This is a relatively 'new' car forum; there are a lot of things discussed here that were beat to death years ago on other car forums, but somehow still live on.
I did a lot of research here before I bought my Veloster, and I appreciate all the input and details about the car and its nuances. But I keep seeing stuff where one member says "I did this and it increased my gas mileage 10%", then someone else's butt dyno agrees with him, then all of a sudden, because it is on the Internet, other people believe it's true and think they have to do the same thing. That's just not right.
Best example I see is putting premium gas in your car to make it run better/cleaner/faster. Unless you have a tune for 91 or 93 octane, your car will not, and can not, know the difference between 87 and 91 octane. In fact, the slow-burning property of 91 octane may have some negative results, not just on your wallet, but on your emission system, things like the 02 sensors. Lots of discussion on advancing timing on the Nissan forums if you want to run Premium and do it right. But without a proper tune, premium gas is a waste of money.
When you were just getting into car maintenance, probably in your early teens, your dad or someone you respected probably told you that "You're a fool if you don't change your oil every 3000 miles"
Today dealerships still play on that emotion. My Velostar had a sticker on the air filter box that said the dealership recommended oil changes every 3000 miles. Sure they do, they want to see you as often as possible, that's how they make money. I have worked for new car dealerships since 1984, and I can tell you that the Service Department is the most profitable part of every dealership, and their whole goal is to get you into the drive so that their commissioned service writer can sell you everything you might possibly need.
Mind you, that may not be a bad thing, especially if you can afford the time and the money. but it also may not be a necessary thing. A lot has changed since dad told you to change your oil every 3 months. Engine block technology is radically different today than it was then, as is the oil itself. Why would Hyundai warrant your engine for 100,000 miles and also tell you to change the oil at least every 7500 miles? Because it works just fine like that.
But back to my original comment about someone who said enthusiasts change their brake fluid once or twice a year.
Why? It doesn't affect how fast your car stops.
It doesn't affect how safe your car is.
Old brake fluid will stop your car EXACTLY as fast as new brake fluid (please think before you respond to that statement, or at least brush up on you knowledge of hydrodynamics).
Old fluid does not contribute to "spongy brake feel" (air does that, usually the result of a poorly done brake fluid change)
And the biggest argument you always hear is in relationship to overheating brakes and their impact on the "moisture" that has crept into your brake fluid. Which is total horse apples, unless you run the Daytona 500 in 90 degree heat. There is just no way a street driver is going to heat up the rotors so much that it will affect the moisture in his old brake fluid and cause unsafe brakes.
WAAAAAaaayy before that happens he is going to have tremendous brake fade, which (unless you drive a current BMW) will make you have to push harder on the brakes to get the same stopping power.(BMW uses what they call 'brake fade compensation', so that the driver gets consistent brake power with consistent pedal pressure regardless of how hot the rotor surface is).
There is one advantage I can think of to changing your fluid every 3 years/30,000 miles, and that is the potential damage to the very sensitive ALB system. Some folks are theorizing that copper build-up, not moisture, is the biggest threat to your brakes. Do a search for the Phoenix Brake-Test Strips, you will see what I mean.
A few years ago I had to replace an ALB unit in a Lexus and the dang thing was $2000. The good news is that even if your ABS fails totally, you still have (by default) the exact same braking power and stopping distance that you had if the ALB system was functioning. So this argument really does not hold true for brake safety, but perhaps for the anti-lock brake unit's reliability.
So be as sarcastic as you like about putting ice water in your crankcase, but show me any actual benefit you derive from replacing your brake fluid and I will humbly apologize. You can't prove increased safety, brake feel or even long-term reliability. Experts say that up to 90% of the vehicles on the road today have never had a brake fluid change. Yeah, think about that when there is an F-350 diesel pulling a 10,000lb trailer bearing down on you at a red light. Plus I am just a big fan of Murphy's law. If something isn't broke, and you still want to fix it, Murphy will somehow show up and make things worse than if you just left them alone. Can't tell you how many times I've seen that happen, so I try not to invite trouble whenever possible.
So go ahead, let the games begin.
I did a lot of research here before I bought my Veloster, and I appreciate all the input and details about the car and its nuances. But I keep seeing stuff where one member says "I did this and it increased my gas mileage 10%", then someone else's butt dyno agrees with him, then all of a sudden, because it is on the Internet, other people believe it's true and think they have to do the same thing. That's just not right.
Best example I see is putting premium gas in your car to make it run better/cleaner/faster. Unless you have a tune for 91 or 93 octane, your car will not, and can not, know the difference between 87 and 91 octane. In fact, the slow-burning property of 91 octane may have some negative results, not just on your wallet, but on your emission system, things like the 02 sensors. Lots of discussion on advancing timing on the Nissan forums if you want to run Premium and do it right. But without a proper tune, premium gas is a waste of money.
When you were just getting into car maintenance, probably in your early teens, your dad or someone you respected probably told you that "You're a fool if you don't change your oil every 3000 miles"
Today dealerships still play on that emotion. My Velostar had a sticker on the air filter box that said the dealership recommended oil changes every 3000 miles. Sure they do, they want to see you as often as possible, that's how they make money. I have worked for new car dealerships since 1984, and I can tell you that the Service Department is the most profitable part of every dealership, and their whole goal is to get you into the drive so that their commissioned service writer can sell you everything you might possibly need.
Mind you, that may not be a bad thing, especially if you can afford the time and the money. but it also may not be a necessary thing. A lot has changed since dad told you to change your oil every 3 months. Engine block technology is radically different today than it was then, as is the oil itself. Why would Hyundai warrant your engine for 100,000 miles and also tell you to change the oil at least every 7500 miles? Because it works just fine like that.
But back to my original comment about someone who said enthusiasts change their brake fluid once or twice a year.
Why? It doesn't affect how fast your car stops.
It doesn't affect how safe your car is.
Old brake fluid will stop your car EXACTLY as fast as new brake fluid (please think before you respond to that statement, or at least brush up on you knowledge of hydrodynamics).
Old fluid does not contribute to "spongy brake feel" (air does that, usually the result of a poorly done brake fluid change)
And the biggest argument you always hear is in relationship to overheating brakes and their impact on the "moisture" that has crept into your brake fluid. Which is total horse apples, unless you run the Daytona 500 in 90 degree heat. There is just no way a street driver is going to heat up the rotors so much that it will affect the moisture in his old brake fluid and cause unsafe brakes.
WAAAAAaaayy before that happens he is going to have tremendous brake fade, which (unless you drive a current BMW) will make you have to push harder on the brakes to get the same stopping power.(BMW uses what they call 'brake fade compensation', so that the driver gets consistent brake power with consistent pedal pressure regardless of how hot the rotor surface is).
There is one advantage I can think of to changing your fluid every 3 years/30,000 miles, and that is the potential damage to the very sensitive ALB system. Some folks are theorizing that copper build-up, not moisture, is the biggest threat to your brakes. Do a search for the Phoenix Brake-Test Strips, you will see what I mean.
A few years ago I had to replace an ALB unit in a Lexus and the dang thing was $2000. The good news is that even if your ABS fails totally, you still have (by default) the exact same braking power and stopping distance that you had if the ALB system was functioning. So this argument really does not hold true for brake safety, but perhaps for the anti-lock brake unit's reliability.
So be as sarcastic as you like about putting ice water in your crankcase, but show me any actual benefit you derive from replacing your brake fluid and I will humbly apologize. You can't prove increased safety, brake feel or even long-term reliability. Experts say that up to 90% of the vehicles on the road today have never had a brake fluid change. Yeah, think about that when there is an F-350 diesel pulling a 10,000lb trailer bearing down on you at a red light. Plus I am just a big fan of Murphy's law. If something isn't broke, and you still want to fix it, Murphy will somehow show up and make things worse than if you just left them alone. Can't tell you how many times I've seen that happen, so I try not to invite trouble whenever possible.
So go ahead, let the games begin.
