PS and Brake Fluids - when to change.

[SVTCOBRA]

This past Friday I took the 05 Focus (85K) to Furd for some new keys. Jr lost one and we needed a spare.
Report - need to replace PS and Brake fluids cause they are dark.

Took the 08 G35X (52K) to Nissan to get the coolant flushed.
Report - need to replace PS and Brake fluids cause they are dark.

Talked to my mother in law on Sunday.
She had taken her 07 Altima (35K) in to get the battery checked.
Report - need to replace PS and Brake fluids cause they are dark.

I've owned cars that I put well over 100K on and never changed the brake fluid and never had an issue.
I bought my beloved 69 Mach 1 with 140K on it and put another 140K on it and never changed the brake fluid.

Is this just the product of a bad economy???

[speedeast]

They make testing strips for the brake fluid. Probably just a product of bad economy, sadly. They charge like $80-100 a pop to change those fluids with $5-10 worth of fluid. There's a huge margin of profit on fluid exchanges.

[audtatious]

Infiniti maintenance schedules have nothing about replacing brake fluid and it goes through 120k miles.

http://infinitig37.com/maint-sched.html

[crisfer]

What interval should one replace brake fluid and power steering fluid?
At 30K/36months old dealer recommended I replace brake,differential,PS,ATF, and engine coolant due to darkness or discoloration. Coolant was diluted and differential was due by time/milage??

[speedeast]

I change out ATF every 60,000 miles here in FL, 80,000+ in cooler states; Brake fluid every 100,000 wherever (it doesn't easily go bad...); power steering fluid every 100,000. The factory coolant I change out at 100,000 miles and then change it every 40-50,000 after that. Differential fluid I change with the ATF because I'm already there.

Dealers these days are trying to get you in for service as much as possible to make that money because fewer and fewer people are going to the dealer for repairs.

[loystock]

With 5 cars to maintain (used to be 6), and annual mileage ranging from 6K to over 17K miles, I just do oil & filter change every 5 months and change all fluids every 2 years. I buy most parts from Infiniti of Scottsdale, except for Mobil 1 synthetic oil from Costco or Walmart; Purolator or Mobil 1 oil filter online; brake fluid, coolant and distilled water from Walmart. For the Honda Pilot, I buy most fluids from Bernardi’s.