Brake Fluid Change

[MA3RC]

My car is almost 3 years old, last week the car pinged up inspection due in x days. I thought this was odd as it's on long life service and was only serviced last year. So I rang Audi who said "ah yes, our mistake".

So I take the car to Audi this morning and I'm told there is no mistake and the car is due for it's brake fluid to be changed and that will be £85.... I declined as that is extortionate. I took my car to a local VAG expert who will change the brake fluid for £24. He later said that the car shouldn't have been asking for a service because of the brake fluid.

What is actually happening? Are Audi mugging me off and should the brake fluid have been changed when I took it for its service?

Thanks

 

[Rob2k68]

I think a brake fluid change after 3 years is pretty industry standard due to the water absorbing properties of the fluid itself.

 

[Ormesome]

I had mine done in December and i paid £59. Mine must be the same age as yours as its nearly 3yrs old too. £59 is the price as quoted on the Audi fixed servicing website as seen below. So yes they are mugging you off a little! Also, don't forget that Inspection & Service are 2 different things. Pretty sure "Inspection" is to inspect it and keep warranty valid. If you had a service last year, when your car was presumably under 2yrs old, then brake fluid wouldn't have been needed hence why your dealership didn't offer it to you. Brake fluid is every 3yrs from what iv been told. Your Inspection and Servicing can be checked on your MMI and you will see that some cars run at different time periods depending on when they had car serviced or inspected. . Im lucky in the sense that mine are synced. I think your Audi dealership are correct on this occasion but the price is too high & i wouldn't be happy about it. The VAG dealer seems to be confused with the 2 terms too as brake fluid didn't flag anything up nor would it anyway. Only oil is measured & feedback given in Servicing part of MMI.

https://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/...ce-services.html#/fixPrice?serviceCode=SERMIN

 

[MA3RC]

Ah right ok then thanks guys. I've never had a car this long so it's all new to me. The car was asking for an inspection. I assume the garage will reset the inspection warning when they do the fluid. If not will I be able to do so with my VCDS?


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[Ormesome]

As your still in warranty then its worth checking what happens if you miss an "inspection" or get it reset yourself. I would be more worried about that.

 

[MA3RC]

As your still in warranty then its worth checking what happens if you miss an "inspection" or get it reset yourself. I would be more worried about that.

It's only in warranty for 21 more days so it's not going to be the end of the world...

 

[Rob2k68]

Ah right ok then thanks guys. I've never had a car this long so it's all new to me. The car was asking for an inspection. I assume the garage will reset the inspection warning when they do the fluid. If not will I be able to do so with my VCDS?


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Both miles and days to the next inspection service should have been reset regardless of what the schedule is to be looked at/changed during that service.

 

[deanshaw24]

Brake fluid is first changed when the car is 3 years old and then every 2 years thereafter. The service light should come on for brake fluid change. It should only come on for time dependant work. As brake fluid is a serviceable item it falls under additional service work therefore a service light should tell you. When technicians reset your service light they should set it so that the light pops on for the next service item that is due. I this case it was your brake fluid. However brake fluid change should be £59 from a dealer.

 

[Ormesome]

Brake fluid is first changed when the car is 3 years old and then every 2 years thereafter. The service light should come on for brake fluid change. It should only come on for time dependant work. As brake fluid is a serviceable item it falls under additional service work therefore a service light should tell you. When technicians reset your service light they should set it so that the light pops on for the next service item that is due. I this case it was your brake fluid. So spot on. However brake fluid change should be £59 from a dealer.

His service light wasnt on! it was his inspection light! His service was done a year ago. My A3 service light didn't come on for brake fluid change.

What seems to have happened is the OP had a service that wasnt in-sync with the Inspection date. Therefore they got out of sync? @MA3RC can you tell us the details on your MMI of both, ie when they are due next? It seems right to me that Audi are correct. Service last year and they reset the counter. Then this year inspection so it came up but as you where in they told you about brake fluid because you wouldn't be back in for another 2yrs or 18,000k!

 

[deanshaw24]

Inspection light is a service light.

You have oil change and inspection service lights. Additional service work will fall under inspection service light but should only be on time (days) not distance.

I.e should read

Oil change 11200 miles or 350 days
Inspection due 11200 miles or 0 days

Once brake fluid has been carried out the days counter will be reset to the next interval, either the next service or cambelt.

 

[deanshaw24]

His service light wasnt on! it was his inspection light! His service was done a year ago. My A3 service light didn't come on for brake fluid change.

What seems to have happened is the OP had a service that wasnt in-sync with the Inspection date. Therefore they got out of sync? @MA3RC can you tell us the details on your MMI of both, ie when they are due next? It seems right to me that Audi are correct. Service last year and they reset the counter. Then this year inspection so it came up but as you where in they told you about brake fluid because you wouldn't be back in for another 2yrs or 18,000k!

Most people tend to get the oil change and inspection done at the same time as it makes sense. Easier and one visit. The only time this is unavoidable is when cars are on fixed as the schedules are 2 oil changes for every one inspection

 

[richinsoton]

I had my brake fluid changed last week (a month early) along with my oil & inspection services as the dealer informed me the brake fluid would ping the warning on again in a month otherwise.

The part of this that amuses me is that the initial factory fill of brake fluid isn't changed for 3 yrs & then subsequently every 2 yrs after...
Hmmm what is the magic ingredient that makes the fluid less hygrascopic for the first 3 yrs?, oh yes it's called keeping the lease companies costs down to make VAG products more attractive by lowering the service cost over the initial 3 yrs isn't it!!.

 

[Ormesome]

Would like to know more about this especially the Iv only had "service light" come up. by going in to the MMI.

Most people tend to get the oil change and inspection done at the same time as it makes sense. Easier and one visit. The only time this is unavoidable is when cars are on fixed as the schedules are 2 oil changes for every one inspection

Yep was thinking this is whats happened. As the OP stated its on long life and had an oil service last year then something got out of sync no? still weird that brake fluid will trigger the light when it didn't on mine. Although having said that April 1st is my cars 3yr birthday. I had service & inspection & brake fluid early in December so thats prob why.

 

[deanshaw24]

Would like to know more about this especially the Iv only had "service light" come up. by going in to the MMI.


Yep was thinking this is whats happened. As the OP stated its on long life and had an oil service last year then something got out of sync no? still weird that brake fluid will trigger the light when it didn't on mine. Although having said that April 1st is my cars 3yr birthday. I had service & inspection & brake fluid early in December so thats prob why.

Yes, don't get me wrong that's how it should be done. But techicians do **** it up a lot. Either by not resetting the light properly because they cannot be bothered or just forgetting. In a perfect world it would all be straight forward. Too many factors that will easily get them out of sync

 

[Rob2k68]

With an Ezibleed kit hooked up to your spare wheel it's not difficult for the home spanner man to do - changed mine twice in two years although second time wasn't planned I popped the EPB piston out whilst changing the rear pads.

Oil interval can be reset in the MMI but service interval days/miles requires VCDS or similar.

 

[MarttiMat]

The part of this that amuses me is that the initial factory fill of brake fluid isn't changed for 3 yrs & then subsequently every 2 yrs after...
Hmmm what is the magic ingredient that makes the fluid less hygrascopic for the first 3 yrs?, oh yes it's called keeping the lease companies costs down to make VAG products more attractive by lowering the service cost over the initial 3 yrs isn't it!!.

Most automotive manufactures now use a machine that applies vacuum to the brake system during the final stage of production. This machine tests the integrity of the system and then allows the brake fluid to be added on the final line. This removes the air from the system which, I assume, Audi engineers were able to safely say 3 years before the boiling point of the brake fluid is effected by moisture (delays first fluid change = saves money).

On the service side, there are higher chances of contamination (fluid sitting out, improper bleed, and many more) which makes me believe the engineers stick to the common two year mark.

 

[richinsoton]

MarttiMat - The brake fluid reservoir cap has a tiny vent in it & therefore it isn't a sealed system, so whichever method you use to fill the system once it's in there it's effectively open to the atmosphere anyhow. Whether it's filled at the factory or by a retailer it still has the potential to asborb moisture at the same rate & hence why I believe the initial 3 yr change is purely a cost saving measure.

BTW BMW & M-B change the brake fluid every two years from new, so make of that what you will...

 

[MarttiMat]

MarttiMat - The brake fluid reservoir cap has a tiny vent in it & therefore it isn't a sealed system, so whichever method you use to fill the system once it's in there it's effectively open to the atmosphere anyhow. Whether it's filled at the factory or by a retailer it still has the potential to asborb moisture at the same rate & hence why I believe the initial 3 yr change is purely a cost saving measure.

BTW BMW & M-B change the brake fluid every two years from new, so make of that what you will...

Interesting. I have not taken delivery of the car yet so good to know. My educated guess would leave me to believe this hole would allow for pressure and temp changes when driving away from sea level. I will follow up with a bud who is an automotive brake systems engineer just out of curiosity.

The reservoir (always) and calipers (track use) are most susceptible to contamination at first. It then spreads like poison oak through the fluid over time. I would assume that maybe Audi now uses a new fluid in the factory where this contamination does not effect the boiling point until 3 years... Or like you have mentioned, is to save cost and squeak out another year. I doubt the latter as safety is a big deal when making changes to any car model but then again you never know nowadays.

 

[richinsoton]

The vent is also there to allow the level of the fluid to drop when the pedal is depressed & as the pads wear. Obviously if it were fully sealed the fluid level wouldn't be able to drop as there would be nothing going in behind it. Pressure equalisation is the phrase I was trying to remember lol .