So I bought my 08 TL 5AT with 33k miles from my dad this summer, and i'm in the process of making sure all maintenance is done. So far I've done oil changes, brake pads, tires, and I just got to the topic of brake fluid. I asked him about when the last time he changed it was today...turns out he has never changed it.

I saw that the maintenance schedule said every 3 years, so i jumped from my seat to check the fluid. I can't really tell what color it is, but is there any possible damage from it not being changed for 5-6 years? I'm going to get the fluid changed ASAP, but is there anything I should check for?

 

oops, here's the picture

 

can't really do much else other than to suck all of that out of the res using a syringe or baster, put new fluid in and bleed the lines out.

you will need several small bottles or at least one big bottle of DOT3.

expect black/green crap to come out of the res.

 

how simple of a diy is it? All the threads i find on the topic seem to have alot of disagreements on the process.

 

Its like draining any other fluid out.
drain, bleed, drain, bleed, drain, bleed.

if you open a brake line and push the brake pedal repeatedly, all the fluid will pump out of the open line.
although, some say this can damage the master cylinder, Ive done this twice with no ill effects.

 

its pretty simple. use a baster to get as much fluid out without introducing air into the system, and in goes new fluid. Begin with driver front wheel and work your way clock wise until relatively clean fluid comes out. Best i got when i first bled was an amber color.

 

brake fluids are hygroscopic(water absorbing), which means they absorb moisture from the atmosphere under normal humidity levels.

which means that rust could form in your break lines and vsa modulator if you let the brake fluid sit longer than 5-6 years.

 

If it's original then it's definitely darker than new stuff will be and at that age I'd do a full bleed. If you aren't comfortable doing it then get someone to do it. You can make a really simple job turn into a nightmare if you let the reservoir go empty and pump air into the system.

I'd bet the area you saw disagreement about is whether to use pressure at the reservoir, suction (mityvac) at the caliper nipples, or have an assistant pump. All of those ways work from my experience over the years. The assistant is probably the easiest since you probably don't have the equipment for the other ways. If using an assistant I don't like them to press the brake too far down when bleeding. I'm in the camp that thinks that will push the master cyl seals past their typical stroke and risk damaging them.

 

Although I've done everything myself so far, I don't want to risk introducing air into the system, so I just scheduled an appointment and it's gonna cost 67$. Thanks for the info guys!

 

$67 is not a bad price from a shop