Brake Fluid Replacement. What?

Your brakes are one of the most important parts of your car. Brake fluid helps keep those brakes at optimum efficiency. What brake fluid does is absorb moisture from the air and accumulate debris. So when it’s dirty, it obviously won’t work as well as when it’s clean.

How do you know your fluid is looking grungy? First of all, brake fluid services are recommended every four years or every 60,000 miles.  Next, look out for a soft or spongy brake pedal, internal corrosion or brake system components, or brake/ABS warning light on your dashboard.

If you see any of these warning signs, take your vehicle into the shop for a brake fluid replacement. This is how it’s done:

First the old fluid is removed from the brake master cylinder and new fluid is added. The brake bleeder screws are then manually opened one at a time, in succession, beginning with the wheel farthest from the master cylinder and finishing with the one closest. This allows fresh fluid to flow through each branch from the master cylinder which is keep full of fresh fluid throughout the process. This not only fills the reservoir and the hydraulic system with fresh brake fluid, but also purges any trapped air, thus “bleeding” the brakes. Specialized equipment can be used for this service or it can be performed manually.

Prestone Brake Fluid is a favorite among Bay Area local shops.