Brake fluid: Why does it matter?

Posted on September 19, 2017 in Auto Repair

Hi guys! Have you ever wondered "Why do I need to change my brake fluid?"

Changing brake fluid is important to keep your braking system running smoothly for as long as possible and to avoid expensive repairs. Your brakes have many hydraulic components. Hydraulic means that fluid powers sections of the braking system. The master cylinder, calipers and ABS (anti-lock braking system) are all hydraulic.

The caliper is what squeezes the brake pads against the brake rotor when you are trying to stop.
The ABS system is what stops your car's brakes from locking up in an abrupt stop or when making an evasive maneuver.
The master cylinder is the main component of the hydraulic braking system, it's what provides pressure to the rest of the hydraulic braking system.

Brake fluid is a "dry fluid" which means it absorbs moisture from the air. Every car has brake lines. These are metal lines that span the length of the car. As brake fluid absorbs moisture the fluid becomes corrosive. The entire hydraulic system will become prematurely worn if the fluid becomes corrosive. We recommend that brake fluid is exchanged every 3 years or 30,000 miles. Regularly exchanging your fluid is the best way to keep your brake lines, calipers and braking system healthy. Below I've posted a link to our website that contains a video designed to explain everything we went over and more! Take a look around while you're there to see what else catches your eye. https://precisionautoinc.com/bg-services/ Thank you for choosing Precision Auto!