Brake Fluid Really Need Changing at 12,000 Miles?

[T.W]

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, which like someone mentioned means that its absorbs moisture. The moisture ends up "contaminating" the brake fluid which in turn lowers its boiling point, which is something you don't want. I personally would recommend to go with the time side of the recommended replacement by Honda, which I think is 2 or 3 years.

Cheers

 

[Garnet]

My 2012 700SA was manufactured in April 2012. It sat on the dealer's floor for 2 seasons and I bought it in January. I have just under 2000 kms (1200 mi) on it.

Should I get ready to flush the brake fluid, (and coolant) as they are now 2 years old? Or has the idle time sitting somehow extended the lifespan of those fluids? Interesting dilemma.

 

[happy]

My 2012 700SA was manufactured in April 2012. It sat on the dealer's floor for 2 seasons and I bought it in January. I have just under 2000 kms (1200 mi) on it.

Should I get ready to flush the brake fluid, (and coolant) as they are now 2 years old? Or has the idle time sitting somehow extended the lifespan of those fluids? Interesting dilemma.

Look at it. Is it clear?
If yes, then it is ok (like new).
In the showroom, it should be dry and uncontaminated.

 

[Papafox]

The Aussie schedule matches the Euro in that it's inspect brake fluid every 12k km and replace every 2 years. Good, otherwise I'd be flushing the fluid every 6 months

 

[Deleted member 1183]

My 2012 700SA was manufactured in April 2012. It sat on the dealer's floor for 2 seasons and I bought it in January. I have just under 2000 kms (1200 mi) on it.

Should I get ready to flush the brake fluid, (and coolant) as they are now 2 years old? Or has the idle time sitting somehow extended the lifespan of those fluids? Interesting dilemma.

In my opinion you should not have a problem as the moisture ingress only happens mostly with use. By that I mean the constant movement of the pistons in the caliper during normal use, when some moisture will slip past the seals. Moisture will also get in if the reservoir is opened frequently. The braking system on your bike was little used if at all during this time . I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

[dduelin]

My 2012 700SA was manufactured in April 2012. It sat on the dealer's floor for 2 seasons and I bought it in January. I have just under 2000 kms (1200 mi) on it.

Should I get ready to flush the brake fluid, (and coolant) as they are now 2 years old? Or has the idle time sitting somehow extended the lifespan of those fluids? Interesting dilemma.

Peer into the clear inspection window of the master cylinder reservoir. If it is clear you are good to go. If the fluid is brownish or a darker shade of yellow I would change it. For grins start looking at inspection windows of bikes you see around. You will easily see the bikes that probably need a change or have never been changed.

 

[dduelin]

My European manual recommends changing the fluid every two years. They put no mileage restriction on this and even at 32,000 miles it just suggests "inspect". I personally think that changing brake fluid at 12,000 miles is way OTT.

The differences between manuals is interesting. I wonder why Honda sees fit to vary service intervals between markets.

I created this thread: http://nc700-forum.com/forum/nc700-...edule-differences-between-markets-models.html

so we could see different manuals in one place. Can you take pictures and add your manual? Also any one with a 750 please add your manual.

Thanks!

 

[Chris]

The US in particular stuck with very high frequency oil changes for years after the manufacturers were recommending extended intervals. The dealers obviously encouraged this as an extra revenue habit. Back in the 90's we had 15,000 km service intervals and more with some cars moving to 30,000km. In the US the customers, encouraged by the dealers were still changing oil every 3,000 miles..

I can't think of any real environmental reason why a bike or car would need more frequent servicing in the most of the USA than in Europe - I wonder if the Canadian schedule is based on a 4,000 mile inspection or if it's in lie with the European versions.

 

[670cc]

Peer into the clear inspection window of the master cylinder reservoir. If it is clear you are good to go. If the fluid is brownish or a darker shade of yellow I would change it. For grins start looking at inspection windows of bikes you see around. You will easily see the bikes that probably need a change or have never been changed.

As a reference point for how clear the fluid is when new, I just changed my NC's front brake fluid, and I can clearly see the grain of the metal casting in the reservoir when peering through the sight glass.

The rear brake fluid was murky after less than two years age.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I know I am risking starting a oil type thread but here goes anyway.

Manual says to change brake fluid every 12,000 miles. On my other ride the requirement is based on time not miles and the time is two years.

So my question is that having ridden 12,000 miles in only 8 months and not being very hard on the brakes do I need to change it this quick?

A common Motorcycle maintenance task is to replace the hydraulic fluids in the brake and clutch systems. Hydraulic fluid will over time absorb water which causes the fluid to boil when the brakes are applied or the clutch is used, and thus reduce effectiveness of the system. The average motorcycle requires the brake fluid be changed every 12,000 miles. However, there are a few exceptions.

While you may consider this task to be complex, with a little knowledge and the right tools this maintenance item really isn’t that hard.

The primary tool you will want to invest into is a brake bleeding vacuum tool. This tool makes the job quick, clean, and easy. Along with this you will need a box end wrench that matches the size of the bleeding nipple on your motorcycle. Of course you will need the appropriate brake fluid (Dot 4) along with a container to hold the old fluid. Finally some rags and paper towels come in handy to catch any drips or dribbles. Do not get the brake fluid on your paint!

 

[dduelin]

As a reference point for how clear the fluid is when new, I just changed my NC's front brake fluid, and I can clearly see the grain of the metal casting in the reservoir when peering through the sight glass.

The rear brake fluid was murky after less than two years age.

Yes, shades of gold or brown indicate aging and this isn't cognac or whiskey. The less color the better.

 

[dduelin]

The US in particular stuck with very high frequency oil changes for years after the manufacturers were recommending extended intervals. The dealers obviously encouraged this as an extra revenue habit. Back in the 90's we had 15,000 km service intervals and more with some cars moving to 30,000km. In the US the customers, encouraged by the dealers were still changing oil every 3,000 miles..

I can't think of any real environmental reason why a bike or car would need more frequent servicing in the most of the USA than in Europe - I wonder if the Canadian schedule is based on a 4,000 mile inspection or if it's in lie with the European versions.

I recall when I first saw an extended oil change interval in an owners manual....my 1989 Honda Accord gave 7500 miles. This is probably as you say due to pressure from outside interests, not just dealers but the petroleum industry.

I was really more interested in differences in all the maintenance items and not just oil, particularly valve check interval. That was the reasoning behind the other thread.

 

[MZ5]

I'm tempted here to make some smart remark about it being 120F and 0% RH here many Junes, and thus the atmosphere _removes_ any water from my brake fluid, but I won't.

I had recalled the 2-year interval for brake fluid, but had forgot about the 12,000 mile portion. I guess I'm overdue. My front brake fluid is not as light as it was when the bike was brand new, but it's not much different. Perhaps I'll break out the Mighty Vac and buy a container of brake fluid when I do the valve check and oil change here in the next week or so. I suppose the Sonata is about due for a fluid change/flush as well.

I'm glad you started the thread about maintenance schedules in different markets. I hope more people from across the globe will contribute to it. Concerning differences of maintenance scheudles, and different fluids specifications as well, it is a reality that both parts (or fluids) availability, and at least as importantly consumer expectations, play into the differing recommendations around the globe relative to the exact same vehicle. As an example, the North American market has been the place manufacturers have had the most initial success in driving down lubricant viscosities in an effort to save fuel. Not many years ago, there'd have been an outright rebellion in Australia if you'd told them to fill their Falcons with 5w or 0w20 motor oil! Europe has been the place where ultra-long drain intervals have been most successfully pushed. There are underlying reasons for this, such as the CAFE requirements in the USA, and both the huge cost and relative inaccessability (sometimes legally prohibited) of DIY options in Europe. Still, it's also what people expect and therefore what they want. The way to make the most money the fastest is to give people what they think they want.

 

[happy]

A common Motorcycle maintenance task is to replace the hydraulic fluids in the brake and clutch systems. Hydraulic fluid will over time absorb water which causes the fluid to boil when the brakes are applied or the clutch is used, and thus reduce effectiveness of the system. The average motorcycle requires the brake fluid be changed every 12,000 miles. However, there are a few exceptions.

While you may consider this task to be complex, with a little knowledge and the right tools this maintenance item really isn’t that hard.

The primary tool you will want to invest into is a brake bleeding vacuum tool. This tool makes the job quick, clean, and easy. Along with this you will need a box end wrench that matches the size of the bleeding nipple on your motorcycle. Of course you will need the appropriate brake fluid (Dot 4) along with a container to hold the old fluid. Finally some rags and paper towels come in handy to catch any drips or dribbles. Do not get the brake fluid on your paint!

I still think this is a 2-person job.
Can you show me a video or something that tells me 1 person is enough?

 

[Old Can Ride]

I still think this is a 2-person job.
Can you show me a video or something that tells me 1 person is enough?

How "Happy" I will never take credit for telling you this, as no self respecting mechanic would ever let this fact be know to the general public. The object here is to get the old brake fluid with the water contamination out for the most part, and the new brake fluid with no water into the brake fluid container.

Go to any pharmacy and purchase the largest ear syringe you can find. Suck the old brake fluid out, and yes you will be leaving a small amount of old brake fluid with water in it in the lines. However, you will not have to bleed the brakes and most of the bad brake fluid with water is gone. Clear out the syringe, and then use it to squirt the new break fluid back into the container very slowly. Clean job this way. Do not over fill !!! Cover any and every part that could get brake fluid on it with a towel. Easy job this way. Oh, by the way on the rear break fluid container there is one bolt you have to pull lose to pull the container out and in front of you to make the rear an easy job also. Remember, I did not tell you this !!!!

 

[Fuzzy]

Tell me what?

 

[Harald]

I still think this is a 2-person job.
Can you show me a video or something that tells me 1 person is enough?

No problem doing it yourself with a Mity Vac tool.
The Mity Vac sucks the old fluid out through the caliper bleed fitting with only occasional pumping to keep vacume in the container. If the tool is carefully propped up alongside the tire, you can easily add fresh fluid to the master cylinder to keep it topped off. Works like a charm!

 

[happy]

How "Happy" I will never take credit for telling you this, as no self respecting mechanic would ever let this fact be know to the general public. The object here is to get the old brake fluid with the water contamination out for the most part, and the new brake fluid with no water into the brake fluid container.

Go to any pharmacy and purchase the largest ear syringe you can find. Suck the old brake fluid out, and yes you will be leaving a small amount of old brake fluid with water in it in the lines. However, you will not have to bleed the brakes and most of the bad brake fluid with water is gone. Clear out the syringe, and then use it to squirt the new break fluid back into the container very slowly. Clean job this way. Do not over fill !!! Cover any and every part that could get brake fluid on it with a towel. Easy job this way. Oh, by the way on the rear break fluid container there is one bolt you have to pull lose to pull the container out and in front of you to make the rear an easy job also. Remember, I did not tell you this !!!!

Dear sir,
I beg to differ.
If I do things, I do them right.

Mixing old moist brake fluid with new fresh brake fluid is a half-cooked turkey.

I know the process to drain the fluid slowly by loosening the bottom of the brake hoses and then fillup with new fluid slowly. Until the fluid in the hoses are turning also clear, then we continue to fill up the master cylinder.

I need 1 other person to squeeze the brake levers and fill up the cylinder while I bend down to open and close the nipples. That is what I do.

I understand there are 1-way valves and also some bleeding systems which guarantee no air pockets in the hoses.

You, I am afraid, are kinda misleading me with your "quick fix".

Would anyone else agree with me?

 

[Chris]

OCR's method is a cheat on a recommended one. You use the syringe to empty most of the old fluid from the reservoir - the you refill with fresh fluid and pump the remaining old fluid out of the bleed nipples as a normal brake bleed. The trick saves you time but the subsequent bleeding avoids any risk of a build up of old, contaminated fluid where it could be most risky - close to the very hot pad.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[happy]

OCR's method is a cheat on a recommended one. You use the syringe to empty most of the old fluid from the reservoir - the you refill with fresh fluid and pump the remaining old fluid out of the bleed nipples as a normal brake bleed. The trick saves you time but the subsequent bleeding avoids any risk of a build up of old, contaminated fluid where it could be most risky - close to the very hot pad.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

he said "you will not have to bleed the brakes"

I don't like that.