Preventative Maintenance Brake Fluid Flush?

[JLandry]

We own a 2012 Subaru Forester with a maintenance schedule calling for completely replacing the DOT-3 brake fluid every 30,000 miles or 30 months (whichever comes first). Contrast that to our 2014 Ram 3500 having no mention of brake fluid replacement anywhere in the maintenance schedule. This is a bit surprising.

Just curious: How many of you replace your 4th gen Ram's brake fluid as part of routine maintenance and how often?

I'm getting ready to do our truck for the first time using the pressure method. The brake fluid visible in the master cylinder reservoir is quite dark.

John L.

 

[NIsaacs]

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...t-drive-recall-for-brake-fluid-issues.272973/

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/setting-maintenance-baseline-on-new-to-me-truck.272997/

 

[Ozymandias]

If it is dark it's then it needs replacement, new brake fluid is almost transparent.

Point is, brake fluid attracts water, water will destroy the brake system and the metal parts will rust = high repair bills. Brake fluid itself is cheap and fairly easy to replace, so, that's a no brainer to me.

 

[seafish]

Subaru has got it right...DOT3 brake fluid is hydroscopic and adsorbs water from the atmosphere a well as the brake heating and cooling cycles at the brake calipers.

It is excellent maintenance procedure to completely flush and replace fluid every 2 to 3 years unless perhaps you live and drive ONLY in an arid climate.

 

[sag2]

It can only help. For the price of a couple quarts of fluid it is great insurance. I would never pay to have it done though.

 

[amauri]

Keep in mind that a flush and bleed operation on all modern vehicles also requires flushing old fluid that is stored inside the ABS accumulator pump.
The old way we are all accustomed to will only flush out the the fluids in m/c and calipers, there is a significant amount of fluid inside the ABS accumulator that can only be flushed out using a special procedure that activates the ABS.
I believe that AlfaOBD can do this, but I haven't tried.
Last time I flushed mine, I had a friend who runs an independent shop use the shop's OBD tool (similar to wiTech) to do it for me.

 

[Topzide]

AlfaOBD will cycle the ABS. Did this on mine last year. Pulled fluid out of master cylinder and refilled with new. Made homemade bleeder using a propane regulator and bleed the brakes. Got clean fluid all the way around, cycled the ABS. You're pushing fluid through the ABS when you're flushing the lines. Cycling the ABS is to get air out of it. It's a 2 person job when cycling. Had the DW keep slight pressure on pedal. Had to redo as first time startled her! It's an overlooked maintenance item and should be done. My 1500 did it on it's own when a line broke! NI-CU lines went back on all the way around! Found a complete line kit for under $150.

 

[SSchang]

AlfaOBD will cycle the ABS. Did this on mine last year. Pulled fluid out of master cylinder and refilled with new. Made homemade bleeder using a propane regulator and bleed the brakes. Got clean fluid all the way around, cycled the ABS. You're pushing fluid through the ABS when you're flushing the lines. Cycling the ABS is to get air out of it. It's a 2 person job when cycling. Had the DW keep slight pressure on pedal. Had to redo as first time startled her! It's an overlooked maintenance item and should be done. My 1500 did it on it's own when a line broke! NI-CU lines went back on all the way around! Found a complete line kit for under $150.

So are you saying you don't need to cycle the ABS to flush the entire system (including the ABS) with clean brake fluid?

 

[Topzide]

Brake lines go to ABS before the wheels. Fluid will be flushed when bleeding. Just cycle the ABS to purge any possible air out of the system. On Alfa, it'll cycle the ABS, bleed the wheel it tells you, hit finish and it cycles again. Follow the prompts through all wheels. Pretty simple, just need extra person to maintain pressure on pedal during the procedure.

 

[amauri]

Brake lines go to ABS before the wheels. Fluid will be flushed when bleeding.

While it is true that the brake lines go from the m/c to the ABS module before going to the calipers, the brake fluid stored inside the ABS module accumulator chamber will not be flushed out using just a power bleeder.
The fluid inside the accumulator will always stay in there until the ABS is activated.

Another way to "flush" out the ABS accumulator is to first power flush the system as you would normally do, filling the m/c reservoir with fresh fluid. Then go for a test drive down a dirt road and apply the brakes hard enough to activate the ABS (you will feel it on the brake pedal), do this several times.
Go back and power bleed the system again to purge all the old fluid that has now been pumped out of the ABS accumulator.

 

[Topzide]

There's no way that there's almost 3 quarts brake fluid in the lines and calipers. That's what I got out of system till had clean fluid at all wheels. Pretty sure that fluid was flushed out of ABS.

 

[amauri]

I don't know exactly how many quarts you can flush out of the system, I'm just trying to explain that the accumulator stores the fluid until it is needed to modulate pressure to each wheel. There is no way to purge the fluid inside the accumulator without activating the ABS.

 

[Walker111]

I suck out all the fluid in the resovoir every once and awhile and fill it up with new stuff. Only buy a pint and throw out what I don’t use.

 

[Topzide]

@amauri, I think you're missing the point that I used AlfaOBD to cycle the ABS at each wheel!

 

[amauri]

Ok, that makes more sense.

 

[JPM]

Why is there no mention of brake fluid changeout/flush in my 2017 manual?

 

[Topzide]

Probably in service manual as its not something they think most people will attempt to do themselves. I know mine was quite dark when I did mine. Not to bad as long as you have AlfaOBD to cycle ABS for final purge.

 

[STEVEBROOKS]

I see where the AlphOBD is only for '05 - '21 trucks. What scanner/etc is needed to do the complete flush on my '03 model?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[Cummins12V98]

Not sure why you need to do anything but the good ol Suck out the master cylinder and fill with fresh. Start at furthest and continue to closest. Have someone push brake medal/open bleeder let fluid out close bleeder raise pedal. Wash rinse repeat until fluid is clear.

 

[Topzide]

On the older models, just flush and refill once clean fluid is at the wheels. System should be similar to my '01 gasser, just pushed new fluid through the system and with assistance, normal brake bleed. Could feel better pedal after getting fresh fluid in it! Flushing brake fluid is the most overlooked maintenance item on a vehicle. Back in the day, Volvo recommended a brake fluid flush with a 50K service. The new pressure bleeding systems make the job so much easier to do!