Shoud I change Clutch and Brake fluid?

[mrstallion]

I am putting my VY SS in for its 70 000 km service this week. How important is it to change my clutch and brake fluid? What happens if you do not change this regularly as the service manual says every 2 years. I do not believe this have ever been changed before unless they just do it with a normal service.

So what are your suggestions (pros and cons) and how much approx is it going to cost?

[German Statesman]

The fluid is hydroscopic, which means it attracts water - water build up in your clutch system will make the master cylinder corrode and prematurely wear out. Same for the braking system.

[HSVGTS215i]

Best bet is to change the fluids whenever they look cloudy or dirty.

Fluid should be nice and clear.

Its easy and cheap to do it yourself with a mate to assist.

[ssgirl2]

The fluid is hydroscopic, which means it attracts water - water build up in your clutch system will make the master cylinder corrode and prematurely wear out. Same for the braking system.

Perfect response :yup:

If you like stopping when you hit the brakes, get it done :)

[michaels1v8]

I am putting my VY SS in for its 70 000 km service this week. How important is it to change my clutch and brake fluid? What happens if you do not change this regularly as the service manual says every 2 years. I do not believe this have ever been changed before unless they just do it with a normal service.

So what are your suggestions (pros and cons) and how much approx is it going to cost?

Never been changed?

Do it :)

You probably wont feel any difference in doing so but its just good preventative maintenance. Better safe than sorry.

Shouldnt be too much. For my 70thou service I had all the fluids and coolant dropped (except for diff) and replaced and it was about $450 odd total including the extra 1lt of oil and coolant to take home for top ups.

[LS1-5.7]

You will no doubt find that your clutch fluid goes swampy grey with black algae floating on top after a while which is a common problem on VY's. Change this at least every 6 months and you'll retain a half decent clutch pedal feel. As for the brakes, if the fluid has never been changed then it would now contain some moisture as it is hydroscopic as mentioned here. This moisture reduces the boiling point of the fluid which it has been designed to withstand. Hence the "dot" ratings on the bottle. This moisture will become a problem when you start driving hard and using the brakes in an energetic manner causing the fluid to get hotter. The brake fluid is also designed to lubricate seals and protect against internal corrosion so water is an enemy here. Always remember prevention is better than cure. :) Lastly, if doing the job at home make sure you don't get any air in the ABS actuator as it will have to go to the dealer to have it bled with Tech 2. Use only dot 4 or above fluid.
Pros = many and some too obvious to state. Cons = 0 besides a little "non cruising" downtime

[mrstallion]

Thanks for everyones feedback today had the car booked in for the 70 000kms service at Holden and had the brake and clutch fluid changed and systems bleed. The only thing I forgot was to tell them to change was the coolant? How often should you get gearbox and diff fluids changed? Are there any other fluids that needs to be changed??

[ssgirl2]

Use only dot 4 or above fluid.

I could be completely wrong here, but I'm sure only DOT4 should be used. If you put DOT5 in (without completely rebuilding - seals, etc) you will be asking for trouble.

[LS1-5.7]

Always follow the recommended service schedule in the handbook but there is no harm in doing it earlier. Coolant loses it's antiboil/antifreeze properties with age as well as it's anti corrosion abilities. Make sure you use LS1 compatible coolant as the engine is alloy and prone to electrolysis and stray current corrosion with the wrong coolant in it. If replacing diff and man trans fluids use an upmarket oil and you'll probably never have to change it again and enjoy longer life and easier operation of both. Automatics are not as fussy but the fluid should be changed at the stipulated intervals or sooner if it smells burnt. If the car is out of warranty then there is no real reason to take it to a dealer as any reputable repairer can do any of it and perhaps cheaper ............... I hope the next Q is not on engine oils :teach:

[mrstallion]

Ls1 5.7 you have been a wealth of knowledge and hence I do not wish to exhaust that brain of yours so therefore I will not ask you any more questions.
The car is still under warranty and thus, this is why I continue to take it back to holden. I will endeavour to change coolnat soon.

Thanks everyone

[LS1-5.7]

Kirsten, I think you're getting confused with silicone brake fluids (Racing purposes) which should not be used in a system that has had glycol based fluid in it. Dot 5 standard (5.1) only means the recommended maximum operating temperature (as experienced in some ABS systems) of the fluid is higher than dot 4 but it is still a glycol fluid and compatible with all seals and cups as with dot 4 and the incorporated essential lubricating properties glycol is used for in this application. Hey they're going towards magnetic retardation soon anyway so it does'nt matter much :eek:

No probs mrstallion and enjoy your ride, always plenty folk here to bounce things off.

[nnickn]

During the 80s dot5 was only availiable in silicone, I now see that mineral is also availiable at the same temp rating. Am I right with this ?

[LS1-5.7]

You are correct, it was the increased performance of the silicon fluid developed on the race track that led to a similar quality glycol fluid being developed to cater for the "non racing" public. The silicon fluid does not have the lubricating properties that are required for the mechanical components of todays ABS systems so is no good for mass produced vehicles.

[ssgirl2]

Kirsten, I think you're getting confused...

Not confused LS1-5.7..."DOT4" is glycol based and "DOT5" is silicone. Don't use DOT5 in a system that's using DOT4 unless you want to do as I mentioned above.

SS:girl:2

[BLACK 346]

Not confused LS1-5.7..."DOT4" is glycol based and "DOT5" is silicone. Don't use DOT5 in a system that's using DOT4 unless you want to do as I mentioned above.

SS:girl:2

Pretty sure he was trying to point out that there is a DOT 5 glycol
based fluid available now :)

[ssgirl2]

Pretty sure he was trying to point out that there is a DOT 5 glycol
based fluid available now :)

:lol: I know ;) Just trying to get my post count up :nyuk:

[LS1-5.7]

Thanks 346, I see you read my post properly and got the gist of it. I probably should have made it more clear that the glycol equivalent fluid that has the same performance as the silicon dot 5 fluid is actually dot 5.1 but I'm sure I mentioned that originally.
Dot 5 standard (5.1)