It is said that you should replace the brake fluid in your brake system every two years. You can change your own brake fluid, but service facilities now do this with brake flushing machines. If you find have a brake fluid leak or you have to bleed your brakes, you’ll have to restore the brake fluid in your master cylinder to its proper level. Here are a couple of things you should know about buying and using brake fluid:
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Always use top-quality brake fluid from a well-known manufacturer: Many vehicles call for either D.O.T. 3 or D.O.T. 4 fluid. D.O.T. 5 is now available, too; it’s a great improvement because it doesn’t eat paint or absorb moisture. The downside is that because D.O.T. 5 doesn’t absorb it, water that gets into your brake system can form little pools that can corrode your brakes.
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Exposure to air swiftly contaminates brake fluid: The oxygen in the air oxidizes it and lowers its boiling point. Brake fluid also has an affinity for moisture, and the water vapor in the air can combine with the brake fluid, lowering its boiling point and, in cold weather, forming ice crystals that make braking difficult. Adding fluid contaminated with water vapor to your brake system can rust the system and create acids that etch your wheel cylinders and master cylinder and foul your brakes, causing them to work poorly — or not at all. It can also destroy vital parts of ABS and other expensive braking systems.
