tonye60

my i drive is showing brake fluid for july 2006, does this get done then or can it wait for the next oil change, the car is on 24000 mls it has had an oil change and nothing else, if this is the case for the brake fluid does this mean you have to take the back and forth to the dealer, and by the way anyone know the cost

Dave M

just had my brake fluid done at the end of Feb this year it cost ?122.

I thought that i would get the oil changed at the same time (althought the Idrive still said it had another 7000 miles to go) as i think the oil change interval is too long... but when the garage quoted an additional ?150 for oil and filter change - i decided to give it a miss!!

I bought the BMW oil filter ?14 and took the car to Nationwide Autocentre for the oil change - for the same spec oil cost ?54!!!! labour and oil - ok I ended up paying for two filters but thats a BIG difference !! I guess somebody has to pay for the coffee and papers in the showroom!! and as it was a 'mid service' change I wasnt bothered about a stamp in the service book

- the annoying thig was that they told me they could have done the brake fluild change for about ?70 and have the codes to reset the IDrive!!!

The brake fluid change warning appears to be on a two year count down from manufacture date (not from sale date) irrespective of use, mileage, driving style.

I guess it comes down the how much you value their stamp in the book.

cheers
dave

Kev525

I have a real problem with the 2 yr interval for Brake Fluid changes. (I just think 2 yrs is a rediculously short time in this day and age). When mine was due I just reset the indicator myself so that it's another 2 yrs before it's due again. When the next service is due which will be when the car is around 3yrs old, I'll decide then whether to ask for the Brake Fluid to be changed at the same time or not.

Dunno whether I'll use the local BMW stealer or go to an independent BMW specialist yet though.

tonye60

i have to ask how do you change the brake fluid date

E60Sim

You can reset the service indication your selfe when the service is due. Check the DIY forum, and you will find out how

Piloti

I'm no mechanic so take this with a gain of salt.
My understanding is that brake fluid is "hygroscopic", meaning is attracts water. This leads to:
1) lows the boiling point of the brake fluid, causing brake fade at high speeds;
2) increases the risk of corrosion;
I don't like the sound of either of these things happening.
Also, just anecdotal info, that to track your BMW at a CCA event, you must have changed your brake fluid in the last 90 days. Think they maybe onto something?

Kev525

Yep - I know all the reasons for changing it - I just can't accept that the braking performance on a brand new car will be that adversly affected once the 2 years is up. If I were using it for track days then I could accept that changing it frequently is a must, but not for the sort of driving I do. I'm not saying don't change the fluid, just that it seems crap to me that you have to have it changed at a 2 yr interval which bears no relation to the service intervals.

In my view the brake fluid change should be tied to the mileage covered - say every time the car needs an inspection 2 or something a bit more sensible than just 2 years full stop. I'd never heard of a 2 yr brake fluid change before I bought my first BMW back in 1996.

ImolaRedM

lol... I never heard of going more than 2 years without a fluid change. To me it's a safety thing, I would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to my brakes.

robg

There are inexpensive brake fluid testers available. I think they work similarly to coolant testers, by measureing specific gravity of the fluid. Based on the score, you know what percenatge of the fluid is water and thus, whether it needs to be changed.

Danno

Not so much a safety factor as it is a cost factor. Let moisture start eating away at all the internal brake lines, calibers and pistons and it gets mighty expenseive to repair. It may take a few years to get it going but once the leaking starts it is part and labor expensive.