[chrisroseh]

The owners manual for my 2008 Goldwing recommends changing the fluid in the clutch and brake control systems every 12,000 miles. Is this really necessary? And if so why? The manual recommends that it be done by qualified mechanics. I can understand that. But other than providing work for the local Honda service shop, what makes this necessary?

Comments please.

Chris

 

[Jchefboyardee]

Injecting new fluids, keeps the systems cleaner! 12,000mi is suspect though(every 6mth for me). A chemist may further educate us! It is really a easy thing to do with a mighty vac but use Dot4.JMHO

 

[osduck5]

Supposedly, condensation can get in the system from heating and cooling of fluids over time.

 

[techdude2000]

Hydraulic fluid attracts moisture and the rubber lines are not waterproof. Even high pressure hydraulic hoses have the ability to get moisture inside and this will lower the boiling point of the fluid and also cause corrosion on the moving parts of the system. To get it out requires complete flush and refill.

 

[OBJuan]

Techdude's on the money, Chris.
Moisture is an enemy.
Have it done or do it yourself.
Fred Harmon's dvd's walk you through it and doing just one of those jobs yourself will more than pay for the "entertaining" dvds. It's not hard; I just did both myself this month.
OB

 

[Toppy]

Brake fluid is hydroscopic (absorbs water) and will deteriorate over time. You can easily see this simply by the colour of old and new fluid when compared.

I live in a tropical location and I habitually change the fluids every 12 months (or at every pad change) due to the high relative humidity. It is not hard to do provided you have a vacume bleeder, however an old school bleed after taking it for a short ride will finish everything off nicely. You will be suprised at the difference in brake feel and effectivness once you change the fluid.

Regards

Michael G

 

[Lab Rider]

Change it....After having my clutch fluid changed at 16,000 the bike shifted alot smoother.....

Safe Rides

 

[raw2210]

??????

If water or moisture can get into the system, then wouldn't air be able to get in also? Then you would have an air problem in your brake lines a lot faster than a moisture problem?

Hopefully one of the sharp guys on here can tell us because I don't understand why one and not the other?????

 

[Gary Klavans]

Have my clutch fluid flushed/changed when ever it turns from a light, clear/blonde color to golden. Years of experience with hydraulic clutches, especially on my Bandit 1200 have me on top of this! :thumbup:

 

[azjerry]

If water or moisture can get into the system, then wouldn't air be able to get in also? Then you would have an air problem in your brake lines a lot faster than a moisture problem?

Hopefully one of the sharp guys on here can tell us because I don't understand why one and not the other?????

Water vapor is lighter than air, but...

I have no idea. good question.

 

[hunzee]

Burn up a brake and rotor because you've got junk in the master cylinder will tell you why.

 

[Farmguy]

Replace a piston/caliper assy due to damage from moisture present and you will understand as well.

Fluid colour can be used as an indicator as well as calender time since the last change. For many/most every 24 months will be sufficient.

 

[WestWing03]

Kind of like changing your engine oil and filters....pay a little(do a little work yourself to pay even less) now or pay big time down the road, somewhere at 3AM.

 

[dchristo]

do yall change the brake/clutch fluid in your car ???........I didnt think so

 

[Tryker]

If water or moisture can get into the system, then wouldn't air be able to get in also? Then you would have an air problem in your brake lines a lot faster than a moisture problem?

Hopefully one of the sharp guys on here can tell us because I don't understand why one and not the other?????

Brake fluid attracts water so powerfully that it can pull it right through things like the bellows in the master cylinder, brake hoses, etc. More here:

http://motocrossactionmag.com/Main/News/THE-WILD-AND-WEIRD-WORLD-OF-BRAKE-FLUID-1843.aspx

It also gets in along with air, which happens. You bleed the system to get the air out, but, unless you fully flush the system, the moisture stays behind.

Bottom line:

"An NHTSA survey found that the brake fluid in 20% of 1,720 vehicles sampled contained 5% or more water!"

http://v8sho.com/SHO/Brake_Fluid2.htm

 

[Dennis Firth]

Term to use for the ability of brake fluid to absorb moisture is Hygroscopic.

And yes I change all my vehicles brake and clutch fluid on a regular schedule. Just finished the BMW Z4 and it's on a 3 year plan.

If you were to measure the flexible brake lines on a Gold Wing and compared them to a passenger car you would find the Gold Wing has longer ones in total. More flex lines means more moisture can enter the system.

Good example is opening a package of potato chips. The package has a thin metal coating. Put the chips into a sealable plastic bag, heck even double bag it. Check to see how long the chips take to loose their crispness.

BTW color is a poor indicator of brake fluid worthiness. Boiling point test is the field standard. If someone is using those test strips that are available then you should know they have a best before date and how they are stored and handled is important.

As always your experience may vary.

 

[ChgoD]

The higher the DOT number, the higher the boiling points for the fluid are. Brake fluid has 2 boiling temperatures: dry (no moisture in it) and wet. The wet temperature is significantly lower. This may cause the brakes not to work when they get hot.

The higher the DOT number the more hygroscopic the fluid is. Most cars are DOT3, which is less hygroscopic than the brake fluid used in motorcycles and some high performance vehicles.

The DOT4 brake fluid is about $7 a container. 3 will flush and refill a GW1800's brake and clutch systems.

Some people wet flush their systems-put the clean new fluid in the reservoir on top of the old and and pump it through until the clean fluid is seen flowing out the bleeders. No air admitted into the system. Some prefer to pull all the old fluid out and then fill and bleed. Either way works well. If the old fluid were dark and overdue for a change, I would pull all the old fluid out first.

It is not a big job. The fronts practically gravity bleed. The rear master cylinder does a great job pushing fluid out.

Its a small, inexpensive job now that prevents a big-dollar one later

 

[SteveU]

do yall change the brake/clutch fluid in your car ???........I didnt think so

I do, with the pressure bleeder I can do all 4 corners in under 1/2hr & can notice a difference when done. Usually do both cars about every 2 yrs or whenever they need brake work done.

 

[tfdeputydawg]

I can no longer say there's no need to change fluids unless you experience a leak
I triked last year and my 4year old brake and clutch fluids were changed.
By the way-it was still the same color in the master cylinder view windows as when the bike was new in 06!
Absorbing moisture through rubber hoses, bellows are what ever is questionable to me. If that were the case, how much fluid would leak out of those same things when the pressure of appling the brakes or pulling the clutch lever were applied:shrug:

 

[dupdyke]

do yall change the brake/clutch fluid in your car ???........I didnt think so

Actualy the brake fluid looked very dark and thick in my pickup and I used a trukey baster and removed the old and put in new then I bled the brakes when I put in new pads. So some of us actualy do put in new brake fluids at least one time in the life of a truck. Don