Follow the maintenance requirements as outlined in the owner's manual based on miles or time.

And yes, I believe it states "Replace brake fluid no less than every 3 years".

 

Every 3 years is a reasonable term for a brake fluid flush, IMO.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic and if it goes to long with moisture in the system, it can begin to deteriorate components.

Of all the things the dealer tries to add on, this is one maintenance task that would be prudent, especially since you're 4 years in. Of course, you have the option of having the flush performed elsewhere, but I would make sure Honda brake fluid is used.

Often, the dealer wants to perform other maintenance tasks earlier, such as the rear differential fluid. However, tasks such as this are included in the maintenance minder, and it is unnecessary to complete them before the MM alert.

 

Thanks, really appreciate all the help and information I'm getting on the Forum. First 2-3 years of ownership were simple-just change oil when MM indicates or every year. But now it's really getting complicated compared to older Hondas and older other vehicles I've owned.
I need an Owners Manual, like I usually get at O'Reillys, for my previous vehicles or was even able to order for my Honda lawnmower 5 years ago. Understand this was available for the Ridgeline a month or so after purchase but the dealer certainly didn't advise on this. And must not be available now, so having to rely on the excellent help I'm getting here.

 

It's a big deal to Honda while some other manufacturers don't even have a recommended service interval for brake fluid. I got the MM warning on my Passport at year early in year 2 of ownership.

 

@4Razorback, you can create an account on Honda's MyGarage webpage, and you can add your specific vehicle models to your account. Then you can select a vehicle to access all kind of information, including a pdf version of your Owner's Manual.

Honda does provide printed copies, but you must order them within 6 months of ownership. You can call Honda at (800) 382-2238 and see if they may make an exception, since you were not told. Doesn't hurt to ask.

However, if you are willing to pay for a printed copy, you can order one from Helm Inc, but they're not cheap.

 

@4Razorback, you can create an account on Honda's MyGarage webpage, and you can add your specific vehicle models to your account. Then you can select a vehicle to access all kind of information, including a pdf version of your Owner's Manual.

I agree! Access manuals, warranty and service information, view recalls, and more, a very handy site, and it's FREE!
MyGarage
Bill

 

Yes, Honda says to replace it every 3 years (highlighted in yellow in 2022 owners manual below, all it's the same for 2017-2023). The reason it's confusing is that it's buried in the small note shown, but it doesn't appear in the Maintenance Minder items. I'd definitely recommend it - besides for safety, it improved the brake pedal feel (at least for me).

 

DOT 3 brake fluid is indeed hygroscopic and has been used in vehicles for many decades and flushing and replacement regularly is a good policy. The car in my avatar had sat on a lift for 4 years, undriven. When I flushed the fluid directly after purchase there were indications of rust starting and the fluid looked like mushroom soup.

 

A My Garage account isn’t required to access OMs. They are available in pdf form here:

MyGarage

mygarage.honda.com

 

I've never changed any fluids in any of my vehicles that I have owned, except for the regular scheduled oil and filter changes. I will say here I only put around 75,000 miles max on any vehicle that I have owned in the past 25 years and I usually trade my vehicles every five years, or so. I will say here, if I was going to keep my vehicles for some 150,000/200,000 plus miles I might do my scheduled maintaince on a different schedule then I do now, but for me I see no reason to change the way I do it. When I trade my vehicle in the dealer is probably going to do all the maintaince at that time so they can sell it under there factory warranty plan, so I see no reason to spend money when it's not need for my use of time. Since I live in Texas where we generally have nice weather this could be the reason for less vehicle maintaince, as we don't go from one extreme to another as many do yearly.

 

Good for you, I don't roll the dice on brakes, steering, seat belts, tires, etc.....other maintenance items - sometimes... A properly maintained 60 year old drum brake system saved my life in 2016.

 

I do enough brake work on my own fleet that I have a brake fluid tester that tells me how much water is in the system. I don't do it on a schedule but when it exceeds the threshold of 2%. I do the same with antifreeze. I test with strips to see when the pH goes off acceptable levels. I also cut my oil filters apart and put a magnet on them but that's just me.

 

I'll be taking my 4 yr old Ridgeline in to dealer next week for yearly oil change and just wondering if they will unnecessarily try to convince me to also do the brake fluid change at the same time, or if this is really a Honda requirement?
The $60 coupon I have for the oil change also says: Alignment check, 40 inspection, and car wash.
So I figure the coupon is just a come-on for everything else they can come up with. I checked my tire wear with a tread depth gauge and all 4 tires are wearing the same straight across the tread.
It only has 7,600 miles so surely they can't stick me with too much extra work and charges, but can't imagine what 40 Inspection means.

They may recommend changing the blinker fluid

 

3 years / 30k is in line with many other brands. Over time old brake fluid can pose problems. That being said, it would not be hard for you to find vehicles with 2 or 3 times that with the same fluid. While you have low mileage, the fluid is time dependent. If you were to go another year or two and/or 7500 I really doubt you will have any issue. Even less of an issue if you are in a dry climate and/or garage kept.

That being said, the dealer is only following what Honda says, and while it is a cash grab, IMO there is some value. If I had a 3 year old car with with less than 10k on the clock I doubt I would be in any rush to change it.

 

3 years / 30k is in line with many other brands. Over time old brake fluid can pose problems. That being said, it would not be hard for you to find vehicles with 2 or 3 times that with the same fluid. While you have low mileage, the fluid is time dependent. If you were to go another year or two and/or 7500 I really doubt you will have any issue. Even less of an issue if you are in a dry climate and/or garage kept.

That being said, the dealer is only following what Honda says, and while it is a cash grab, IMO there is some value. If I had a 3 year old car with with less than 10k on the clock I doubt I would be in any rush to change it.

BMW recommends brake fluid service every 2 years.

I use a Motive bleeder so this make this a one person job. I just bought a Honda adapter and plan to change the fluid soon.

 

Is the item in post 7 a suggested maintenance item, or is there a MM code for this.

I would think the area of the country you live in might affect moisture in the fluid,
but I live in the desert of Phoenix where humidity rarely gets above 30%.

I'm also leery of changing the brake fluid as my brakes are extremely sensitive. No mushiness.
I would like to keep them the way they are. I have a 2019 RTL with 21,000 miles and I'm very
happy with my brake performance.

MM code #?

 

It is time based and there is no MM code for changing brake fluid. And to me, 3 years is reasonable interval. Almost all of the European manufactures state to change every 2 years regardless of mileage.

 

FWIW, I just had rotors and pads replaced on my Lexus. I opted for "Brakes Plus" instead of dealer and, I'm pretty happy I did.

They include a brake fluid flush with the service. It was reasonable.

 

My Honda dealer wants $100 to flush the brake fluid. While I agree 100% with @fdeno DOT 3 brake fluid is indeed hygroscopic, my solution is much, much cheaper and accomplishes the same thing. I purchased a bunch of 60mg syringes (no needles) from Amazon. Just suck the old brake fluid from the reservoir, with the syringe so you get to the low point - then refill it with fresh, clean Honda brake fluid. Don't take it to the point that you risk creating an air bubble. You just want to exchange the majority of the old fluid, with fresh fluid. If you want to drive it for a day, week or month and repeat - do that. Brake fluid is cheap - the cost of doing nothing is expensive. Just a suggestion.

 

This method will do absolutely nothing about removing any water that is currently in the system beyond the master cylinder.
Bill

 

does the fluid "mix" when you do the above?

I'm thinking of a fish tank analogy. If I change 50% of the water, then I've dropped nitrites 50%. If I do it again, I've dropped another 25%.....but, that water is mixing constantly due to the filter.

Does that happen with brake fluid or does the new fluid just sit on top of the reservoir?

 

Of course mixing old and new fluid retains some of the collected moisture - the problem is that, without a complete flush, you still have moisture around metal brake parts and rust can occur. and, contaminants that remain may affect seals, gaskets, etc. The technique described is false economy IMO - but better than going a decade with old fluid.

 

@fdeno The question I ask, is what percent of the overall brake fluid is in the reservoir? There is some brake fluid in the lines, which I would consider to be just a little bit, and some in the calipers. The flow from the reservoir into the line would only be the amount required to exercise the caliper (brakes) against the rotor. So, by draining the reservoir, am I replacing 80% of the fluid? 50% of the fluid? More or less? I think the aquarium analogy is accurate, as the fluid really doesn't circulate (as I understand it, however if I am wrong - I am open to correction). Any water absorbed from the atmosphere would have to be from whatever comes in from the reservoir, and moves through the fluid through dissipation. To flush the system, you would have to have a path at the caliper to drain fluid, as you added it at the reservoir, unless there is a return leg on the brake line that I am unaware of (and there could be, I am not a mechanic).

What I do know in a high plains desert, (Utah in my situation) the humidity and water absorption is not comparable to someone in Florida or Louisiana. The 3 year Brake flush seems arbitrary, when some of us have owned cars for many years without requiring this service. My 03 Tacoma had a brake job at 125k miles, they replaced the rotors, calipers and I assume they likely flushed the lines - but that's a bit different than 36 months. I just traded it in last week for the 2018 Ridgeline, my first RTL-E. I mean no disrespect, I am an engineer - I ask questions.

 

So.......since I think I need to change it every 3 years so my Honda Care plan stays valid, how much is the typical dealer charging for a brake flush?

Thanks in advance for providing the info!

 

Read the fine print of your plan to see if you can have any shop (or if that shop needs to be certified in some way, or if it must be a dealer) do the job. Then shop around. I have found dealers prices to be all over the board when asking for a quote for the same service, and not always more expensive than independent shops.

 

Interesting you mention this. I sold my 13 year old Accord a few years back.
The buyer said he selected my car exclusively because of what he saw in the background of the vehicle pictures.

I took the pictures inside my garage, which was clean, organized, uncluttered, well thought out, ect.
He said..."anyone with a garage like that is going to take good care of his vehicles."

when I sold my F150 a few months ago, the buyer took one look in my garage…. Saw the GTO, the brightly lit garage, and the huge tool box and other equipment and was pretty much sold that he was getting a very well maintained vehicle….. he texted me for days after taking it home how thankful he was….

 

OT
I have also been a fan of the 67's.
They look much nicer than the 66's.
In the late 70's I owned several of each in both hardtops and convertibles.
Automatics (2 speed) and sticks.
Back then, slightly chalky original paint cars could be bought for 800 to 1800 bucks due to the gas crunch.
I was young, lived at home, made good money, and did not mind paying for the gas consumption.
It was certainly better than driving some used econobox back then.

 

Following the MM is good advice - so is changing at 3 years. I tend to follow the 3 yr change for our daily drivers. My 4 year old Vette has only 10K miles but I flush brake fluid at least once a year and usually prior to any track event. Easy & relatively inexpensive job if you DIY.

 

does the fluid "mix" when you do the above?

I'm thinking of a fish tank analogy. If I change 50% of the water, then I've dropped nitrites 50%. If I do it again, I've dropped another 25%.....but, that water is mixing constantly due to the filter.

Does that happen with brake fluid or does the new fluid just sit on top of the reservoir?

I think it depends on how soluble water is in the brake fluid (obviously, very) and Brownian movement. Though, I’ll flush my own; I suspect that Brownian movement and the extreme solubility of water in Dot 3 brake fluid makes this syringing out of the reservoir and refilling more viable than it might seem at first thought.

 

Well think about a dialysis machine (or your biological kidneys). Do you want a partial cleansing of your lifeblood ? Any amount of water, located anywhere in the closed brake system will by Brownian motion, migrate to all other parts and water causes oxidation (rust) wherever it accumulates, like rotors, caliper piston bores, etc. Brakes are NOT the place to take half-measures or short cuts.

 

Brownian motion, as you suggest will also cause moisture to migrate from the extremities to the master if that fluid is fresh. Changing the fluid only at the master does something. Not nothing. It's not the best course of action but is not useless either.

 

Anti-lock mechanisms and upwards of 6' of tiny brake lines between the brake master cylinder and slave cylinders? You really think that just replacing master cylinder fluid is going to significantly remove any water accumulated in those slave cylinders? Reality is that It takes 15 minutes or less to make sure all the water has been removed from the system with proper bleeding, but it's your vehicle.
Bill

 

I don't believe anyone said it was the ideal solution. I surely did not.

You said it does nothing. That was incorrect. You seem to believe that moisture can easily travel from the master to the extremities but it doesn't go the other way. This does not make any logical sense.

Are water molecules smaller than brake fluid molecules? I don't know. They would have to be significantly smaller in order to enter through seals and lines under only atmospheric pressure and yet leave no brake fluid leaks despite regular 500psi+ system pressure (over 1,500psi max). That would suggest that at the very least, the majority of the moisture contamination comes from the vented master cylinder. Why would moisture so readily travel in one direction and not the other?

Do what you like with your vehicle but don't discourage others from doing something because you don't like it. I flush mine whenever I do brake work. That's usually around 3 years for me due to my driving conditions. I don't expect everyone to do what I do.

Changing the fluid at the master only is better than doing nothing. Nothing is what many people do and I don't see cars piled up at every intersection.

 

I do mine every 3 years - bleed each wheel and leave the bottle of dot3 upside down in the master cylinder as I do it.
You have to see how bad the fluid looks at each wheel after 3 years.

I have a Harbor Freight brake line suction tool that attaches to each bleed valve - makes it a one man job.

Do it yourself is cheaper than an oil change with filter.

 

Until you've had brakes fail (happened to me twice) you might be tempted to half-azz a maintenance item like complete fluid replacement. So, at 3 years you just swap in new M/C fluid and then what ? Go another 3 years ? So you have 6 years of accumulated moisture in your critical brake system...

The whole idea is specious and more than a little negligent IMO. Done here, every owner has to decide what's best for his needs.

 

That is not what I do. I flush out the entire system. I know very few people who ever get this service done.

The first car I ever drove legally was my dad's '72 Coupe de'Ville. Metal line blew, pedal went to the floor, rear brakes locked and that big girl took her sweet time to come to a halt. This was 1987. The brake fluid was the same brake fluid some UAW flunkie put in it at the factory. The break lines had clearly rusted from the outside, but it still took 15 years for a failure.

Not advocating anyone skip brake fluid changes. I am advocating an honest discussion. To say that changing the only the master does nothing is disingenuous.

Since you have to share the road with everyone, wouldn't you rather someone takes a turkey baster to the master cylinder than nothing at all? Those are the realistic options here. Someone who doesn't want to pay for a flush will likely do nothing. I'd rather not dissuade them from a half-measure if the outcome will be no measure at all.

So, at 3 years you just swap in new M/C fluid and then what ? Go another 3 years ? So you have 6 years of accumulated moisture in your critical brake system...

You wouldn't have 6 years of moisture in this scenario. You have already removed the bulk of the fluid with the siphoning and therefore the majority of the first 3 years' moisture. After 6 years you'd have a bit over 3 years worth. Is that not better than ignoring the system altogether? Half azz is often better than no azz.