I see everything listed for all fluid change intervals in the service manual for my truck, but I don't see anything for flushing the brakes. What is recommended for my 07 F350 6.0?

 

DOT 3 OR 4 synthetic, suck out old fluid with turkey baster, put new in. I made a brake flush tool from an old water bottle and medical o2 line. They do make special tools to bleed the brake lines. Start in the rear and work your way to the front. pump brakes until the new fluid comes through

 

Also, to make your brake flushes easier down the road, search Russell Speed Bleeders. One of the best investments I ever made on this truck.

 

The US manufacturers through some discussions within SAE have pretty much dropped brake fluid changes in their scheduled mantenence lists. Europeans have stayed on course.

The thought pattern behind this is that the general public has a tendency to put the wrong fluid in reservoirs. So let's make the reservoir big enough to hold all the fluid each circuit will need until brake wear out, and use the fluid level via a level sensor the warning system that the brakes have worn out. Therefore the repair tech will be the informed person who will do the fluid maintenance. Even the brake fluid boil tests we did on vehicles were geared around fluid that had 3 year saturation of water content.

This is also the reason that phenolic Pistons have generally replaced all steel caliper Pistons, they don't transfer heat to the fluid as readily, lessening the issue of fluid boil.

Here's the problem from someone who has had to run the vehicle prove out tests for the OE side, while also being vehicle test active on the aftermarket side. The composition of aftermarket materials may have a higher metallic content then the OE material, and the tests do not incorporated the fullest trailer tow situation where the trailer brakes may not be optimum. Combine those two and your back into brake fluid boil territory if there is not proper maintenance. Higher metallic friction material has a higher rate of thermal transfer.

Other problems with lack of brake fluid maintenance is rust. ABS valving is no longer an issue, so worrying about the ABS is not the problem. Calipers can be, but the caliper issue tends to be oxidation behind the dust boot causing a loss of freedom from boot/o-ring/piston interaction. For me the bigger problem is oxidation in the master cylinder chamber where the rubber cups typically do not travel, leaving the cup nicking oxidation. Most times with a poorly maintained system this only becomes a problem during the bleeding during newly installed components. The person behind the steering wheel pushes the brake pedal fully during the bleeding event, and the cups get nicked. Now the owner complains the brake pedal is long despite all the bleeding and a new master cylinder becomes the remedy.

For me, I worry more about a panic stop situation, where the drivers pushes harder and therefore deeper into the master cylinder to achieve maximum deceleration. Just the time when you need full braking. Not an often found situation, but not the prospect I care to encounter.

So from me the recommendation is replace every three years. Doesn't have to be the **** have to get everything changed, but an improvement still. Almost everything designed in the US is around DOT 3 fluid, just standard fluid without all the fancy formulations. DOT 4 has a higher boil point, but tends to drop its boiling point faster then DOT 3, so if you don't do maintenence in 3-4 years it will all be the same.

Europe still likes DOT 4 best. But they still have brake fluid as a maintence item.

 

I've done mine every three years forever. The wife's new Mercedes manual says every other year with dot 4 plus which I've never found in the auto stores.

 

The dealer seems to want to do it more often....just curious if it was in the service manual...I couldnt find it.

 

It's in the MB service manual under service B

 

Oops, I've never flushed my brake fluid on my 05. 135K on the odo now. Figured I would do that when I need brakes, if that day ever comes LOL. I had no idea that it was part of regular maintenance between brake jobs. Oops...

 

Most people don't ever change the brake fluid on their vehicles. Hell, a lot of people can barely remember to change their oil anymore.
I've always felt it was of critical importance. I was a German car technician for about 10 years and as started above, the Germans feel it is very important. Not uncommon for a yearly or every 2 year service interval.
Think about it, the brakes are the most important system on any vehicle. More important than the engine or any other system. Bleeding the brakes removes and air and any water that may have infiltrated the system as well as removes old fluid that may have lost its once higher boiling point. I believe it's better for all the brake components as water will make components rust. Do it once and see the difference it makes in your braking.
The American manufacturers are really doing a disservice to their customers by not having it as a recommended service.

 

I really like this guy.

 

The Europeans, especially the Germans, take mountain driving and braking way more seriously then we do in the USA. We used to have to run a specific test for vehicles going to Germany just for one magazines normal review. This included the Excursion as it was classified as an SUV. The NHTSA standard is tough and rightly so, but the AMS was worse and we had to meet a burn time specification. So you'd do your run then measure how long the brake pads would burn sitting on the side of the road.

The Europeons also run more metallic friction compounds then we do, more concerned about fade resistance then brake noise. So DOT 4 would be more boil resistant.

 

Jack, do you have any info on the dot 4 plus?

 

I try to avoid brake fluid threads more so then diesel oil threads. And I'm 8 years out.

You share the same conundrum as the Sprinter guys, 4+, a spec last I remember not recognized by SAE. A DOT 4 fluid with a higher "dry" boiling point then 4 and a lower viscosity, the new selling point for fluids in an ABS system for quicker performance. Except all the builders of ABS controllers build to standard viscosity values. Mercedes etal get to market their own fluid. The Sprinter dealer most likely will sell 4+ cheaper then Mercedes.

I know of one Sprinter national fleet that uses 5.1 rather then 4+ as its more available and hasn't had an issue with the mother ship on warranty. 5.1 is NOT silicone, only 5 is just to add to the dizzy world of brake fluid.

Back over 12-15 years ago just about all the brake fluid made in the USA (not imported) was made at Wagner's brake fluid plant in Berkeley, Mo., which private labeled to everyone. It's closed now. Ford's DOT 4 racing brake fluid was acknowledged as the very best 4 out there, I'm not sure they still sell it. I still have mass quantities of ATP Racing Blue that got banned years ago for being ....... blue. I flip between blue and gold during alternate bleeding.

BTW, if you get in a jam and speaking about ATE, their SL6 is the low viscosity formula that should also meet the dry boiling point your looking for. But I believe Motul is a better fluid.

 

ATE super blue was good stuff. I think I still have a bottle too. I too used to alternate customers cars with blue and gold. ATE blue being banned was dumb. The color obviously had no effect on its performance cuz it was really good. I've ran blue in my cars forever. Still in my Nissan and explorer.
The Fed's have no idea about stuff like this. I don't understand why they get involved in stuff they know nothing about. Ban a brake fluid because of its color... makes sense, not... but then again this is the same government that dictates we get crappy headlights to, especially compared to the Europeans. Never understood it.

 

Btw, if you would like to sell some of your ate blue let me know.