Brake fluid testing "amber" after only 5 months?

[Merry8]

Hello, I am a newbie so I apologise if this is a silly question:

I bought a used VW Golf 5 months ago direct from the dealership. It's a 2018 model so not too old and in pretty good condition. When I bought it they changed the brake fluid and did a full brake service including new brake discs and pads, so I expected the brakes to be all good for a while.

Today I took it back to the dealership to change a tyre because I accidentally drove over something sharp and got a cut in the tyre.

While in the workshop they tested the brake fluid and said it is testing "amber" on their little testing machine meaning the brake fluid is bad and needs changing soon.

I was surprised because the car had a brake fluid change only 5 months ago and I thought it usually takes a couple of years to absorb enough water to need changing.

Is this the dealership trying to get extra money from me? Or should I take this seriously and get the brake fluid changed?

If it hasn't been changed in a couple of years I would just change it without question, but it seems strange that they say it needs changing so soon.


Thank you for your expert advice 🙂

Thank you!

[CorradoTDI]

I suspect it wasn't changed when you bought it...

[Monkeylegend]

Did you tell them they changed it 5 months ago when you bought the car?

[Merry8]

Yep, they looked it up on their system and it's recorded as having had a brake fluid change when I bought it 🤔

[CorradoTDI]

Merry8 said:

Yep, they looked it up on their system and it's recorded as having had a brake fluid change when I bought it ??

I'd insist they do it 'again'

It would only usually show as amber after 4-5 years of not being changed, 2-3 year old fluid would not usually absorb much moisture.

[Merry8]

Thank you - I looked at the records from the previous owner and they had the brake fluid changed at the end of 2021, so even if the dealership didn't actually change the fluid when I bought it in April 2024, the fluid should only be 3 years old now...

I will ask them to redo it.

[CorradoTDI]

Merry8 said:

Thank you - I looked at the records from the previous owner and they had the brake fluid changed at the end of 2021, so even if the dealership didn't actually change the fluid when I bought it in April 2024, the fluid should only be 3 years old now...

I will ask them to redo it.

Yeah, that seems very odd tbh... maybe they were just trying it on saying it was amber, maybe ask another place to check.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OurLeeme-Brake-Fluid-Test...

[stevieturbo]

I'd say most cars even 10, 15 years old...haven't had the fluid changed.

[Maxdecel]

CorradoTDI said:

Merry8 said:

Thank you - I looked at the records from the previous owner and they had the brake fluid changed at the end of 2021, so even if the dealership didn't actually change the fluid when I bought it in April 2024, the fluid should only be 3 years old now...

I will ask them to redo it.

Yeah, that seems very odd tbh...maybe they were just trying it on saying it was amber, maybe ask another place to check.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OurLeeme-Brake-Fluid-Test...

Not really, the records show the tech ticked the appropriate box but doesn't show it was changed, time saved incentive bonus schemes have repercussions.

[LennyM1984]

I tested the old brake fluid on one of my cars (daily driver so doesn't get as much love) which I know hadn't been changed for at least 6 years.

This was the fluid that I drained out of the calipers and so should have been an accurate picture of the moisture content.

It was less than 0.5% and still green.

I think they're trying it on or they didn't change it previously

[itcaptainslow]

Previous experience of buying an approved used VW that allegedly had the fluid changed at prep…they don’t do it. Liverpudlian dealership which almost shares a name with the city’s football club’s left back, should you be interested.

I raised the issue with the service manager then the dealer principal, who did not give a damn. The DP in particular was really quite rude and dismissive. Took great pleasure in leaving a lovely Google review, then changed the fluid myself.

Press for your dealer to change the fluid, gratis. No way should it have absorbed that amount of moisture in six months, unless you’ve been tracking it or driving up and down alpine passes daily!

[Merry8]

itcaptainslow said:

Previous experience of buying an approved used VW that allegedly had the fluid changed at prep…they don’t do it. Liverpudlian dealership which almost shares a name with the city’s football club’s left back, should you be interested.

I raised the issue with the service manager then the dealer principal, who did not give a damn.

Press for them to change the fluid, gratis. No way should it have absorbed that amount of moisture in six months, unless you’ve been tracking it or driving up and down alpine passes daily!

Thank you - it's disgusting for them to claim they did something that they didn't do - I mean they are charging a premium for used cars because they advertise that they do all the prep work. So it's basically false advertising. They told me the car had one owner from new when I bought it but looking at the service records I can see that I am the third owner so I don't trust them.

I will demand that they do it again for free as you suggest - I live in the suburbs in the UK and have only use it for driving to work (30 mile round trip) and the shops, so there's no reason at all for it to have absorbed that much water in 5 months.

[silentbrown]

itcaptainslow said:

No way should it have absorbed that amount of moisture in six months, unless you’ve been tracking it or driving up and down alpine passes daily!

Not sure why either of those would increase the moisture level in it? I'd think the only way moist air can enter a brake system should be through the reservoir cap?

[Merry8]

Maxdecel said:

Not really, the records show the tech ticked the appropriate box but doesn't show it was changed, time saved incentive bonus schemes have repercussions.

That's terrible - surely illegal to claim they have done work that they haven't done (and then try to charge me to do the work).

[Merry8]

Thank you everyone for your help! I called the dealership to complain and they agreed to change it for free. Still very bad for them to claim they have done work that they haven't done - can't believe they get away with this kind of thing.

[Sheepshanks]

itcaptainslow said:

Previous experience of buying an approved used VW that allegedly had the fluid changed at prep…they don’t do it. Liverpudlian dealership which almost shares a name with the city’s football club’s left back, should you be interested.

Not a million miles from there I had a Golf with a 3yr service plan that was supposed to include the brake fluid change as part of the plan but it wasn’t mentioned on the invoice. The service advisor hand wrote “brake fluid changed” on the invoice and then absolutely insisted it had been changed.

[Merry8]

Sheepshanks said:

Not a million miles from there I had a Golf with a 3yr service plan that was supposed to include the brake fluid change as part of the plan but it wasn’t mentioned on the invoice. The service advisor hand wrote “brake fluid changed” on the invoice and then absolutely insisted it had been changed.

That's errm... Laughable!?

[Panamax]

You took the car in for a new tyre so they tested the brake fluid in a car they sold you five months ago?

Sounds a tad "unusual" to me.

[Maxdecel]

Merry8 said:

That's terrible - surely illegal to claim they have done work that they haven't done (and then try to charge me to do the work).

It is and likely ? I'm no legal expert but I guess it's a false representation, you could be a test case.

[Sheepshanks]

Maxdecel said:

Merry8 said:

That's terrible - surely illegal to claim they have done work that they haven't done (and then try to charge me to do the work).

It is and likely ? I'm no legal expert but I guess it's a false representation, you could be a test case.

I tried every way of complaining and got absolutely no where - it was my daughter’s car and some routes wouldn’t engage with me as I wasn’t the legal owner and she has a very hectic job with long hours and just wasn’t bothered to the extent I was.

In reality it’s also not that important - even VW said it’s not in the service schedule as it’s a “customer option”. I think it’s another of those UK things to change it, other countries test and only change as needed. I would be gobsmacked if it’s ever changed properly (completely flushed) by dealers, or even touched at all in many cases.