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      03-10-2017, 11:20 AM   #1
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replace brake fluid after each track day ???

Hello,
My (non BMW) dealer tells me that if I run my M2 on track I will need to replace the brake fluid after every track day.
=> WDYT ?
Thx,
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      03-10-2017, 11:31 AM   #2
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Maybe if you're running stock fluid, which you shouldn't. With high temp fluid, at most you just need a bleed. I only bleed them every few events.
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      03-10-2017, 01:35 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OLO-M2 View Post
Hello,
My (non BMW) dealer tells me that if I run my M2 on track I will need to replace the brake fluid after every track day.
=> WDYT ?
Thx,
That is completely not true!

Every 10 to 15 or so days, it depends on a number of things. At this point for you it is a non-issue. Don't even bother changing fluid now either. You will learn when you need to move on to a better fluid.
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      03-10-2017, 01:53 PM   #4
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Thx isjoey !
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      03-10-2017, 02:19 PM   #5
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I have created another global thread about brakes here :
http://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...2#post21396422
Please react on that other thread and not on this one
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      03-14-2017, 12:03 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OLO-M2 View Post
Hello,
My (non BMW) dealer tells me that if I run my M2 on track I will need to replace the brake fluid after every track day.
=> WDYT ?
Thx,
There is some merit to that.

If you drive your car normally, meaning no overheating the brakes, the brake fluid in your car will last at least 1-2 years before flushing is needed. However, if you overheat your brakes, even just a tiny bit, air bubbles can form and your hydraulic system is now compressible(soft pedal) and you will need to bleed your system to get rid of the air.

OEM use rubber hose that is permeable by moisture, that process starts as soon as your car is filled with brake fluid at the factory. Your DOT 4 brake fluid may only have low 300s F(wet) of boiling temp instead of high 400s F(dry) when it is right out of a fresh bottle. That is the second reason to bleed or flush the system so you have absolutely the highest boiling temp possible every time you hit the track.

Aftermarket PTFE lined hoses are less permeable by moisture and the tightly woven stainless braid has less expansion over OEM rubber, two very good reasons to upgrade. Not the mention most high quality hoses also adds some sort of coating on top of the braid for added abrasion resistance.
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      03-22-2017, 08:06 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OLO-M2 View Post
Hello,
My (non BMW) dealer tells me that if I run my M2 on track I will need to replace the brake fluid after every track day.
=> WDYT ?
Thx,
Did they also suggest you change the oil as well ?

This clearly falls under " overkill".



Most HPDE organizations recommend you have fluid that is less than six months old when attending an event.


If you want your car to be in the absolute best possible shape .. you can Change all fluids - oil, trans , diff and brake fluid after or immediately prior to every track event... or both !


But seriously , it's much easier to simply replace the stock brake fluid with a high temp brake fluid like Castrol Srf. It's around $60-80 a liter but has an incredibly high wet boiling point that is better than the dry boiling point for more than 90 percent of the products on the market.
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      03-22-2017, 08:11 AM   #8
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Thanks for your advise.

To replace completely the fluid I've Ben told that you need to open the abs box, which leaves a trace in the "log system" of the car... which could play against you in case of issue if you don't do it @ BMW
=> factory IT reset could be useful ;-)
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      03-22-2017, 09:52 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OLO-M2 View Post
Thanks for your advise.

To replace completely the fluid I've Ben told that you need to open the abs box, which leaves a trace in the "log system" of the car... which could play against you in case of issue if you don't do it @ BMW
=> factory IT reset could be useful ;-)
You shouldn't need to mess with ABS to flush fluid. Typically you have to bleed the ABS pump only if you introduce a lot of air in the system. Otherwise the old fashioned way with a pressurized pump or brake pedal pump will work fine.
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      03-22-2017, 04:46 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OLO-M2 View Post
Hello,
My (non BMW) dealer tells me that if I run my M2 on track I will need to replace the brake fluid after every track day.
=> WDYT ?
Thx,
Not true if you have special brake oil...
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      03-27-2017, 09:45 PM   #11
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Porsche DE sessions you need to show that you've had a fresh brake flush as part of the inspection.
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      03-27-2017, 11:41 PM   #12
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Interesting!
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      03-29-2017, 03:43 AM   #13
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FWIW I flush fluid before my first track event of the season. Then purge some before every subsequent event when I'm putting on the track pads. I change oil after every event unless I have two weekends back to back.

Yes. Probably overkill. Cheap insurance though.
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      03-29-2017, 01:28 PM   #14
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FWIW: I once ran year-old (but freshly bled) fluid at a track day and had some pretty serious fade. Now I'm always on freshly flushed fluid. It's so cheap to just throw in fresh DOT4 (i.e. from a sealed bottle) right before a track weekend that it doesn't make sense not to.

When running more expensive fluid (e.g. RBF 660) I still replace my fluid at least twice per year.
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      03-29-2017, 01:36 PM   #15
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Nice, it seems that my question and my dealer's advise are not necessarily that stupid ;-)

Quote:
Originally Posted by rwalker View Post
It's so cheap to just throw in fresh DOT4
Do you do that by yourself ? I have seen some tuto on youtube and, although it does not seem that complex... I would not do it by myself !
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      03-29-2017, 01:44 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OLO-M2 View Post
Do you do that by yourself ? I have seen some tuto on youtube and, although it does not seem that complex... I would not do it by myself !
Yeah, I use a Harbor Freight suction bleeder to slurp everything out of the reservoir, then use a Motiv pressure bleeder to run around to the 4 corners. I can do it at the same time as I change over to track tires on my Quickjack, done in 30 minutes. A quart bottle of DOT4 is like $8 at O'Reilly's.
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      04-04-2017, 09:54 AM   #17
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      04-04-2017, 01:06 PM   #18
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You don't want less than optimum brake fluid to ruin a day or two at the track. It's easy enough to do with some just hand tools and a jack. Gravity is a good option if you don't own a pressure bleeder.
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      04-04-2017, 01:38 PM   #19
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I just bleed mine to make sure there's no air and do a full flush every 6 months.
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      04-28-2017, 07:50 AM   #20
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I'm in the overkill/cheap insurance camp. I use higher temp fluid, never go on track with fluid more than 90 days old, and never run more than 2 weekend events without a flush. Going on almost 10 years, and have never had a significant scare in my cars, and I like that track record!
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      05-09-2017, 10:02 AM   #21
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I've been tracking various cars for nearly 20 years and have tried a bunch of fluids.
Once I started using Castrol SRF, I only flushed once a year. It's "wet" boiling point is close to many fluids dry point.
It's expensive at ~$80 a liter, but if you only have to change once a year, it's actually cheaper.
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      05-09-2017, 10:40 AM   #22
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I have been told that Castrol is very good for resistance to high temp, but not to last with a good quality during a long time ... and therefore needs to be replaced very often !

Someone told me to use "ATE Type 200 ", which is supposed to have a good resistance to high temp for my use a 3-4 track days a year, but a better resistance over time.
=> WDYT ?
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