Brake Fluid Surprise?

[JayS]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

I have been prone to alternate ATE Super Blue and Super Gold so that I could tell by the color difference when the old fluid was flushed. This stuff is probably overkill for the Murano, but it's good for my 280ZX on track days.

Fellow lapper huh? I do the same thing with my GTO that sees track duty after I boiled the stock fluid.

On the Murano what ever brand name DOT3 from the local parts store has is fine.

[Blinky19]

I'd like to know the consensus myself. My 09 has 44,000 mi on it, changed the pads but never touched the brake fluid. Thinking it might be time to do a flush?

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[Pilgrim]

With an 09 you're 3+ years down the road, so I'd say change it some time this year. Every 3 years is a good interval. It's not critical to do at that interval, just a good preventive idea.

[Blinky19]

Thanks, I think I'll do it at my next oil change along with an antifreeze flush.

2009 LE Blue w/tan
Nav
Nissan LED DRLs
Blue Interior LEDs
Stainless Bumper
Weathertechs
Hoen Fogs
Sickspeed Horns
Side Mirror Signals
Chrome Signal Bulbs

[TopazM3]

Two years is very wise. I change fluid completely for every track event on my track cars. DOT 3 or 4 are appropriate. DOT 5 is silicone and mostly used on relatively immobile collector cars with fully new brake parts that have no residual ester brake fluid. Nothing more important than your steering and brakes.

[juicedgt02]

is there anything special I need to do to the rear calipers to bleed them? i quickly glanced at it today and the valve looked kind of weird.

"ninja edit " never mind, the rubber piece threw me off since it was getting dark, bled my brakes today (78k miles) they feel much better but def need to replace rotors and will most likely throw in new pads.

[HVT]

Our 2011 manual calls for a brake fluid change every 15k miles. I personally think it's a load of crap but admittedly don't know as much about some of these newer systems. Back in the day, unless the system was somehow breached, fluid changes were unheard of. I had the 30k service done which included the brake fluid change. They also wanted to change the cabin filterwhich I declined but that's a different story...lol

[mattski]

Originally Posted by HVT

Our 2011 manual calls for a brake fluid change every 15k miles.

The 2010 manual just says to inspect the fluid and no specified change interval....must have completely changed the brake system for 2011 or figured out that they could make more money with 15k changes...hmmmm...which do you think it is?

[Pilgrim]

My guess is that Nissan's inspection routine is both a way to get cars into the shop and generate revenue - and to have a chance to inspect cars for safety and for opportunities to do repairs.

So IMO their agenda is mostly revenue generation with a side order of safety.

I don't change brake fluid nearly as often as I should, but I shoot for 3-4 years.

When I live in central Texas with very high humidity, I learned a lesson about standard brake fluid. I had two hydraulic clutch slave cylinders freeze up in 8 years because the fluid had drawn so much moisture that they rusted. The answer was simple - run some denatured alcohol through the clutch cylinder and line, then refill with DOT5 silicone-based fluid. Since it doesn't draw moisture the new slave cylinder has been serving happily for 14 years.

The rest of the time I run DOT4.

I have read in a number of articles that DOT 5 is not suitable for use with ABS systems. Here is one such: The Rodding Roundtable - The qualities of Brake Fluid

I have read a number of warnings that DOT 5 aerates more easily than other fluids and may need to be handled more carefully and the brakes may need to be bled repeatedly to purge all air.

Another article that alludes to this: D.O.T. 5 Brake Fluid

Finally, there is a new fluid, DOT 5.1, that is not silicone. I have more to learn about it.

[HVT]

Originally Posted by mattski

The 2010 manual just says to inspect the fluid and no specified change interval....must have completely changed the brake system for 2011 or figured out that they could make more money with 15k changes...hmmmm...which do you think it is?

I don't have the answer...lol. If you ask me, it's all BS since in all my 35 yrs of driving, I've never changed brake fluid in any car I've every owned. But todays systems may differ in their maint. needs. It's cheap so I let em' do it. Problem is, if you ask 50 people they'll all have a different opinion. Makes it hard to decipher.

[Pilgrim]

Having lived primarily in very low numidity areas, I never worried about changing brake fluid until I moved to Central Texas where humidity is very high. I think the need depends somewhat on climate. Let's face it, brake fluid can't accumulate moisture as fast when there's less moisture in the atmosphere.

But for perspective, it wasn't until the 90's that I ever heard about issues with brake fluid and moisture. I think that the entire topic was pretty much unknown outside of racing circles until ABS systems started coming into use, and the Internet made it possible for information like this to be accessed by lots of people. I've been an Internet user since the early 90's (created my own web pages around 1992) so it's not like I haven't been looking.

I'm currently in Colorado at 5,000 feet so humidity is very low here. Even so, the reduced boiling point of brake fluid when it has accumulated moisture is a concern, and bleeding brakes isn't "rocket surgery", nor is it expensive. It's just kind of a pain.

[mattski]

Originally Posted by HVT

I don't have the answer...lol. If you ask me, it's all BS since in all my 35 yrs of driving, I've never changed brake fluid in any car I've every owned. But todays systems may differ in their maint. needs. It's cheap so I let em' do it. Problem is, if you ask 50 people they'll all have a different opinion. Makes it hard to decipher.

Agreed

I routinely own my new cars 6-7 years and have never changed the brake fluid.

I certainly would change the fluid if the manufacturer recommended for normal service like they do for timing chains and plugs...