Quote:
Originally Posted by JRJ1970
My "Brake Fluid Service" light came on this morning. This car is 1 year, 8 months old and has 16,000 miles on it.
This seems strange to me since my 2008 E90 never did this even after 25,000 miles.
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The brake fluid isn't a function of miles. The car could have 100 miles on it, however, still require a brake fluid flush.
The reason to change the brake fluid isn't due to the quality or color of the fluid itself, it's because over time moisture accumulates. While brake lines are sealed pretty well, over time very small amount of moisture contaminate the brake fluid.
At no point in time is this going to cause the brakes to fail... it only makes them less effective. In fact, MOST people drive cars for 5+ years without ever changing the brake fluid because the decline in brake effectiveness is so subtle over time. However, if you took on of those cars and changed the brake fluid, it would make a noticeable difference in the pedal feel during braking.
BMW recommends 2 year intervals because that's what they feel is the appropriate amount of time their standard fluid can perform at the level they consider standard for their car brand. The car will not blow up or even lose any reliability if you decide to forgo the service.