How often to change brake fluid toyota

I have a glass "syringe" that can not be damaged by any caustic fluid and it stays in the garage. At 19 years age (my Echo) when I replaced the brake pads, I pulled the dust boot back and the outside of the caliper piston was spotless. When you compress the piston to get the new pads to fit you push almost all of the fluid back into the master and I sucked the fluid out after that until I couldn't get any more out of the master reservoir. I did this on both sides separately, something about 68 year old memory makes me more cautious with critical items like brakes.

This is not an argument, more a pragmatic look at what is reality in areas where cars disintegrate, versus here where the bottom of my car has no rust, unless the part was never painted, like a brake rotor and even then mine are painted and cleaned when they are removed at least the mating surfaces with the wheel, of course not the friction surface.

Anyone here take the time to clean the beads of their wheels during a tire replacement? Probably not but when you do the tires hold air like new cars tires. Most techs are just in a hurry to get them on the rim, no time for diligent surface preparation.

As a shop owner my outlook was more pragmatic concerning fluid service intervals, customers driving habits, and maintenance. If you change brake fluid religiously, is it really cost effective? Rotating tires every 5k miles, now that is a waste in my opinion and it can hide other problems. 30 years ago radiators and brake hydraulics were considered to be worn out at 10 years, now they last twice as long. The OP was honest, his fluid was never changed and I doubt it was ever changed in my 19 year old Echo.

Does the fluid at the end of a sealed hydraulic circuit ever see moisture to be absorbed. Moisture that has to travel through many feet of tubing to reach the caliper or wheel cylinder. In my Civic example, even though the fluid had done obvious damage to the reservoir cap, no single component of the rest of the system had to be replaced after another 40 k miles. I sold the car with 60% of the original front pads left at 67k miles. The car was 18 years old when it was sold.

When you start bleeding a complete system AND YOU ARE DOING THAT FOR A CUSTOMER, if you do not warn them of the potential for a very expensive repair that could cost them thousands, how many do you think would authorize that repair. A flush is recommended but it could initiate a nightmare and thousands of money spent. Most people that trusted you completely would step back and say wait a minute, you want me to do this, BUT IT COULD END UP BEING A NIGHTMARE. "I think I'll take my chances and pass up on that." I don't know about others but if a doctor tells me there is a procedure we recommend but it involves risk potentially exorbitant costs and potential permanent irreversible damage, I think I might decide to pass up on that procedure until I better understood the risks.

Now my car has no ABS module so that makes it much less scary to flush fluid, but I have seen the caliper pistons and they are still perfect or I would have cleaned them. Some may say pop them out and clean and reinstall with a seal kit. Bottom line is the turkey baster reservoir drain and fill may be the best alternative, especially for those who want to do their own labor. When the front pads are on their last leg and you are going to compress the pistons, then it MIGHT be worth your while to see if the bleeder is not rust welded to the caliper. I even have a spare master cylinder, vacuum booster, and all the lines and hoses for the brake system, in case something will not come apart.

When I took my parts car apart the brake lines came apart wit ha craftsman open end 10 MM wrench, did not even require a line wrench and no fasteners were destroyed in taking a car almost completely apart, not unusual here at 175k miles but in many areas it would be a disaster if you even tried.