Is brake fluid flush necessary? What purpose does the brake fluid serve? When should the brake fluid be flushed? Let us answer these questions in the following sections.
Importance of Flushing Brake Fluid
Contamination Due to Moisture
Not opening the reservoir of brake fluid is the right thing to do since the brake fluid is hydroscopic and tend to readily absorbs moisture that becomes available. This is the reason the fluid operates within a sealed environment. Such sealed environment protects brake fluid from air intrusion and moisture.
However, small amounts of moisture is often present inside the brake system, which causes moisture contamination and the brake fluid gradually absorbs such contamination. The negative aspect of having excess moisture in brake fluids is that it can bring down boiling point of the brake fluid. This will result in fluid overheating and the brake fluid will start losing its effectiveness.
Another problem is formation of vapor pockets inside the brake fluid due to presence of excess moisture. When uncompressible liquid gets displaced by compressible vapor, it can make the brake pedal sink right to the floor when it is depressed, that too without application of brakes. When such a thing happens, it can result in serious problems. These reasons point towards necessity of flushing brake fluid on regular basis.
Build Up of Debris
As time passes, the brake fluid starts to age, and buildup of debris results in contamination. There are various reasons for buildup of debris such as:
Over time, varied hoses and seals present in brake system gradually shed rubber particles in minuscule amounts.
Metal components start to corrode and rust due to brake fluid. Such rust particles start mixing into the brake fluid.
If the cap of the reservoir is not closed properly then also debris and dirt can find their way into the brake system.
Apart from remaining suspended within the reservoir, some amount of debris seeps into the ABS or anti-lock brake system unit.
The slow buildup of these debris within the hydraulic unit’s passageway results in eventual blockage of those passageways. The result will be malfunctioning of the ABS system and will negatively affect braking performance of your car.
Problems in Braking System
If the brake fluid is not flushed on regular basis, it can create different problems in braking capabilities of your car. For instance, the brake pedal would feel very spongy when the pedal is pressed, indicating that it is time to change the fluid.
Similarly, you will observe that bringing the car to a stop takes more time and effort. Lastly, it may become necessary to pump the brakes for building up required amount of pressure and reach a safer stop. These all issues point to the fact that break fluids need to be flushed.
In more serious situations, the brake may fail altogether and pose a risk of accident. Such a thing happens when the brake fluid reaches boiling point during operation. Moisture contamination can artificially lower the boiling point of brake fluid.
Conclusion
If you are unsure if it is time to flush brake fluid of your car, then give us a call and our experts will thoroughly check the condition it is in. Our experts will also suggest maintenance and repair work that your car will need.