R&L's C6

My 2005 Vette just turned over 13000 miles. I have read on several posts about changing your brake fluid every two years. I have been driving for over 30 years and can honestly say I have never ever changed brake fluid on any car or truck I ever had. I have never had any friends tell me they change brake fluid. What happens if you don't change it, isn't it a sealed system? Is this something new or did I miss something on maintenance over the last 30 years?

N8sFavToy

I never have in any of my cars.

fastter

Brake fluid is hygroscopic. Do a search. There's plenty of good reading there.

pewter99

yes at least 2 times a year I have it flushed and changed..

timd38

I flush mine when I change brake pads.

On my other cars, I use a turkey baster and empty the master and refill every once in a while, just because brake fluid attracts moisture.

lsbrodsky

Every two years in the Vette and Mercedes, never in my truck.
Larry

Bandit1

Every 30K miles along with the other fluids.

Rusler John

I've done it on my other vehicles, when I've done a brake job. Haven't done it to the Vette, yet. The brakes are still good.

AORoads

every two years. it is not a sealed system.

with the coming of ABS, it is far more likely that something will happen to the brake system if the fluid gets contaminated. it's not just a money-maker for service shops. we still have some 30 years' ago technology like drum brakes (in the rear), but to my knowledge, no car comes without ABS.

LTC Z06

It's like Viagra for the brake pedal.

Racer

Without getting into a big debate on this subject, I will say NO. The brakes work better than 90% of the cars on the road and will continue to perform to the highest degree with no brake fluid change while they are in my possession.

redls3

What fluid should be used. It says dot 3 on the cap but can we use dot 4?

Wayne O

I replace the old fluid maybe twice a year and I bleed the brakes more often than that but without a Tech 2 tool (to 'exercise' the ABS system) it's virtually impossible to completely flush out the old fluid. Accordingly, I have taken my car to a shop to have a complete fluid change done.

Ketchum

Once every two years or so.

CH-Z51

Same hear

Gearhead Jim

They should be compatible, but one of the brake companies says that some cars, designed for DOT 3, can have problems with seals etc being affected by DOT 4. Mostly older cars.

They also said that although DOT 4 starts out with a higher boiling point than DOT 3, the DOT 4 actually absorbes moisture more rapidly and at some point it will be worse than equal-aged DOT 3. I don't know if that crossover point is a week, a month, a year, ???

Last time I looked, our Owner Manual said only DOT 3. If DOT 4 was ok, you'd think they would mention that.

I'd be interested in further discussion about that issue.

John Harry

I change mine every 2 years. It seems to get dark a lot quicker in the Vette than in other cars.

Raazor

I've had mine three years and changed it two years ago. I might do it again next year.

FloydSummerOf68

Never have changed it

redls3

Can i remove and replace the fluid in the brake reservoir with a turkey baster??