I'm quite confuse about this. My search says the brake fluid should be change every 2 years. I had my car since it was created 2016, didn't know anything about brake fluid change until now, and never did a brake fluid change. However, I do keep record of receipts from my oil change and every time they have the "check brake fluid level" as level ok. My brake isn't as sensitive as it used to but it works just fine, aside from the unusual squeak when the brake is slowly pressed or release. My car brake's did not squeak when I bought it. I had it checked and even changed years ago but the mechanic had no explanation. A few months to a year after the new brake change, my tire shop told me my brake was "heating" (I don't remember what he said exactly) up and to pay attention as it may wear down quicker. I am really concern.

Am I supposed to specifically request the service be done regardless of the level? Is there a different between asking for the brake fluid to be check and for the brake fluid to be changed?

I need a car maintenance 101 class.

 

The brake fluid level is just that: is the fluid in the reservoir between the maximum and minimum line. Your car doesn't "use" brake fluid so unless something catastrophic happens (e.g., a ruptured brake line) the level should not change much. It will fall slightly over time as your brake pads are worn.

Brake fluid degrades over time, principally by absorbing moisture from the atmosphere. As the brake fluid absorbs water the boiling point is reduced. When you use your brakes, heat is generated between the brake rotors and pads. Some of this heat moves into the fluid in the brake calipers, especially if you use the brakes a lot or for a prolonged time (e.g., imagine a very long downhill in the mountains). If the brake fluid reaches its boiling point, your brake function will be reduced dramatically, which is obviously dangerous. This is sometimes referred to as brake fade. So, as the brake fluid gets older the boiling point is reduced, making reduced braking performance more likely. This is why there is a recommended two year interval for getting the brake fluid changed.

When you say your brake isn't as sensitive as it used to be, do you mean that you have to push the pedal farther or harder for the same amount of braking? This could mean that your pads are worn and/or your brake fluid is very degraded, as you would expect if it's quite old.

Squeaking brakes can be an indication that your pads are badly worn. Most brake pads have a metal strip that will start rubbing on the brake rotor (and making a squeak or squealing noise) once the pads are badly worn. This is an indication that you are in dire need of getting your brakes serviced.

Alternatively, you can hear a squeak when you press and release the brake pedal that comes from the brake pedal mechanism under the dashboard. Not a big deal and a tiny dab of grease on the pivot point will fix it.

I'm not sure what the tire shop meant when they said your brakes are "heating." Maybe they meant that your rotors are warped, which can happen if you overheat your brakes. If the rotors are warped you might feel your brake pedal pulsing under your foot and your pads could wear prematurely as well.

You should definitely visit a mechanic or shop ASAP. Be direct and tell them that your brake fluid is way past due to be changed. If there is any question about your brake rotors and pads get them (both) changed as well, and then have the brakes bled. It's a small price to pay to have functional brakes.

As I mentioned in your previous post about your engine under cover, if you don't know much about cars it would be in your best interest to find a reliable/trustworthy mechanic to take care of your car. Obviously if you don't know about cars you might not know any mechanics, but you can ask around to try to find someone recommended in your area. If you find a good mechanic they can help keep you on track with recommended maintenance. Having said that, it is also your responsibility (in my opinion) to know enough about your car to at least say to yourself "self, it's time to get the brakes/coolant/oil/transmission fluid changed." Your car manual has a recommended maintenance schedule with both mileage and time intervals. If you've been lax with maintenance have a mechanic catch you up and them follow the schedule in the future.

As an aside, even if you have no interest or ability to do your own car maintenance, it can be educational and useful to watch car maintenance videos on Youtube. For example, you could find a video where someone is changing the brakes on a Honda Fit like yours, which can help you better understand the different parts and how the brakes work. There are also folks on Youtube who explain exactly why they're doing what they're doing (e.g., telling you why you need to change the brake fluid as I did above), which again is educational even if you don't want to do the maintenance yourself.

 

I believe the Honda recommended brake fluid change is every 3 years (not 2). You can buy a brake fluid tester cheaply on Amazon to test the moisture content of your brake fluid. I believe it should be less than 3%. I changed mine at the 4 year point but based on the testing I did I really could have waited at least a couple more years. It's a fairly dry climate where I am and that probably helps.

 

I've read that the testers aren't always accurate, but I think you're correct about the recommended 3 year intervals.

I look at it the same way I look at oil changes, tire rotation and replacement, and basically all service. Doing it earlier than absolutely necessary doesn't cost all that much (especially DIY). Trying to stretch your service intervals and save a few bucks could cost you big time, whether through premature engine or transmission wear or having an accident because you have faulty (or just sub-optimal) brakes or bald tires. It's not worth it.

Regardless, it sounds like the original poster is running brake fluid from 2015-2016 depending on when the car was built. I think everyone will agree that's way past time for a change.

 

Thank you for the detail post. I am doing a lot of watching about car maintenance. I just change my own wipers recently last week. It is very small, but I am quite proud of myself.

I took my car in for a brake fluid flush this Monday. The auto shop didn't say anything but at least I got it out of the way. I got my brake check today too. Tires shop said it was in good condition. The last two mechanics could not figure out what is wrong with the squeak from the brake. It only happens when slowly releasing or pressing the brake, like when I am slowly leaving a parking slot.

 

Congratulations on the wipers. Everyone starts somewhere, and even changing your own wipers will save you money over paying someone to do it for you.

I think your brake squeak is probably a brake pedal squeak.

For a 2016, there's undoubtedly a bit of wear on the pins and bushings in the pedal mechanism (look above your brake pedal if you want to see what I'm talking about). When you press and release the pedal slowly you could have a slight bit of movement or rubbing between parts of the mechanism, which could easily produce a squeak. When you press the pedal quickly or with force, the slight play in the mechanism would be overcome quickly and you won't hear the squeak.

With my previous car, which had a manual transmission, I thought I had something going wrong with the clutch for quite a while. Nope, just a squeaky clutch pedal, which was easily fixed with a tiny dab of grease.

 

Pretty sure my 2008 4Runner has the same brake fluid from the factory fill from 2007.. I probably should change it out now.. but whats another year after 16 years of running on the same fluid.

 

Like I said on a different brake fluid post - it's too easy and too cheap to take a risk by not changing it every few years.
I have no doubt that in most circumstances 10+ year old brake fluid will still work and the brakes will still be functional, but I can't imagine they function as well as they were meant to or as well as you need them to in an emergency stop.

 

Over time, debris from the rubber seals in the master cylinder and brake lines accumulates in the fluid, reducing its effectiveness. Brake fluid is also hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air. Enough moisture in the fluid can reduce the boiling point. During hard, extended braking, the fluid can boil causing the brakes to fail. It's recommended to change the brake fluid every 30,000 miles. The "heating" your mechanic mentioned could be due to a caliper piston sticking and not fully retracting the pads off the brake disc, which would generate heat from the pads dragging on the disc.

 

Brake fluid should be replaced every 3 years regardless of mileage, no?

 

Yep, pretty much. If you can do it yourself it only costs a few dollars.

 

The main reason for changing the fluid is the level of moisture in brake fluid by the 3 year point. Brake fluid is constantly pulling small amounts of moisture out of the air. I changed my fluid at about that 3 years but next time around I'll probably wait 5 years. I bought a cheap brake fluid moisture tester on Amazon and the level was not very high at 3 years - I could easily have left it for a few more years. I am in a very dry climate here and I suspect the numbers would have been worse if I was say living in humid Florida.

 

as brake fluid absorbs water it becomes more corrosive, so leaving old brake fluid in the brake system over time will cause corrosion problems which causes brake problems. I have seen brakes where the fluid was never changed and the inside of the brake system all corroded causing the caliper piston not to work properly and retract fully so rubs the pads on the rotors increasing wear significantly as well as overheating the brakes