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Answers ... (archive)
[ Follow Ups ] [ 5-series (E39) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]
Posted by David Zeckhausen on June 18, 2001 at 09:17:46:

In Reply to: Dave, how do you know when it's "fresh" fluid? (e) posted by DanB on June 17, 2001 at 22:08:36:

Not to be a smart alec, but you know it's fresh when you replace it. As soon as you open a bottle of brake fluid, it begins to absorb water because it is hygroscopic. That's why you should throw away any partially used bottles of brake fluid within a few weeks of opening. (I always print the opening date on my bottles.)

If you race your car at the track, you should always change your fluid right before every event (within a week or two) so that you are assured of the highest possible boiling temperature.

There's no way you can tell visually if fluid is contaminated with water. There are devices out there that take a small sample of fluid and boil it, measuring the temperature at which it boils and then indicating, via colored LEDs, if the fluid is fresh, marginal, or contaminated.

However, the cost of such a device is far greater than simply bleeding the brakes with fresh fluid.

Dave Z.

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