Service Plan + Brake Fluid
Discussion
On a VW Service Plan (56 plate car) and service is due, along with brake fluid change. The guy booking my car in for a service said the brake fluid change is an extra cost and not covered in the service plan.
I'll check docs when I get home but this is what it says on the website "The service includes service items specified within our recommended service schedule for a particular vehicle. Any work outside of this schedule, including any wear and tear items such as cambelts, brake pads and brake discs, is not included. For full terms and conditions please visit your local retailer"
I would have thought a scheduled brake fluid change would have been picked up in the service plan as it's part of the service schedule, but obviously not.
Is this the norm?
I'll check docs when I get home but this is what it says on the website "The service includes service items specified within our recommended service schedule for a particular vehicle. Any work outside of this schedule, including any wear and tear items such as cambelts, brake pads and brake discs, is not included. For full terms and conditions please visit your local retailer"
I would have thought a scheduled brake fluid change would have been picked up in the service plan as it's part of the service schedule, but obviously not.
Is this the norm?
From memory the brake fluid is an advised service extra every 2yrs and thus isn't part of the recommended servie schedule. Most service plans will cover the basic requirements and anything that is advised is an extra chargeable to yourself... ie brake fluid, aircon regas, rear brake clean and so on... and if you don't want to pay for said item/s, then you don't have to get it done. It's merely a recommendations, not a scheduled task/part replacement.
But don't quote me as things may have changed since I was last involved.
But don't quote me as things may have changed since I was last involved.
Bottle of Dot 4 brake fluid £4.99 a litre from the local motor factor more than enough with loads left over to do the change/bleed on the Mk 5 golf I own a few months ago, cant remember how long it took about an hour? Have to take the wheels off can't quite reach the bleed nipples around the 17 inch alloys.
va1o said:
Does it actually need new brake fluid? I don't pay much attention to the recommended interval.
Brake fluid absorbs water. You *should* renew it every 2-3 years to prevent internal corrosion problems.I admit I'm a bit lazy when it comes to brake fluid, and I don't actually think I've seen a car suffer from symptoms I could link to old/ dirty fluid. I normally change all the fluids on a new purchase (very good way of learning where stuff is) then play it by ear. Normally I end up changing fluid a year or so later as a result of jamming the biggest discs I can behind the front wheels.
bazking69 said:
busta said:
I have long been suspicious of wether anyone actually replaces brake fluid. How would anyone know?
Short of getting it tested in a lab, you wouldn't. Ok, thanks - it is due a change (2yrs) but seems that it's the norm to be charged an additional amount.
I'll get the brake fluid done next time I'm using an independent.
Seems it's a definate grey area re service plan inclusion - as you could argue one way it should be treated like oil and hence the cost should be picked up in the service plan and likewise it could be argued that it could be treated like a cambelt change which wouldn't be picked up.
I'll get the brake fluid done next time I'm using an independent.
Seems it's a definate grey area re service plan inclusion - as you could argue one way it should be treated like oil and hence the cost should be picked up in the service plan and likewise it could be argued that it could be treated like a cambelt change which wouldn't be picked up.
Davie said:
Colour is about the only way you can tell. Brake fluid gets darker as it gets older so prior to the change, check the colour and afterwards check again. Then again, I've heard of people sucking the fluid out the reservoir and refilling it. So, you could check the bleed nipples as it should be obvious to see if they've been disturned or not. Most dealer have air feed bleeder kits, a pipe connects to the reservoir, an air line is plugged in and the bleed nipple is opened, fresh fluid is forced in and throught he line, close nipple, Repeat three times. The good guys know excatly how long they need to open the nipple and how much old fluid needs to be pushed out before new fluid is in the line. A change can be done in under 15mins...
My dad's workshop has one of these. It's an absolute revelation- I couldn't believe how easy it was. This one is powered by an air line and simply 'sucks' the fluid out through the nipple. I used it to hoover the old fluid out of the reservoir, filled the reservoir with fresh fluid, and sucked through the nipples until the new fluid was coming through.It was my first attempt and it still only took 30 mins to do brakes and clutch.
(so much innuendo...)
Classic Grad 98 said:
Davie said:
Colour is about the only way you can tell. Brake fluid gets darker as it gets older so prior to the change, check the colour and afterwards check again. Then again, I've heard of people sucking the fluid out the reservoir and refilling it. So, you could check the bleed nipples as it should be obvious to see if they've been disturned or not. Most dealer have air feed bleeder kits, a pipe connects to the reservoir, an air line is plugged in and the bleed nipple is opened, fresh fluid is forced in and throught he line, close nipple, Repeat three times. The good guys know excatly how long they need to open the nipple and how much old fluid needs to be pushed out before new fluid is in the line. A change can be done in under 15mins...
My dad's workshop has one of these. It's an absolute revelation- I couldn't believe how easy it was. This one is powered by an air line and simply 'sucks' the fluid out through the nipple. I used it to hoover the old fluid out of the reservoir, filled the reservoir with fresh fluid, and sucked through the nipples until the new fluid was coming through.It was my first attempt and it still only took 30 mins to do brakes and clutch.
(so much innuendo...)
varsas said:
I had a little Gunson's one powered by the spare tyre. It worked really well. Once. All it does now is cover the engine bay in brake fluid. It also doesn't fit the reservoirs on half my cars. I've tried many many special tools and contraptions, and have always gone back to the 2 man 'down', 'down'; 'up', 'up' method.
The workshop spec ones are a bit more involved. Basically a 25l drum of brake fluid which fills a little tank that is pressurised by the workshop airline (and a series of valves and stuff!) and then a hose with attachment that screws in place of the cap on the car. Flick a switch then go round the car and open each nipple in turn. The new fluid is pumped into the reservoir and in turn forces the old fluid out. Soon as new fluid comes out, close the nipple. Absolute doddle. I can't comment for all dealers but we used to do a brake fluid change as a service add on for £20, sometimes less, sometimes even free (if the rest of the work was rather arse quakingly dear!)For home use, we've got something like so...
Works in the same way as the workshop pressure bleeders and makes the job so much easier especially on cars with ABS and also cars where pumping the pedal can sometimes flip the seals in the master cylinder. Plus it's a one man opperation.
Great bit of kit.
varsas said:
I had a little Gunson's one powered by the spare tyre. It worked really well. Once. All it does now is cover the engine bay in brake fluid. It also doesn't fit the reservoirs on half my cars. I've tried many many special tools and contraptions, and have always gone back to the 2 man 'down', 'down'; 'up', 'up' method.
These get recommended a lot on the lotus 7 club forums; apparently the trick is to not put any brake fluid in the device or it pisses out everywhere! They all just brim the revervoir and use the Gunson EZ-bleed simply to provide the pressure...Classic Grad 98 said:
varsas said:
I had a little Gunson's one powered by the spare tyre. It worked really well. Once. All it does now is cover the engine bay in brake fluid. It also doesn't fit the reservoirs on half my cars. I've tried many many special tools and contraptions, and have always gone back to the 2 man 'down', 'down'; 'up', 'up' method.
These get recommended a lot on the lotus 7 club forums; apparently the trick is to not put any brake fluid in the device or it pisses out everywhere! They all just brim the revervoir and use the Gunson EZ-bleed simply to provide the pressure...wolf1 said:
Classic Grad 98 said:
varsas said:
I had a little Gunson's one powered by the spare tyre. It worked really well. Once. All it does now is cover the engine bay in brake fluid. It also doesn't fit the reservoirs on half my cars. I've tried many many special tools and contraptions, and have always gone back to the 2 man 'down', 'down'; 'up', 'up' method.
These get recommended a lot on the lotus 7 club forums; apparently the trick is to not put any brake fluid in the device or it pisses out everywhere! They all just brim the revervoir and use the Gunson EZ-bleed simply to provide the pressure...Did try lowering the pressure, no joy. I wonder if I did the cap up too tight the first time and wrecked the rubber seal.
Thanks for the tip, I'll try not putting any fluid into it.
Astra Dan said:
Brake fluid absorbs water. You *should* renew it every 2-3 years to prevent internal corrosion problems.
Internal corrosion of brake pipes and other components can be a problem on cars fitted with ABS, as the internal soleniods don't like water much, but it's definitely not the only reason.Water has a much lower boiling point than brake fluid - When the water boils, it creates steam/vapour in the lines, and vapour can be compressed, leading to a very spongy pedal, or in the worst case, no brakes.
Superhoop said:
Water has a much lower boiling point than brake fluid - When the water boils, it creates steam/vapour in the lines, and vapour can be compressed, leading to a very spongy pedal, or in the worst case, no brakes.
That much is true, although it's not entirely obvious to be how in normal driving the brake fluid temperature will get anywhere near 100C.Of more immediate concern is that water itself is much more easily compressed than hydraulic fluid.
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