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Springtime Pre-flight Inspection - don't skip over the first brake fluid change!

The Operators Guide for my 2024 Spyder RT says to replace the brake fluid every 2 years, regardless of the odometer reading.

The Owners Manual for my 2023 Honda Ridgeline says to replace the brake fluid every 3 years, regardless of the odometer reading.

The Spyder's Operators Guide calls for DOT 4 brake fluid, the Ridgline's Owners Manual calls for Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3, but says you can use any DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid if the Honda fluid isn't available, but then do a full replacement with the correct Honda brake fluid as soon as possible.

The main reason for changing the brake fluid is that it's hygroscopic, which means over time it absorbs and retains water, which causes several problems. The first is that water is more compressible than brake fluid, which means the performance of the braking system is degraded. And of course there's the whole water can cause rust/corrosion in the metal components of the brake system.
 
racoon said:
.....
The main reason for changing the brake fluid is that it's hygroscopic, which means over time it absorbs and retains water, which causes several problems. The first is that water is more compressible than brake fluid which means the performance of the braking system is degraded. And of course there's the whole water can cause rust/corrosion in the metal components of the brake system.
Click to expand...

That's not quite correct @racoon, because for all intents and purposes, water is incompressible!

BUT, water can be (& is) absorbed (&/or forced) into the brake fluid from the air, especially humid air, due to the brake fluid's hygroscopic nature; and that water can then boil off into steam in localised spots (like in the brake calliper pistons!) under the heat and pressure generated thru braking effort - and Steam IS compressible! 😖 Well, that is unless the steam's velocity thru the system is approaching Mach 1, which is something I don't really think we will ever need to worry about in a Spyder/Ryker braking system! ;)
 
If you didn't use BUDS2, you didn't flush that crappy fluid out of your ABS unit, which is probably more important than any one caliper when you really need it...
 
Freddy said:
Get yourself one of these to take the guessing out of it.

www.ebay.com.au

Brake Oil Fluid Tester LED Moisture Liquid Tool Car Vehicle Test Indicator Pen | eBay Australia

Brake Fluid : It also known as hydraulic fluid, is responsible for moving the various components of your vehicle’s braking system. The fluid operates under high temperatures and high pressure and, without it, your car or truck would not be able to stop when you push the brake pedal inside your...
www.ebay.com.au
Click to expand...

You can also test your brake fluid's moisture content using a multimeter, this is actually how these pens work too.

Do a search and you'll see how to do this.

I have a testing pen along with a number of multimeters. Both methods work.
 
May even have to change more often than every 2 years. The fluid in My 2023 RTL was significantly degraded at 2 years
R

Thread 'Brake fluid in Reservoir & above the seal - anyone else seen this?'

Doing a 2-year brake fluid flush and when I took the cover off, there was some fluid above the seal. I didn't expect to find fluid here, which seems to indicate the reservoir was not sealed tight. The fluid in the reservoir was quite dark, which indicates it was exposed to the air. I used a light and I can't see any holes in the seal. Anyone seen this??
Thx
Jim

Ps: I asked the lead tech at my dealer about a brake fluid flush at 2 years as per the manual and he said: "Literally never unless there is some other reason to take the system apart. As you likely know, you really...
 
I asked my dealer if it was necessary to change the it every two years; the reply was, "Only if the moisture level is above 2-3%". Check it, or have it checked, then decide.
 
Brake fluid test strips and antifreeze test strips are worthwhile.

You may need to change brake fluid more or less often, no need to guess.
 
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