I have a 2007 Fit Sport Automatic. I took it to the Honda Dealer this morning to get the oil changed and the guy started trying to sell me all kinds of maintenance. See below.

1. Transmission Fluid - I did this myself. How often do those of you out there recommend?
2. Tune Up - I changed the plugs at 100,000
3. Anti-Freeze - I changed this myself.
4. Inspections - On the list I noticed hoses. Should I change these now?

The one item on the list I hadn't thought of was the brake fluid. The guy said this is a total flush / fill and recommended for Fit's. What do you think?

Let me know and thanks!

Mike

 

I had my brake fluid changed on my Vibe at 65,000 miles. I had it done on my Fit the moment I bought it (95,000 miles). Since you have a 2007 like mine, I'd get it changed out. Sears automotive in my area does it for only $35 + tax...no kidding. I know it isn't hard to do, but it does take two people and time. For $35, I'll get it done every two years. Shop around; see what prices you come up with in your area. The next cheapest I found was $80.

 

Mileage isnta concern on brake fluid. First fluid change should be about 3 years after it was new.

From then on I recommend changing it every 1.5 - 2.5 years. The fluid is not 100% protected from air, and humidity in air will slowly get absorbed. Once its over 2% water contaminated your brakes are at risk of doing nothing while it heats up and vaporizes the water while you frantically try to stop.

Accidents related are few and far between, but its such a simple thing to prevent!

Owners manual should have the exact interval Honda wants. If its over 2 years, (like if honda wants 3 for example) just do it every 2 years. Chances are you wont be using hondas formula as its much more expensive then off the shelf stuff, especially when autozone has its sales!

EDIT make sure to top off the fluid every 6 months or so if you dont do a whole lot of city driving. As the pads wear against the rotor/ shoes against drum, there will be more "slack" in the lines and result is a lower level of lfuid in teh brake master cylinder reservoir. Its important to top it off.



For cheap insurance, buy a $5 turkey baster and suck as much fluid out of reservoir and put in fresh fluid. The reservoir holds over 40% of the fluid. if you were to do this once every month or 2, you can actually push a total system flush and bleed back several years (as in 4-5)

 

I agree with the posts in this thread.

Brake fluid ages, gets dirty and attracts moisture. I like to change it out every two years, but I don't see any real harm in going to 3 or 4 years.

It's an easy project to do with a friend. It's not one of those jobs where you have to struggle to reach things and worry about tolerances.

On that note: I'm looking for a friend who has a driveway, well-lit garage or space of some kind. We can help each other work on our cars (valves, belts, brakes, coolant), and I will buy an In-and-Out lunch afterward. I'll be posting this again in the community forums.

 

Since your Fit has 100k+ milesit is time towatch the brake fluid for spongy brakes or low fluid level not associated with worn pads about ready for replacement. Once you pass 50k it has picked up as much water as it will ever do; that doesn't meanb its not working. But corrosion can be a possible problem.
We have numerous cars here who went 200k miles withiout replacing the brake fluid.
Our advice is check brake operation and replace if you see signs of improper action. It won't hurt to change fluid if you want.
And that also means consider the service. Racers here get new fluid at least every year and some every event because they over heat the fluid frequently. If thats you then considfer that too. Waiting for fade isn't a good procedure.
Ditto transmission fluid. Sometimes a flush makes it worse.
Coolant, yep, you got it.
spark plugs and coil packs when they show misfires
hoses if they are weak, esily squeezed flat mor bulges , but otherwise no.

hey the tech was just trying to get extra work; at least he didn't try to sell you wax or paint protection or extended warranty.
cheers.

 

This is a great question, with no simple answers.

Having done all my work on my fleet of 8 cars for over 40 years, here's my take on this, in no particular order:

1) Definitely change fluid on any car once it gets dark and dirty looking. If you buy a car with 100,000 or more miles, assume the fluid has never been changed and change it. Conventional polyglycol brake fluid is hygroscopic, which means it automatically absorbs moisture from the air. If you live in a dry climate, you can change less often- perhaps every 3 to 5 years. If you live in a really humid climate, you'll need to change more often, I'd recommend every two years.
2) If fluid gets really hot, such as from racing or repeated hard stops (especially if hauling a trailer) on hot summer days, it should be changed more often.
3) Most brake fluid is light amber in color, but some are tinted with dye such as blue. The light amber stuff is easier to judge quality than colored fluid. If it's cloudy or dark, change it.
4) Consider synthetic brake fluid, some are made with silicone oil and these don't absorb moisture from the atmosphere. Of course, it's more expensive, and you need to know what you are doing to make the conversion to remove all the conventional fluid before introducing synthetic.
5) Wet, old brake fluid can form gaseous bubbles in the hydraulic system when brakes get hot, giving a very soft pedal which could go to the floor and still not stop the car. Contaminated fluid can also cause corrosion of steel parts in the brake system. Think master cylinder, caliper pistons and rear wheel cylinders. This can get expensive, so one more good reason to change brake fluid periodically.
6) Unlike what one person posted, brake fluid changing does not require two people if you spend $25 to $40 on a brake fluid hand pump. This turns it into a one person job. Harbor Freight sells a couple which will work for occasional home use.

 

@Kwaig: I have one of those pumps, but I have never used it. I think I don't have any real confidence in them. Not to say that they are bad, just that I am (overly) cautious.

They work pretty good in your experience?

 

Does Honda have a recommendation on the order of the wheels, i.e. the brake fluid reservoir is on the front driver's side (U.S.A.), so then start at the rear passenger wheel, then move to the rear driver's side wheel, then to the front passenger's wheel and lastly the front driver's side wheel? Thanks.

 

3 to 5 years is a little more than recommended but you can get by with that. I recently did a brake job on a 1998 Blazer that never had the fluid changed in over 200,000 miles and 14 years. By the time I got done with the job I ended up replacing the master cylinder and 3 calipers due to all of the crap that had accumulated in the system. I also went through 2 quarts of fluid flushing out all of the old stuff and crap accumulated in the lines and abs control unit.

I could have flushed out and rebuild the master cylinder and calipers myself, but rebuilts were cheap, that I just replaced them. Had the vehicle been flushed a few time during it's life, the job would not have involved replacement of those items.

When the brake fluid absorbs moisture it reduces the wet boiling point of the fluid. In cases of heavy braking fluid can boil causing total brake failure until it cools down again. In a light car like a Fit this will probably never happen, but it is a real problem on heavier vehicles like trucks and motorhomes. So replace it every 3 years and if you want to stretch it possibly 5 years.

There are many ways to bleed the system. Gravity, vacuum, pressure, and pumping the brake pedal. I do not like doing the last one and it also requires two people. If you do gravity or vacuum, attach a long clear hose and you can observe what is coming out of the system. Then you can keep bleeding until the fluid coming out is clean.

 

Honda's recommendation for ABS equipped cars is LF, RF, LR, RR I think. It's NOT the 'old school' way of doing the cylinder farthest from the wheel first.

That said, if you are just doing routine brake fluid replacement (no components replaced or air in the system) the traditional order works fine.

+++++++

I've also found that I get a better bleed with a couple of pedal pumps (yes, the old school method), even though I primarily use a vacuum pump now. The only watchpoint is to insert a block under the pedal so that it won't go all the way down, ensuring that rough, typically 'un-used' areas of the cylinder bores don't roughen the seals.

You can push the pedal down while the vacuum pump is drawing fluid, it's still a one person operation.

 

I do mine every two years.. I live in Oregon and its wet over half the year here, so I figure brake fluid needs more attention, it almost always has a better pedal after flushing a half quart or so of nice clean fluid through the system. I normally use the Valvoline synthetic brake fluid, comes in quart bottles, or the Ford Super Blue truck brake fluid. Came in 1/2 gallon cans.

 

They make a brake fluid tester. I'll look for it on line. I have several around here. I test the fluid to help decide when to change fluid.

Here is one for $6.00 USD

Brake Fluid Tester LED Moisture Water Compact Tool Test Indicator Pen DOT3 4 Up | eBay

 

Thanks Carbuff2! Good to know that the order isn't critical. Being an old skool guy, I'll probably use the traditional order.

I use a shadetree DIY handheld vacuum pump and it works well. Mine's an earlier generation bleeder model, but it's much like this one.

V5 DIY Reverse Brake Bleeder - Phoenix Systems

I recently used it to suck over a Quart of engine oil overfill out of our used Fit. I'm glad I thought to check it before embarking on a 150 Mile drive home from the used car lot.

 

My apologies to Marrk who asked a question about my original posting in 2013. I just ran across the new postings today and can offer this comment about Marrk's question if a hand vacuum pump works ok for brake bleeding. Here goes:

A hand vacuum pump works great to bleed brakes as subsequent poster Alco RS-1 indicated. It makes it a one person job. Here's the basics of what I do:
1) Break the bleeder valve free - important, use a six point socket and a quarter inch drive breaker bar. NEVER use an open end wrench or a 12 point socket, you risk rounding the flats of the hex. Use a sharp but brief blow with heel of hand to get it started. If it won't give way (happens a lot in the northern rust belt states where I live), put some penetrating oil on the bleeder and tap lightly with a small hammer and a blunt pin punch to vibrate the oil in. If time permits, soak the bleeder several times over a period of a few days. You want to avoid breaking the bleeder at all costs. Drilling a broken one out, retapping and installing a new bleeder is an iffy proposition requiring much skill and also luck. Once the bleeder is free, go to #2.
2) Put a box end wrench on the bleeder, then connect the vacuum pump with a short length of the proper size clear vinyl tubing. Pump a few stokes to get a vacuum started, then open the bleeder a partial turn until fluid is sucked into the vacuum bottle. Suck until it runs clear, usually a few ounces is good. Make sure you keep sucking until no air bubbles are seen. There should be none if your hose connection is tight.
3) Close the bleeder and go on to next one until all are done.

Hope this helps.

 

^^ An additional tip when using the vacuum bleeder:

Pack all the way around the bleeder threads with grease (after you break it free).

This reduces sucking air bubbles past the threads, and lubricates the bleeder for the next time!

 

As a side note:

If you are just exchanging fluid with new and not trying to remove air from the system because you had it apart, then any air leakage around the bleeder threads during vacuum bleeding is not important.

Another way to seal the treads rather than grease is teflon tape. I do not know if one is any better than the other.

I also feel that it is important to reinstall or replace any missing rubber covers on the bleeders. The covers reduce the possibility or rusting and stuck bleeders the next time you bleed the system.

Here is what they look like:

https://www.amazon.com/Allstar-Perfo...+bleeder+cover

 

X2....but why worry about bubbles in the system if you can eliminate the possibility? (As you gain experience, you can tell the difference between bleeder bubbles and internal bubbles.)

IDK about Teflon tape, will it stand up to brake system heat? Besides, you would need to totally remove the bleeder to install it.

I ALWAYS ensure that the rubber caps are fitted (as well as the caps on tire valves, LOL). They are there for a purpose (to keep dirt and salt, OUT). Replace as required.

 

I have used teflon tape for 40 years or more and never had a problem. I like to remove the bleeder so I an clean it up and verify it's condition. You already have it loose so it only takes a few seconds to remove it. It is the lowest thing on the vehicle in the brake hydraulic system so no air will enter the system. Actually it will try to do the opposite (gravity bleed).

 

Aliexpress has brake fluid testers for $6.13 USD with free shipping and no tax. Do not be in any rush if you order one, because it will take around 3 weeks for it to arrive in the US from China. For Canada and other countries you need to check their web site. I did not look other places for a better price or quicker shipping.

2016 HOT Brake Fluid Tester Pen 5 LED Car Vehicle Auto Automotive Testing Tool Car Vehicle Tools Diagnostic Tools-in Electrical Testers & Test Leads from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

I have several of these around an use them to tell me when fluid changes should be done. This thing measures the amount of moisture absorbed in the brake fluid which is the primary reason for flushing or changing the fluid.