Yes. So they can rip you off. Dont be surprised if they make you initial something saying you “denied service”.


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I can't imagine needing it at 15k. I generally try to do a full change on mine every 80-100k, but even that's not always happening. I did find it made a huge difference in my wife's Expy when I did a full fluid swap. Her brakes went from soft feeling to firm, instantly. And no fade in the pedal. I'll probably do my truck in the spring (at 86k right now and brakes rock solid).

 

Usually brake fluid changes are done based on time in service, not miles, so that's a bit different spec from Nissan. Why change? Brake fluid is hygroscopic, so absorbs water vapor from the air. That does two things - it reduces the boiling point of the fluid and can promote corrosion inside the brake system components. The first issue is important to consider if you tow heavy loads or travel in the mountains, since it can cause brake fade. The second is preventive maintenance of brake system components.

In any event, there is more to it than the service dept tryin to make money. Most car maker recommend replacing the fluid every two years. I change mine by the book. YMMV.

 

Excellent post. Thanks for saving me time typing almost the exact same thing.

I do a brake fluid flush every two years on my vehicles, even my ATV. I have the tools to do it myself so it's a 30 minute job at most.

Opening the bleeder valves every two years is insurance against them getting stuck shut.

 

130k on my 2005 and I've never changed brake fluid. Although the front was flushed out when installing stainless braided lines w/ lift kit, but that was at 12,000 miles.

maybe i should do it.

 

My brake fluid is never exposed to air. Im good. I think the master cylinder cap has been off once in 12 years, when i changed my rear pads. Change it if u want, but its not something to lose sleep over. I do see it recommended in some service schedules but most people don’t do it, and never have a related issue.


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On my '91 Ranger that I inherited I did a brake flush. There was so much rust and debris in the lines that I used two large bottles of brake fluid to get it all flushed out. Even then, I suspected that the metal brake lines were weakened from rust on the inside of the line.

Then again, ignorance is bliss.

 

This is interesting to note. I worked as a aircraft hydraulic systems mechanic for over 15 years. Hydraulic fluid is very similar to brake fluid, but a lower viscosity. Aircraft have no scheduled fluid changes, They have miles of hydraulic tubing. The fluid only gets changed by attrition , replace what you lose during maintenance. And some aircraft hydraulic reservoirs are vented to the outside air, so they exposed continuously. And aircraft have very strict and closely monitored maintenance schedules, for obvious reasons.

 

I remember working a brake system back in the early 70's on an A4 Skyhawk. I think I had to remove the reservoir it was one of those vent to atmosphere system I believe. Anyway what I remember is the fluid was a thick black stinking soup. I believe that changing fluids is probably best to save all those critical and very expensive ABS systems these days though. And it saves Nissan tons of money on warranty labor costs.. !

 

I've been told that most European car makers have gone to a two year maintenance schedule on the brake fluid.

 

The europeans only change their motor oil every 10k miles. Go figure


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On my Titan I changed the oil every 10k also. Blackstone Labs said the oil was still in good shape.

I'm not saying that the Europeans know everything, but for me a brake fluid flush is just too easy to not do.

 

Two issues with fluid failure...the hygroscopic story isn't as prevalent as it once was, but the fluid does pull moisture from the air everywhere there's a gasket (the master cylinder cap), breather (master cylinder cap) and any rubber in the system (flex lines, drum cylinders, disc piston 'o' rings). That water will migrate to the lowest point in the brake system...the calipers. Enough water and metal pistons will corrode and become a liability. One benefit to phenolic pistons.

The real issue with ignoring today's fluids is the acid that builds as the fluid deteriorates from moisture, heat and just plain old age. Brake fluid itself doesn’t corrode but when the additive package, which is part of the brake fluid, is depleted or breaks down, the brake fluid no longer has adequate anticorrosive inhibitors so corrosion of internal brake hydraulic components may occur. These additives are relatively new to braking systems in the past 25 years and get new components added to the recipe every year as internal parts to braking systems change technology. I know, hard to believe, but everything on every motor vehicle is going to deteriorate and require either maintenance to slow down the deterioration caused to other parts, or repair because the maintenance was ignored.

The key measure of the fluid's state is the dissolved copper in it. When that gets high enough, then the fluid is eating your brake lines, your master cylinder internals, your abs pump guts, etc. I see folks everyday who want to know why they have a crapped out caliper or master cylinder. They don't understand why they could fail, they think the only parts of a car or truck that need maintenance are the engine oil and flat tires..... Even power steering fluid gets old and ruins pumps and racks....another story.

Oh, and before someone decides that they have steel brake lines and therefore no copper can dissolve into their brake fluid and this is all mumbo jumbo talk.....each brake line starts out as a flat piece of steel...it's then rolled....and then seam sealed internally with a copper braze to create a seamless, hollow line that is able to stress without bursting due to the 2000 PSI generated in today's disc brake systems. Dissolve enough of that seam sealing copper and you can get a burst line when you hammer the brake pedal in an emergency stop. Not a lot of stopping once that happens.

 

Easily the most informative thing I've read on the internet in a long time. Thanks.

 

The hydraulics on the 16 up brake sytems are a reservoir type. An electric motor pumps the brake fluid into a storage tank under pressure ( Kinda the way a water well pressure tank works). This allows the system to act as a brake booster, control abs functions, and operate the hill hold feature..

These systems require a different process to bleed and flush properly. The fluid on my 17 with only 20k was looking pretty dark. I went ahead and flushed it out....

 

The hydraulics on the 16 up brake sytems are a reservoir type. An electric motor pumps the brake fluid into a storage tank under pressure ( Kinda the way a water well pressure tank works). This allows the system to act as a brake booster, control abs functions, and operate the hill hold feature..

These systems require a different process to bleed and flush properly. The fluid on my 17 with only 20k was looking pretty dark. I went ahead and flushed it out....

So, what is the process?

 

Thanks guys for the info, some really good info. I won't replace mine until the owners manual calls for it . Dealers around here are very happy to change stuff a little early and charge you a arm and a leg.--SC

 

Do all 16,s have those brake features, or it is an option?
Dealers make more money from service than sales these days. Tread carefully.


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Our dealer recommends brake fluid every 20k. I will do it myself, but will do it yearly along with antifreeze. Some fluids are far cheaper than replacing parts.

 

I had mine done at last service, 3 years and 18K miles in.
The change in the feel of the brake pedal and actual brake response was immediately noticeable. Since I use the truck for towing it's pretty cheap insurance/assurance that the system is operating at it's peak.

 

I have the Motive Black Label Euro bleeder and their machined aluminum adapter caps for BMW's and Subaru/Nissan's. Hopefully the Subaru/Nissan cap is the same as the one on the Titan - easy check sometime. I try and stick to routine brake flushes (more like 3 years and honestly a couple of our cars have been neglected and gone longer) and have not had any issues thus far. I use Pentosin Super DOT 4 brake fluid on our vehicles and bleeding/flushing is a breeze with the Motive.

Separately, folks are sticklers when it comes to motor oil grades and tout sticking to recommended grades and schedules for warranty purposes. It is the same issue with brake fluid flushes - highly recommend sticking with maintenance intervals recommended by Nissan, not just for warranty purposes associated with newer vehicles, but also to ensure safe operation of the vehicle.

 

I have the same Motive Products brake bleeder, and yes the Nissan (its actually the Ford three-prong adapter) works on the Titan. I use ATE SL6 or Type 200 DOT 4 fluids since that's what I have on the shelf for several generations of BMWs in my family.

I've seen a few numbers kicking around... but the factory SM recommends 20k miles or 24 months as the brake fluid change interval. Since the brake fluid is hygroscopic, and absorbed water reduces the boiling point, that is a good preventative maintenance interval to assure good braking power (no fade when towing, etc), and reduced internal corrosion in the braking system.

Cheers!

 

I can't say this is the procedure for '16 and up, but check out this link:

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I was religious about changing every two years but slacked due to some life stuff the past few years. Gonna do it next maintenance.

Here's another good read about bedding brakes:

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Anytime I changed my fluid I noticed an IMMEDIATE improvement in performance and peddle feel.

Even if you don't care if the fluid rusts out your brake components, most people want better brakes. The performance degrades over time so it is like boiling a frog in water (or gaining weight). You get used to the mushy peddle feel over time and don't notice it.

I had to have brake work done recently on my BMW (pressure sensors) recently and they flushed the fluid as a result. Since I last flushed the brake fluid I had put on maybe 500 miles (in a few years) but I noticed immediately the better/firmer feeling peddle. That is due to the hydroscopic nature - not once did I open the master cylinder cap in that time (or any other brake component).

The stainless steel brake lines I put on my Armada (PITA to get them positioned just right and required raising and lowering the front end numerous times) made an even bigger difference. If you want much better brakes install those - totally worth the hassle.