Is it Really Necessary to Flush Your Brakes?

If you’re like most drivers having your brakes flushed is one of the more frequently forgotten car maintenance services. Many of us don’t think about our vehicle’s brakes maintenance until they start squeaking or stop working. We usually think of a brake repair as replacing pads and rotors when in reality your brake system needs to be flushed periodically as part of your regular brake system maintenance.

Your vehicle’s brake system absorbs and retains moisture which turns the metal to rust and corrosion causing failure of internal brake system components. This leads to a compromised effectiveness and decreased stopping power.

If you look at the brake fluid in your car’s reservoir it should be clear with a yellowish hue. Brake fluid as it gets older will change to a deeper amber in colour or perhaps brown and possibly blackish. This is absolutely when you need to have a brake fluid flush, before it leads to rust and corrosion problems within the braking system.

A good rule of thumb is to have your brakes flushed every 50,000 km or every 2 years if you don’t drive a lot. Think of it this way, you wouldn’t skip changing your car’s engine oil, right? Oil is the lifeblood of your engine as brake fluid is the lifeblood of your braking system.

With the potential of vehicle safety and brake system repairs that could cost many hundreds of dollars, the money spent on a brake flush is well worth the peace of mind.

What Is A Brake Fluid Flush?

A brake fluid flush refers to the process of replacing all of your old brake fluid with fresh, clean brake fluid. This involves pushing the old fluid out of the entire system as new fluid is added. Creating the pressure necessary to bleed out the old fluid can be done in several ways. Manually, you can either have another person pump the brake pedal or use a hand-pump pressure bleeder tool. Professional shops often rely on power flush machines, and typically charge an hour labour plus the cost of new fluid.

Pressure bleeders, whether power or manual, fit over the brake fluid reservoir and are secured in place with the use of adapter pieces. As pressure and new fluid are added, old brake fluid is removed by loosening and tightening bleeder screws at the brake calliper at each wheel.

For a competitive quote on brake fluid flushing, click here to get in touch with us today!