Did you know that the brake fluid in you vehicle should be changed every year? That is unless you use Amsoil Series 500 DOT 3 Brake Fluid or Series 600 DOT 4 Racing Brake Fluid. This stuff will last twice as long as other brake fluids.
In addition we employ our vacuum extractor to bleed your brake system. This extracts 100% of the old fluid and removes any air, moisture, or other contaminates in the system.
Why does brake fluid need to be changed every year? The answer is quite fascinating.
Brake fluid is used as a hydraulic fluid. It acts as the physical connection between your brake pedal and the piston inside your brake caliper. When you press the pedal you are pressing against this fluid. Since brake fluid is a non-compressible fluid it will send that pressure down the brake lines to the piston inside the brake caliper which will then compress your brake pads against your brake rotors (the spinning part). The friction produced creates heat. It is this heat that creates the problem.
When conventional DOT 3 brake fluid is new it has a boiling point of around 401-420 degrees. In the case of Amsoil DOT 3 brake fluid it is 520 degrees. Brake fluid by nature is a water absorbing fluid. This means it will absorb water from the air and that begins the moment you open the bottle. In most environments your brake system will absorb about 2% water every year. With 2% water content conventional brake fluid will boil at 300-320 degrees. That is 100 degrees lower than new fluid in just 1 year!
When brake fluid boils in your system air bubbles will be created and this is extremely dangerous. These bubbles are compressible. When compressed you experience soft pedal feel and very limited brake power, or maybe none at all. Usually when someone says “my brakes went out” this is what has happened.
The other problem with water in the brake system is corrosion. Water is very corrosive and will, over time, damage the metal and rubber parts of your brake system which could also cause a dangerous situation.