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My close call with brake failure taught me to always flush the fluid
In my experience, ignoring the brake fluid schedule can lead to big trouble. I had a master cylinder seize up because of corrosion, and it was not fun to fix. Your mileage may vary, but trust me on this one.
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cooper.drew1mo ago
Yeah I read somewhere that brake fluid sucks up moisture from the air just sitting in the reservoir. That's what starts all the corrosion and turns it into that sludge. Really makes you want to check the date on that bottle in your garage.
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rowan_garcia1mo ago
Have you ever tried to do a brake fluid change yourself? I was reading this one car forum where a guy talked about getting almost no pedal after his fluid turned into brown sludge (he called it "brake gravy," which is both funny and terrifying). That corrosion you mentioned is no joke, it just eats everything from the inside out. Makes a simple fluid swap look way better than a full brake system rebuild.
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tyler61mo ago
Man, that brake gravy story from @rowan_garcia is exactly why I don't skip fluid changes. My own attempt was pathetic, I got air in the lines and a pedal softer than my couch. Once that fluid turns nasty, it starts chewing up seals and metal parts you can't even see. Ignoring it means you're one stop away from a brake system that just gives up. Spending an hour on a flush beats replacing every single component later. Trust me, that spongy pedal feeling is your car begging for help.
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