itsav8

What happens is that the piston in the MC doesn't release the pressure in the brake lines when
you release the brakes. Once you put a cold cloth on it the seal opens up causeing the piston to retract normally into the bore.

& do not take out your mid life crisiss on me Bernie... you picked the wrong ****ing guy to posture towards!!!!

Mister Bally

That is a German automotive myth. How come no other vehicle manufacturers require this? They alll use the same material in the same basic components in a hydraulic brake system. Moisture should not get into a completely sealed system. Maybe VW/Audi does not know how to design a brake fluid reservoir cap?

I only flush the fluid when I have to replace a defective component such as a wheel cylinder or caliper. On my seven earlier VW & Audi's up to my '87 5000CSq I would follow that maintenance requirement. Then, when I started working for a former Bandix brake engineer who I mentioned that maintenance requirement to, he just laughed and said that is all bull$hit to get you in for maintenance work. Bendix had closed (sealed) systems that were 20 years old that had no signs of corrosion or diminished performance. From that point I stopped wasting my time flushing out brake fluid.

Up to now, my 2001 Beetle has the oldest brake fluid, 6 years old. The car had "free" maintenance for two years so the fluid cahnge was free six years ago.

cuatrokoop

Weeeee!!

smcg3

which might explain the heat issue. I'll try the cold cloth trick if the brake dragging keeps up. Where is brake MC? Is it the unit right under the fluid reservoir with the bleed nipple on it? I feel like this is a duh, but better to just ask and know for sure...

smcg3

answered my own question, never mind. Seems like an easy job, is it?

onfir3

It's a good thing that Bernie is helping out here, or he'd get an earful too. But Ron I can't believe it, you should act your age. Resorting to attacks on the internet, what, are we in Junior High here? :-)

OP, any luck thus far?

cuatrokoop

Have a friend pump the brakes and hope all of your caliper bleeders aren't frozen up. I had one almost break on my old 5kq (rear driver). Heat and vise grips got it out, local parts place had a generic bleeder for like $2 that fit and worked.

cuatrokoop

Depends on how you use the car (ie, do you get the brakes hot), what climate (is there a possibility for hygroscopic fluid to be, well, hygroscopic?), etc.

I drained some NASTY fluid out of my V8 when I had to replace the front flex lines. Dis-gust-ing. Looked more like used motor oil than it did brake fluid.

BernieBenz

Or you could install a spray nozzle over the MC and never have to solve the problem.

smcg3

It was like dirty oil, AND there was solid particles suspended in it. So... I think flushing brake fluid is warranted. Hell, maybe the reason the MC seal gave out was because of crappy fluid.