

£30-£50 at a dealer including fluid. Easy enough to DIY if you know what you're doing and you can chose the fluid you use

Chris

£25 for DOT 4 and £45 for DOT 5.1 was what I was quoted at a popular southern Indy associated with the site.

£49, having it done friday.

ouch

if doing it yourself how many litres do you reccomend to buy. Also when using a brake bleed kit how can you differentiate the old stuff to the new stuff that you top the resovoir up with? thanks

if doing it yourself how many litres do you recoomend to buy. Also when using a brake bleed kit how can you differentiate the old stuff to the new stuff that you top the resovoir up with? thanks

You will notice the colour of the new brake fluid.

I don't want to threadjack, but is mixing 5.1 with existing 4 okay? Especially considering the clutch uses the same reservoir?

I don't want to threadjack, but is mixing 5.1 with existing 4 okay? Especially considering the clutch uses the same reservoir?

Yeah, should be fine as long as it's 5.1 and not 5 :eek:

Oh now...come on, explain the difference...please?

Edit: Right, Google scared me, and a quick check of the label reassured me. It was 5.1 I used, and it ISN'T silicone based. Phew!

Had mine done at a dealers ealier this month, for a superb £54.76p inc vat.

local dealer to me quoted £63. seems to be the highest so far on this thread!

About £5 DIY - if you do it the old fashioned way with a mate in the car - otherwise add the cost of a one-man bleeding kit.

You only buy the bleeding kit once, use it many times.

Colour/opacity is dramatically different.

Don't spill it on the paintwork.

Only use new fluid from a bottle you break the seal on as you start the job - not stuff that has been opened in the garage for a year or so.

You only buy the bleeding kit once, use it many times.

True and a) it'll still be cheaper than the garage by miles you learn how to do something for yourself c) once your mates find out you own it they'll be wanting to either borrow it or have you round to change their fluid for them, too

I really ought to get myself one of these bleeding kits.

Never used to bother as the car i did all the work on was LHM fed and had returns for everything.

any guides anywhere on how to do it and can you get the bleed kits online?

Brake Bleed Kit was the first one Google turned up - you might be able to better the price if you shop around....

Chris

cheers chris. was just hoping someone had bought one that they could recommend.

The Eezi Bleed is pretty standard and I've (kind of) used one. Very simple, but make sure you have a footpump/electric pump on hand to reinflate the tyre!

Chris

any guides anywhere on how to do it and can you get the bleed kits online?

They cost about £15-20 from any motorfactors

You selcet the right cap for your fluid res. Get your spare out and fill the bottle of the EZ bleed 4/5 with the new fluid.

Take the cap off your res and replace it with the EZ cap. Position the bottle and the spare so it's in easy reach and make sure all the connections/lids/caps are on nice an tight.

Plug the EZ up to the spare and check there are no leaks, you should see fluid move around a bit as there is now pressure in the system. Go to the brake in question and slack the bleed nipple off (Either use a bit of tube to catch the old fluid in a jar or let it run over the floor). With the system under pressure it will force new fluid from the bottle straight into the res and the old fluid out from the bleed. You should get about 200ml out of it per corner (TBH you should see the color change a bit hence the jar ) Older fluid is like a cheap blended whiskey being darker sometimes with black crap in it, new fluid is like a premium malt being pale and clear. When you have roughly that do the nipple back up and take the pressure off the system. Swap corners and repeat. You should finish on the wheel furthest from the res.

Top up the bottle as needed it should use about 1 litre in all but to be on the safe side buy two bottles incase you spill/loose any. Never let it run dry or you will get air in the system!!!!

Slightly off the point but why do Skoda (VW, Audi, etc.) require a brake fluid change every two years when Honda require a change every three years?

Also, I know of one Skoda dealer that checks the brake fluid for water content and only changes it when necessary.

Different brake lines material means different rates of water absorbtion. The other dealer is just trying to save the owners some money on maintenance. To each his own.

The brake fluid is easy to change/renew even without a vacuum bleed kit.

You need enough compatible fluid to top off, some IV hose and a wrench for the bleeder nipple.

Plug one end of the hose in the bleeder nipple, place the other end in a clear container with some clean brake fluid and weight down the end so it doesn't come out for air.

Have a buddy pump the brake pedal when you have loosened the bleeder nipple and tell him to stop after there's no more bad fluid coming out. Tighten the bleeder nipple and move to the next wheel.

Top up the reservoir with fresh fluid from time to time, before it runs out or it will draw air and you need to start over.

The order the wheels should be bled is: rear right, rear left, front right, front left.

edit: The correct order for bleeding RHD cars is: rear left, rear right, front left, front right. The one above is for LHD.

Different brake lines material means different rates of water absorbtion. The other dealer is just trying to save the owners some money on maintenance. To each his own.

The brake fluid is easy to change/renew even without a vacuum bleed kit.

You need enough compatible fluid to top off, some IV hose and a wrench for the bleeder nipple.

Plug one end of the hose in the bleeder nipple, place the other end in a clear container with some clean brake fluid and weight down the end so it doesn't come out for air.

Have a buddy pump the brake pedal when you have loosened the bleeder nipple and tell him to stop after there's no more bad fluid coming out. Tighten the bleeder nipple and move to the next wheel.

Top up the reservoir with fresh fluid from time to time, before it runs out or it will draw air and you need to start over.

The order the wheels should be bled is: rear right, rear left, front right, front left.

thanks - what about the clutch?

I think it should have a return pipe and thus bleeds itself, but not sure since I never needed to work on one.