I honestly don't know the answer to your question but I wouldn't hesitate to call the dealership and ask the service manager to tell me. Is it possible you had a 'good guy' tech do the work and he wiped everything dry after the work so it wouldn't possibly drip fluid on your brake pads and cause a squeak or anything worse?

 

Hard to find the 'good guys' these days but it is very possible. I will certainly check with them and let you know.

 

When I received my vehicle i looked underneath the car at each tire (bleeder valve) and they were all bone dry with no indication of bleeder valve ever having loosened to bleed the air out the system.

Is this normal? I mean I would expect some sort of brake fluid residue somewhere near the calipers but like I said it was dry as if noone even removed the rubber cap off the bleeder valves, let alone crack opening the bleeder valve.

So my question is if the dealerships used either a high pressure extractor at the master cylinder and took all the old fluid out, or they simply took out some of the dirty brake fluid at the reservoir only and topped it up with some new brake fluid.

I agree with you on finding a good reputable dealership to do work nowaday. Assuming that they did the brake bleed procedure at each wheels, how do you determine that the bleeder valve was never loosen? Did you check each bleeders right at the dealership or when you get home? You may have your brake done by a good mechanic that do a neat and tidy job of clean up afterward.

How I did my brake system flush are first, replace the fluid with the reservoir. Second, place the car on jack stand, remove all 4 wheels, and start bleeding at the RR, RL, FR, FL wheels in this specific orders. Top off the fluid at reservoir as it low. I use a pneumatic vacuum bleeder, so it does a good job with bleeding the fluid and not leave residue, and not introduce air back into the system.

Assuming you may have air in your brake system to begin with, if the dealer actually did the bleeding, then you should have a firmer brake pedal feel. Otherwise, chances are they may only change at the reservoir. Just my 2 cents.

 

Did you check each bleeders right at the dealership or when you get home?.

I live about 3 miles from the dealership and right away I checked the bleeder valves by jacking up the vehicle. Trust me, the valves and the rubber coverings were dry and never been taken off. Had the rubber been taken off I could easily tell by seeing some dust been removed off the rubber covers. but there was no sign whatsoever in any 4 calipers.

The brakes did not feel any firmer than what it was prior to changing the brake fluid. they said based on the milage/history/time you need brake fluid changed so I gave it a go.

 

I use brake cleaner to clean up...well...everything after I'm done. If I bled the brakes, I'd be using brake cleaner to get the residue off before putting the wheels back on. Oil change? Hit the oil pan and anything else with a drop of oil on it with the brake cleaner. I don't like leaving a mess. If there's no "mess" left behind, that could be the sign of a tidy technician.

 

I agree with you but even the brake cleaner would have cleaned out the dirt and dust off the calipers in/around the bleeder valves. But it did not...

 

They may have sucked the fluid out of the master cylinder with a turkey baster-like device. But that doesn't do a thing for the fluid in the lines. To get that fluid out, they must open the bleeders (and the master cylinder) and suck the fluid out at the bleeders.

 

Right, and that is why I am thinking they never did it the proper way....

 

Using a pressure bleeder, bleed at each wheel would not necessarily leave the bleeder wet. No good way to tell, hard to find good service, hard to trust those people. A dip and replace would cost under $50, bled at each wheel might be over $100.

 

Let me check mine. I haven't really driven it after the brake fluid replacement.

EDIT:

Seems pretty clean, the dust/dirt is gone but no fluid spill.

 

No wrench marks. I always seem to scratch metal using tools under the vehicle. Even with sockets.

 

I recently had the fluid replaced on my 2017. In reviewing the paperwork, the service did bleed the lines, and after replacing the fluid, performed a separate check to insure no leaks were detected post service, and performed a test drive to check braking performance and integrity.

I generally come from the school of thought that "you most often get what you pay for". If the service was less expensive than expected (and comparable for dealer service in your area, regardless of brand) ... you may have gotten a simple drain and replace, absent full bleed and leak testing. /shrug.

 

I generally come from the school of thought that "you most often get what you pay for". If the service was less expensive than expected (and comparable for dealer service in your area, regardless of brand) ... you may have gotten a simple drain and replace, absent full bleed and leak testing. /shrug.

I went to a Honda dealership.

 

Given that my car have a good braking system to begin with, I really can't tell any different in the braking feel after a full system bleed. Only thing I can tell is when brake pad are worn. Unless your braking system have air in them and/spongy brake feel, then a full bleed will make a difference in the braking feel.

 

That's not the point. The idea is to get the old, moisturized fluid out and replaced by fresh one. This will save the caliper pistons from jamming due to rust.

 

You don't change brake fluid because there's a problem. You change it to prevent problems, most commonly corrosion on piston surfaces which make the system lose air tightness and cause jammed pistons.

Brake fluid is extremely hygroscopic and suck in moisture from the environment, hence the frequent need for replacement. It's a very simple and ridiculouslyvcheap DYI job.

 

The fluid is recommended to be changed every 3 years, it makes no difference if you can see, or are experiencing a problem.

They didn't "make" you change it, they recommended it and you said yes.

I would definitely ask them about whether they actually did the fluid change though.

 

Of all the cars I owned, never had to change the brake fluid. All lasted 200K miles without brake problem.

 

Yeah brake fluid doesn't USUALLY just "fail". It fades... gets spongy.

It's really a good practice to change that fluid when the manufacturer recommends it. Why not? It's not difficult. I had Firestone do mine, while I watched, with all 4 bleeders hooked up. You could see the fluid change from dark to nearly clear.

Should you go 200k without touching brake fluid? No. You should change it. It's too inexpensive and easy to do rather than risk a brake fluid boiling, and steam. And a loss of braking-ability.

It's a safety thing. Going 200k without even doing the reservoir is just negligent.

 

While it wasn't typically officially recommended in the past, it is far more common now. And it has always been a good idea to do it.

 

I can't answer for the dealer because I'm not there. However, some mentioned maybe the tech was really diligent to remove any remnant of brake fluid, but I have a question for you. You stated that you took the rubber caps off the bleeder screws and it was dry. I flush my brakes on my cars regularly (about every 2 years) using a vacuum bleeder to pull old fluid out of the calipers and wheel cylinders (my Fits have drum brakes in the rear). Unless the tech is so meticulous that he squirts brake cleaner into the bleeder hole and let it dry before putting the rubber caps back on, there WILL be some brake fluid inside the bleeder hole. I don't know if I would ever do that on my cars or even my customers' cars during my 44+ year career as a Master Tech.

That being said, you did say you waited "hours" to get your vehicle back, so I'd hate to think they merely removed the fluid from the M/C reservoir. One thing for sure; if they only removed the fluid from the reservoir and topped it off with new fluid, it will only be a few weeks of driving before you'll notice the fluid color changing because as you use it, some old fluid will make its way back to the reservoir. You could even buy brake fluid test strips (a bit expensive) or a brake fluid moisture tester (cheap) from Amazon and verify the fluid condition yourself. I have both test strips and the moisture tester to tell me when to flush out my brake fluid.

 

That being said, you did say you waited "hours" to get your vehicle back, so I'd hate to think they merely removed the fluid from the M/C reservoir.

I was there at the dealership for hours since there were a few other things I got "done" as well.
1) oil change
2) transmission fluid change
3) coolant fluid change
4) rear differential fluid change
5) power steering fluid change
6) brake fluid change (skeptical about it since there was no brake fluid residue on or around the calipers, bleed valves or the rubber covering the valve)

 

I get it. Brake line wrenches are pretty tender but you should see something.

 

Maybe they just topped up the brake fluid - many oil change services include fluid topups - and they call it brake bleeding. I would take a photo pf the dry bleeders and ask the dealer what exactly they did.

 

Well I scanned the comments, but I didn't see what I was looking for - there is an easy test. Just get a jar, attach a clear line to any brake, open up the bleeder valve and have someone gently press the brake pedal. You'll know instantly if they just changed it at the master cylinder, because you'll get really brown stuff from the brake line. If it comes out clear, you probably have a tidy mechanic .

 

Sadly these days there are just as many crooks as honest people. After a couple of very bad experiences at dealerships I no longer use them. In the certain cases I have to I take steps to make sure they do what they say and double check afterwards. Unless you personally know your mechanic it's always a crapshoot. Just my opinion based on my own personal experiences. Hope you find out what happened.

 

Brake fluid cannot be changed from the "top."

You can't really 'change' it without flushing it. Which means replacing all the fluid in the brake system (master cylinder reservoir, the lines, calipers...). Some say it's not necessary, that it should be done maybe half as often as Honda says, if ever. You really should bleed them about as often as the book says.

Brakes operate under pressure. They get really hot, the fluid breaks down after a while, they get mushy and your stopping distance increases more than it seems. You didn't expect the guy in front of you to stop. You jam on the brakes, and give a sigh of relief that you just tapped him. You both get out and you just dinged his bumper. You exchange insurance info. You give another a sigh of relief. A week later you get a call from insurance asking about the accident... That the guy you hit and his wife's mother both have whiplash injuries - and their car is at the dealer for accident repairs.

If you want to see if they really changed your brake fluid / flushed the lines, take a look at the master cylinder. Did someone wipe the grime off the cap so they could open it? Open it to see if the fluid in there is clean. Don't mess with the fluid itself, it eats paint faster than you can wipe if off.

Now, excuse my rant...
The best way to make sure it, and anything else is done really properly is to avoid the dealer. Find a good reputable local independent mechanic. Anything an independent does will cost a lot less. You won't have to talk to a service writer, but to the mechanic. When I bought our Odyssey and the CRV I only took it to the dealer for warranty work and recalls. (It's nice. they have a fancy lounge and coffee, doughnuts, fancy cookies, WiFi and more. They also wash the car, vacuum & wipe down the interior, and clean the windows inside and out. They get me an Uber to work and pick me up later. Just for a seat belt fix or air bag recall.)

The independent shop I go to is in an industrial area in a place with other auto related shops, and a couple other somethings. It isn't fancy and clean as the dealer. BUT the guy wrenching knows his stuff.

 

This is the exact opposite order from the old standard pattern. The reason for it has to do with the ABS/Proportioning valve routing and different split failsafe circuit patterns from the old days. It seems simple enough, but actually doing it backwards from the old learned way is rather disconcerting!

 

Yep. Luckily I live in Texas, a non-corrosive state. Our cars melt in the heat instead of corroding in the cold.

 

I ll be honest with you. No amount of brake cleaner would make the nipple look like that one. I do the same myself but here is the catch. I live in FL and I can tell the nipple was not touched. If you don't want to go back I understand. If you notice that niple it has lots of oxidation. As soon as you put the wrench over it it will make a mark specially because those thing are known to seize, even here south with all the rain we get. I see no marks of a tool being used.
If you are Not sure what I mean.. try loosening one out at the junk yard on your next visit. either it will strip or snap off. You will notice where the tool made contact with the nipple.
That is why I learned to fix my own vehicles.
Gl

 

The only pictures posted of a nipple in this thread are not those of the original poster (and they looked fine anyway). Actually, if the proper tubing wrench is used, and the bleeder is loosened carefully and gently, it usually works fine, though you might want to spray some Kroil on them a bit to soak in beforehand. At least in all the Southern (non-corroding) states. Of course, like all small fittings they must be treated with small force. On a corroded one, I soak it in Kroil a couple of times, depending on how it looks, and then wire brush it to clean the flats off, so that the wrench fits right. Never broken one off or stripped one yet, including my Cherokee, which came from Cherokee, and which was bad enough that I ended up having to replace the entire brake system - literally every part. The parts I had trouble with due to corrosion were the big bolts, not the little ones. On the bleeders, any time I've ever found one that didn't look good, I just replaced it. Otherwise, if they're really dirty I take them out and clean them up all shiny. It ain't rocket science.