Changing Brake Fluid

Fellow militant Airheads, As far as general maintenance goes how often do ya’ll change your brake fluid?

The correct answer to this can vary with the amount of humidity in your local air. The manual says do it once a year. You change the brake fluid because it absorbs water from the air. As it does so it gets darker, also its boiling point goes down. This water can eventually damage parts. As I write this I have this vision of someone with a low level of anal retention insisting on using the most exotic oil but not changing the fluid because it’s not yuppie. These are the folks whose Airheads retire early as being too expensive to fix.

Changing brake fluid is a snap. Cover anything you might spill fluid on. Get a foot of rubber tubing. Plug into the nipple on the brake caliper. Open the screw that is a part of the nipple. Go to the kitchen and steal you wife/mothers/SO’s turkey baster. Use this to remove the bulk of the fluid in the reservoir, then add it to your tool kit. Use clean DOT 4 fluid. Pump through a couple of times to clear the old fluid. Tighten and close the screw while putting some slight pressure on the brake. Do not allow air to get in the system. Do not use silicone-based synthetic fluids (DOT 5) – it eats seals, and we are not talking about the things in the zoo. If you spill any fluid, wash off with Liquid Green immediately. Brake fluid can damage paint, and can damage brake pads.