BMW recommends you change the brake fluid every ii years. It'due south not a very complicated procedure but you do have to be conscientious, as it can be messy and hands mess up your pigment if you lot get any of auto. My 2011 BMW E92 M3 had only reached the end of its 4-year maintenance included plan and a service indicator stating it was time to change the brake fluid had been going off for a week. So I idea it would be a expert DIY projection for the weekend.

Why Modify The Brake Fluid

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The primary reason for every other twelvemonth brake fluid flush that it's hygroscopic. Large give-and-take, just ways that brake fluid will absorb moisture from the temper, lower its boiling point and effectiveness if you lot drive on the runway. The water in this fluid can besides impairment the brake principal cylinder over time if not regularly flushed. BMW says the brake fluid needs to be flushed every 2 years, and that'due south fine for road cars but will demand more frequently for cars that become taken to the runway. Interestingly, our first service on our long-term BMW i3 will need a brake fluid flush at 2 years of age and that's the just reason for going in for service.

How To Change The Brake Fluid

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First upwardly is to remove all the wheels. If you don't have access to a elevator, you lot can practice one wheel at a time starting with the rear passenger wheel.

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Next I similar to remove all the brake fluid out of the brake principal cylinder as possible. I apply a minor 10cc syringe and was able to remove about 300 milliliters out.

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Some people use an erstwhile turkey baster but I find these don't hold on to the fluid every bit well and are more apt to splash brake fluid all over the place.

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The brake master cylinder hides on the drivers side in the E9X chassis under the hood close to the base of the windsheild.

One time the iii 8mm bolts are removed, have out the cabin air filter housing and lay to the side. Two of 8mm bolts are up past the windshield and ane closer to the front. Make sure all 3 are out before trying to remove the motel air filter housing or you might break the cabin air filter housing. I miss old BMW's, just lift hood and see the main cylinder.

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After I take out as much brake fluid as I tin can, I fill it to the height with fresh DOT four-brake fluid.

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Fresh unopened brake fluid is central.  If they've been opened, the brake fluid tin can start absorbing water from the atmosphere. I like the BMW Dot 4 fluid if it's not going on the rails presently, or will use MOTUL RBF 600 if I am headed to a track event as information technology has a college humid point – 593F vs 446F.

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Side by side you can either utilize a pressure bleeder similar I did this time or you can get a buddy to pump the brake pedal, pressuring the system. Some runway guys swear by the manual brake pedal pump over the pressure bleeder.

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Once the braking arrangement is pressurized, open up the bleeder screw on the brake caliper. I apply a tube so in that location is a solid column of fluid coming out and no modify that air will exist entrained into the braking organization.

Commencement with the passenger rear brake caliper, then the driver rear caliper, followed past the passenger front and lastly the drivers front end. You need to make certain the brake reservoir stays full and then you don't force air onto the system from the primary cylinder. That would be a nightmare, IMHO, and require a ton of bleeding to get all the air bubbles out. I've never done it. I but bank check the level after each caliper is flushed. I usually have to add fluid after the two rear ones.

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When you are washed make sure the fresh brake fluid is at the correct level before you put the cap dorsum on. Re-install the cabin air filter housing, put your wheels back on and torque the wheels. I like bike studs, which you tin can see poking out of the wheel hubs. I employ cooper anti-seize on the hubs as it makes taking the wheels off the adjacent time easier. I torque the wheels down to 88 lb-ft with a large torque wrench.

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Last, y'all demand to reset the service indicator via pushing a pocket-size button to the lesser left of the RPM judge and cycling through the services with the left stalk and BC push button.  I watched nigh three vids on youtube to do it and am notwithstanding not totally certain how I did it as the sequence is dissimilar if you have service due soon or service required warning on you check control.

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Tools

  • Jack Stand or ix,000lb 2 Post lift
  • 17mm Socket to remove wheels
  • 8mm socket to remove cabin air filter housing over restriction principal cylinder
  • Socket driver
  • 10cc syringe, or turkey baster to remove old brake fluid
  • Brake Pressurizer or friend to pump break pedal
  • 9mm wrench – opens drain screw rear caliper
  • 11mm wrench – opens bleed screw front caliper
  • 2 unopened bottles of brake fluid DOT 4 BMW or your favorite make
  • Reservoir to capture old brake fluid.
  • Lots of disposable shop towels to continue restriction fluid splash to a minimum
  • Shop light
  • Copper anti-seize for wheel hubs