Brake Fluid Concern

I have a 2001 V6 Tacoma. I checked the brake fluid and it looks pretty dirty/ a sort of blackish color from what i can see. It is properly full.

Should I be concerned that the fluid is black? I dont have time to flush my whole brake system this week. Is this something that should be done asap or do i have quite a bit of time before it needs to be replaced?

 

yes... that dark coloration is moisture that the brake fluid pulls from the air, normal condition... the longer it sits the greater the possibility that the water in the calipers/wheel cylinders sits and collects and rusts a defect in the bores, then the seals tear and you have a brake fluid leak.

 

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it will absorb moisture out of the air. The darker it is, the more moisture it has absorbed. If you don't have time to flush it, just suck the old stuff out of the reservoir and replace with new DOT3 fluid. Any moisture in the lines or calipers will migrate into the new stuff, so it would be best to flush your system eventually.

 

Ok, I might try to do that. Im trying to get a feel for how bad this is on my car. Is it one of those things that most people never check and will probably be fine, or could my brakes go out tomorrow? Just want to make sure i am playing it safe. Thanks

 

Brakes won't just go out. You may notice diminished braking capabilities. I've seen brake fluid that was pure black and the brakes still worked.

 

When you do flush the fluid make sure you water down/rinse any fluid that drips. That stuff will eat away paint and powder coating.

 

Here's a brake bleeding video you might find useful. If your rig happens to have a Load Sensing Proportioning Valve (LSPV), you would follow the same procedure I show in the video, but as a final step, bleed the LSPV.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rnyK3V-OGn4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Thanks!