Advice from the dealer

I just took my 2011 DC TRD OR (TX Pro) (71,000 miles) in for maintenance I could do (water pump, sep belt , and thermostat) but time was against me. While waiting for the work to be completed the shop tech suggested I have my brake fluid changed; I declined. I keep a constant check on fluids along with other gen maintenance checks. The brake fluid it the same color it was when I bought the truck new.
So I question the tech as to why should I do that, he replied, after a couple of years brake fluid get moisture in it and should be changes. As far as I know moisture in brake fluid would turn it cloudy. Mine is clear.

So, opinions on how often one should change the brake fluid please

 

Had a brake caliper lock up on another vehicle, because brake fluid moisture built up on the piston and rusted out. Brake fluid looked clean.

 

Very interested in what anyone with expertise thinks on this. My fluid is 8 yrs old and clear. I put a test strip in it and strip said it was fine. I'm a maintenance fanatic but I can't get motivated to change this fluid because of the above.

 

Just saw your post - "caliper" fluid clean - might be motivation

 

Canadian maintenance booklet calls out brake fluid replacement every 48 months as a hard requirement. There, no need to think on it.

I let the dealer do it, though. Bleeding the whole system is too troublesome for me, especially on a TRD Off Road with the electronic brake valves.

 

I flush mine about every 3 years. If I'm over two years and doing a brake related project, I'll just do a flush while I'm at it.

 

...^^^... Did the dealer give you a price on the work suggested ??

FWIW ... I am crazy on PM (Preventative Maintenance) and changing ALL fluids at or before maintenance schedules.

With that said ... as some above have stated ... hidden problems could come up and you don't know it until it's too late.

Let the "mechanic pros" give you the best advice ... but for me ... changing ALL fluids is the cost of doing business in a Tacoma and keeping you off the side of the road at midnight ...

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Brake fluid is designed to absorb moisture. When under high pressure (braking) that water turns to vapor, which is compressible. This makes the brakes feel squishy and reduces braking performance.

 

Interesting - I don't remember seeing this in my Owners Manual but then I don't live in Canada.

 

I can confirm it is not in the US maintenance booklet, only in the Canadian one.

The Canadian maintenance booklet is slightly less influenced by marketing. You see a few threads on TW questioning the "lifetime" nature of coolant and ATF. In the Canadian booklet, coolant is 5 years / 80,000 km (50,000 mi); ATF is 6 years / 96,000 km (60,000 mi).

 

If you are comfortable changing the water pump, then brakes should be easy. Just do them one at a time and you shouldn't get any air in the system if you keep an eye on the reservoir. Even if it doesn't all come out just do it again in a year or two. Brake fluid is cheap

 

Are you testing the fluid in the tank or a sample from the caliper bleeder?

I would take a sample at the caliper.

Get a pressure bleeder and do it yourself.

 

I really appreciate the info filled inputs, thanks. I did test the fluid at the tank vs the caliper bleeder, so will make the check at the bleeder and if needed I do have a brake vacuum bleeder and will change out the fluid one wheel at a time. I believe the Toyota tech quoted $100 for the process and that included disposal of the old brake fluid.

Thanks

Bob

 

For a hundred bucks , they can do it.

I've had the same question since I bought a BMW motorcycle a few years ago the factory has a system
flush service interval as part of the service schedule. Not long after I bought the bike I took my Silverado to the Indy shop that I use for some other things that needed done and asked that that the flush the brake fluid. They pushed back with the argument that hydraulic fluid in a closed system doesn't need to be changed.

I've never been satisfied with either answer. I'll have to check my Toyota manuals closer.

 

A water pump should not be due for a change until it either explodes (metaphorically speaking) or your timing chain needs to be replaced, which I think is 200K (or is it 150K?).

I do not change my brake fluid unless I'm having a problem with it. Is see no reason to mess with a sealed fluid system when, like you said, the fluid level and color is just fine.

Stop taking your truck to a dealer. You are going to end up hosed on maintenance you don't need on top of cost.

 

There's a few how too videos on doing it yourself with a tube and empty clear big soda bottle. I did it by myself in 20min. Easy to do. And I'm retired, and it didn't cut into my afternoon beer and nap one bit.

 

My Altima maintenance manual states to change the brake fluid every 20,000 miles or 2 years. I will most likely do the same on my Tacoma. Cheap insurance and I can do it myself.

 

Brake fluid is hydroscopic so it absorbs moisture. In areas with high humidity I would change the fluid every 2-3 years. I live in Nevada (the driest state in America) so I usually don't worry too much about it unless it's over 5 years old. The fluid in my 2007 Honda Civic was 9 years old and I had zero brake issues when I traded it in, but I was mad at myself for slacking on that maintenance.

 

It really does have some dependence on both how the brakes are used (towing, racing, mountain grades vs leisurely driving), the weather conditions in your area (arid, humid, long heavy freezes). Mileage is a toss up too. For example high miles from long interstate travels is nothing.

While this article does not prescribe intervals, it does explain why these changes should be considered.

http://stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/brake-fluid

For a pavement queen under normal conditions, I tend to use 3-4 year changes. Sometimes I'll siphon out the MC and refill with fresh fluid as a partial change. Kinda like a drain/fill on an auto trans. If I have to do a full on brake job at any time, like caliper replacement, wheel cylinder replacement, master replacement, etc., it always gets a flush/bleed.

On my SCCA rides, brakes were abused and serviced more often, and fluid changes occurred every 6 months to a year when HPDE events were included. Autocross, not as much, because it's more like harsh street driving, but very unlikely to overheat any fluid.

Age alone say yours could stand to be done. PM if nothing else.

 

So do all agree that just dot 3 from the local auto parts store is ok to use.