Checking your Brake Fluid is a step which can be easily missed from your routine fluid inspection but it is certainly worth checking up on regularly as with all the fluids in your vehicle because it is vital to ensuring that your brakes work and work well when you need them to.

When inspecting most of the fluids in your vehicle, you are checking that the fluid is at the correct level. Generally speaking you shouldn’t see much of a difference if any in the fluid level between inspections. Brake Fluid works as part of a closed hydraulic system and any significant deviation from the correct fill level could cause your brakes to feel spongy or light as it will cause more air to get into the brake lines.

There are two main reasons why you might see a dip in your Brake Fluid: wear on the brake pads or a leak in the system. In either case this should set alarm bells ringing.

Topping up your Brake Fluid shouldn’t be part of your routine vehicle maintenance. If you find yourself having to top up your Brake Fluid on a regular basis or if they feel ineffective in any way whilst in use then it is important to take your vehicle in for servicing as soon as possible.

Brake Fluid top ups are only likely to be remedial on a temporary basis and, if left uninvestigated, the root cause of the issue could cause serious problems for you in the long run. It is best to have your brakes checked by a Professional Mechanic as soon as possible.

However, if you do need to top up your Brake Fluid as a temporary measure ensure that you use the correct fluid for vehicle’s specification. You will be able to find this listed in your owner’s manual. You also need to ensure that you don’t allow any moisture ingress whilst you are checking your system as this can also cause your brakes to fail.

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This article is for general information only and is not intended for use as a diagnostic tool. Always consult your user manual before attempting any maintenance on your vehicle. If in doubt consult a Professional Mechanic.

Article first published Tuesday 21st Jun 2016 09:00:00