Buying a car whether it is brand spanking new or usesd car is exciting, but no matter what sort of method you use; buying on the lot, through the paper or online, you’ll still have to keep your car in A1 condition to get the best out of it. Polluted and dirty engine oil, transmission fluid, and anti-freeze are going to cause problems for your car, and if you have not thought about changing your brake fluid, then perhaps, it is time. Brake fluid delivers force to various parts of the brake when you step on the pedal, you know it has to be topped up, but how often does it have to be changed?



Brake safety is a subject that I have touched on before in an earlier article and I wonder how many times you think of changing the many fluids in your car. One of the paramount considerations that you must make as a responsible owner of a car, is the constant maintenance and servicing. Whether your car is old or new an expert to service and maintain your vehicle is necessary. Two sites that I have logged into online with many tips and hints are repcoservice.com and OzFreeOnline.com. If you want to know anything about your vehicle then these sites are particularly savvy about all models and makes of vehicle. You will be glad you did, because the information you will find will be invaluable.

According to specialist mechanics, brake fluid, in the everyday family cars, becomes contaminated in less than two years. Brake fluid absorbs moisture, which works its way through the hydraulic system. Under heavy braking conditions, such as when towing a trailer, driving in a very hilly or mountainous area, the moisture in the overheated fluid vaporizes (boiling point of water is lower than that of brake fluid) and braking efficiency is reduced.

Not only is the fluid vulnerable to vaporizing, it also can freeze. Even under normal automobile driving conditions, this situation can develop if the brake fluid is seriously contaminated. It is necessary for brake fluid to maintain a stable viscosity throughout its operating temperature range. Being too thick or too thin causes impaired braking action. Beyond the vaporization hazard, moisture creates an additional problem for owners of vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking (ABS) systems. Corroded ABS components are very expensive to replace.

Obviously, anything to do with your brakes is extremely important to your family’s safety. If you are still driving a motor vehicle that is over ten years of age, then it is even more important to be sure that your car is in perfect working order. Cars can last a very long time provided you, as the owner, have a thorough understanding of the maintenance of your type of vehicle. There is no excuse for ignorance and sites like racv.com.au, and OzFreeOnline.com have useful pages of information and news about the care of your car and any vehicle on the road today. When you are next ‘surfing the net’, do yourself a favour and log on, join up and browse all the pages of hints.

Maintaining proper brake fluid levels in your master cylinder reservoir is no exception. You should have your brake fluid checked every time you have your oil changed. During a brake inspection, your mechanic will check your brake fluid levels as well as make sure your shoes. or pads, drums, rotors, wheel bearings, anti-lock brakes (ABS) and emergency brake system are all in good, safe working order. How often does the brake fluid have to be changed? Good question - the recommended change is either every two years, or 24,000 kilometres.

Your professional brake technician should check the condition of the fluid with an accurate 'fluid test safety metre', which is inserted into the master cylinder reservoir to record the fluids boiling point. This should be included with brake pad or shoe replacement, and in between, as a preventive measure.

You may ask about the many other fluids, which, must be topped up, as well as changed, and you will find them as you read on. Oil changes are important. Your mechanic is an oil change and lube expert. There are synthetic oils available, to better protect your engine and enhance your car’s performance, not to mention synthetic oil is resistant to heat and viscosity breakdown. You can find information like this, and many other interesting facts when you log on to firstnlastchoice.yodelaustralia.com, where they do brakes, clutches and even air-conditioning. Another fantastic site I have browsed to find used cars for sale, auto classifieds and assistance with anything relating to cars is OzFreeOnline.com. You can even join the forum to find out more from other people on the same wave-length

Recommended oil changes to keep your car running at peak performance, is every 3 months or 3,000 kilometres. One of the most common mistakes you can make with your car is to let things slide when it comes to something as simple as an oil change. Properly scheduled oil changes will help your car last for many years.