How to Check Brake Fluid

Whether you’re about to take your car on a big trip or you’re just conducting regular maintenance in Edgewater, it’s important to know how to check brake fluid. But what color is brake fluid, and how often should you check it? The service center at Jaguar Annapolis covers how to check brake fluid, how often to check brake fluid, and more useful brake fluid facts below.

Why is Brake Fluid So Important?

Like many fluids in your car, brake fluid is there to lubricate the parts. It also plays a hydraulic role, allowing the full force of your brakes to apply when you press down on the pedal. Your brakes and your entire brake system depends upon brake fluid to keep your car running properly. Brake fluid in many vehicles is glycol-ether based, but some have silicone-based (DOT-5) and mineral oil-based (LHM) brake fluids.

• The moisture that brake fluid attracts can corrode your brakes over long periods of time.
• Small pieces of dirt and debris that get caught in brake fluid can damage parts of your vehicle.
• Heat generated from certain car systems can shorten the life of your brake fluid.

How to Check Brake Fluid:

Where is brake fluid located, and what color is brake fluid? Checking your brake fluid from home is a pretty simple task. Just follow these steps:

• Find the brake fluid reservoir. It’s usually right next to the oil reservoir. As always, your owner’s manual will tell you the exact location if you’re having trouble.
• Check for quality. What color is brake fluid? Take some of the brake fluid out with your hands and inspect it. You’ll be looking for a clear liquid with a slight yellow hue. If it’s black, dark brown, or dark, this means that a lot of dirt and debris has gotten into it. You’ll need to change out your brake fluid if this is the case.
• Check for quantity. Check the “MIN” and “MAX” lines to see if you have enough brake fluid in your vehicle.

If you’re planning to get under the hood in the near future, check out some of our other DIY car care tips, too.

How Often to Check Brake Fluid

How often should you check brake fluid? There are a few guidelines that Severna Park drivers should know when it comes to brake fluid check intervals. It’s a good rule of thumb to check your brake fluid when you get an oil change. This should be about once or twice a year.

But how often should you change your brake fluid? A lot of brake fluid lasts four to five years. This number can vary, as your brake fluid performance depends upon the idiosyncrasies of your vehicle, your driving habits, and the conditions of the roads where you’re driving.

If you’re worried about your brake fluid, just schedule service in a Crofton-area service center.

Get Brake Service at Jaguar Annapolis

At Jaguar Annapolis, we want Annapolis drivers to find a great car, but we also want you to feel empowered to take care of it down the road. That’s why we have service specials that include brake service and other essential car maintenance tasks. Please contact us today with any questions about how to check brake fluid or any other car maintenance task!