When to change fluids? (Brake, steering, rear axle)

[crazygrrrl]

I've been looking through the owner's manual and it doesn't say a thing about when to change/flush the brake fluid, steering fluid, or rear axle fluid. It only gives info on changing the oil and transmission fluid.

My car is a 2001 Firebird with 27,000 miles. In January, it will be 3 years old. I want to keep it in tip-top shape and I baby it like crazy.

When should I change the brake, steering, and rear axle fluids? Does anyone know if it's supposed to be done at a certain mileage or after a certain period of time?

Thanks. :D

[V6MaroFL]

I don't believe the brake and power steering fluids actually have to be changed, just check them every once in a while and add as needed if they are low.

The Haynes manual suggests you change the differential fluid every 30,000 miles or 24 months.

[Bliggida]

Brake, power steering, and coolants DO have to be changed. But the overall maintanance of these fluids is relatively low.

A good rule of thumb is to change them yearly.

The new Dexron coolant is said to be good for 5 years. From nearly everyone including myself's Camaro looked to be in desperate need of a coolant flush after 2 years.

[PiLOTLiTE]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Bliggida:

The new Dexron coolant is said to be good for 5 years.<hr></blockquote>

Dexron would be a type of automatic transmission fluid found in most GM and Toyota automatic transmissions. It is also used in some power steering systems.

Dexcool would be the orange coolant found in most GM vehicles post 1996. It is said to be good for 5 years or 150,000 miles. This is complete bs as it seems to last 2 years tops. It is also very sensative to contaminants. The littlest mixing with green coolant or using non-distilled water in the mixture creates a nice gunky build-up.

Brake fluid should be flushed every two years with a power bleeder and fluid suitable for ABS braking systems that meets DOT3 standars. Check out www.motiveproducts.com for a do-it-yourself power bleeder that works quite well (I have one).

Same interval for power steering fluid. There are many suggested methods for changing this. I find the most effective to be syphoning out the fluid in the resevoir, filling it with new fluid, running the car for a few minutes, and repeating once or twice. This will get the fluid nice and clean.

[ August 09, 2003: Message edited by: PiLOTLiTE ]</p>

[Bliggida]

DEXCOOL, Dexron=dexcool.

Uh, to all my peeps that have em, I just have to say...disabilities S*#&!

I hate when I use the wrong words. Its not a big deal, just a nusciance. And it's only my writing that is effected, not speech. So I don't often notice when I do it.

Oh well, hey thanks Pilot!

[crazygrrrl]

Thanks for the help guys! :D I think my car is way overdue for various fluid changes. I'll have to plan a vacation day and take my car to the dealer and have all the work done. I never like leaving my car. I'll sit and wait there all day if I have to.

I thought that the 5 year antifreeze was [img]graemlins/bs.gif[/img] too. No wonder why my antifreeze is a orange-brownish color. It used to be pinkish. Also the brake fluid used to be a golden color like corn oil and it now looks light brownish like bacon grease. Mmmmm bacon.

[V6Bob]

You'll get a lot of different opinions for this on the Net, some good, some bad. Mostly, people here want to take good care of their cars and will recommend changing more often than you have to.

Here are my opinions, with some reasons. If you know what the reasons for changing are, you can make better decisions for yourself.

Brake fluid. Stuff that makes good brake fluid sucks up water from the air. That water can corrode metal parts. So, changing brake fluid every 1-3 years can help prevent that. You need to do it more often in Houston than in Tucson.

The problem is this. If your car has ABS, changing the brake fluid is a complicated job, best left to a dealer who has special tools. But the dealer will likely use a power bleeder connected to a big drum of brake fluid. How careful is the dealer about brake fluid and equipment? How old/good/clean is the fluid that goes into your car? When I change my brake fluid I use only stuff from freshly opened cans that were sealed. I've never done it on the bird, because I live in dry Denver and have ABS. I'll have to figure something out.

Rear axle fluid. This is generally good for 100,000 miles or so (competition use excluded). It's a pain to change, since there is no drain plug.

Power steering fluid. I've never seen anyone recommend changing this yearly, except racers who toast it out on the track. They may have to change it every race, if they run without a cooler. Changing it is likely to be tough. There are no provisions for changing it, someone is going to have to disconnect hoses and figure out how to get the old stuff out. I'd leave this one alone. Power steering systems rarely fail, and when they do, it's usually a problem with leaky seals, not wearing out metal parts.

Google search "changing brake fluid", etc., for more opinions.

[PiLOTLiTE]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by V6Bob:

Brake fluid. Stuff that makes good brake fluid sucks up water from the air. That water can corrode metal parts. So, changing brake fluid every 1-3 years can help prevent that. You need to do it more often in Houston than in Tucson.

The problem is this. If your car has ABS, changing the brake fluid is a complicated job, best left to a dealer who has special tools. But the dealer will likely use a power bleeder connected to a big drum of brake fluid. How careful is the dealer about brake fluid and equipment? How old/good/clean is the fluid that goes into your car? When I change my brake fluid I use only stuff from freshly opened cans that were sealed. I've never done it on the bird, because I live in dry Denver and have ABS. I'll have to figure something out.<hr></blockquote>

Power bleeding a car with ABS is not difficult at all. That simple power bleeder from the company I mentioned above allowed me to bleed my entire system in less than 1/2 hour. The container is shipped to you contaminant free and the fluid you buy from the store will obviously also be sealed. Just seal it to the top of your master cylinder, pressurize it, undo one of the 4 bleeder screws and let it bleed as long as you want. I used a piece of clear flexible plastic tubing on the top of the bleeder screw to a container to keep the fluid off the calipers (and floor) and to allow me to see when the fluid came out clean. Screw the bleeder back tight, and move to the next corner. The hardest part is lifting the car and getting the wheels off.

[ August 10, 2003: Message edited by: PiLOTLiTE ]</p>