will need new brake pads/rotors on front of '10 xk soon. Should I have them change brake fluid at same time or not needed? Car has 28k miles. thanks

 

Yes, on the brake fluid.

Quite surprising at just 28K miles you would need new rotors. You must drive your car awefully hard.

 

yes every 2yrs 24K,. Or I just do same time as brake job why I have it all apart.

 

I don't but maybe the guy that drove it the first 24k did! Have been told my multiple folks that the jag rotors are not suppose to be machine turned, if they are ridged then they need replaced. what do I know? not that costly, will get aftermarket rotors. Will replace pads with ceramics

 

The OEM rotors are not expensive compared to after market and I think worth sticking with OEM (as does my Jag repair shop). I did have good luck with Akebono pads on the XJ350 and would get them again.

Lotus wants the brake fluid flushed once a year according to local Lotus dealer.

 

2010 XKR brake fluid change every 24 months is recommended maintenance. My knowledge is that it's related to large temperature changes allowing water to condensate in the fluid which destroys the fluid, the mechanics and the performance of the brake system.

I understand that water condensate in the system is not that big of a problem if there are not large changes in temperatures throughout the year but it is a mandatory maintenance item if your are in an area where there are large temperature changes, and, therefore a greater opportunity for water to form in the brake system. Consider the issue depending upon the climate you live and drive in.

I believe it's a new protocol (it wasn't for my 2002 XJR100 though I did it when I replaced the Brembo rotors & pads) but, considering the importance of brake performance for high performance vehicles, it's probably a good idea to follow the OEM's directions for fluid replacement.

 

Coming from the older Ferrari community we would do fluid changes every 2 years. This was brake , anti-freeze and transaxel/gearbox. As to the brake fluid we would use one of a different color so you could see when the lines were purged. This was mostly done because we only put a few thousand miles on the car a year. If you use the car regularly you do not get to much condensation in the fluid . I suspect you could get away with longer service periods unless you don't drive much. If you heat up the brakes during driving sessions it has a tendency to burn off some of the water.

 

Funny thing as I talked to a service rep. today at Albany Jaguar. I am planning on giving these folks my Jaguar service business for anything I can't do until I am familiar with the car. We walked through CPO status and checked the TSB needs and found that I needed to have 2 done. Minor SW updates but I want to get this done while I still have covered service. We also discussed the tire wear and I'll go with them 1st to do the 4 wheel alignment ($180).
Back to the brake fluid change. He told me the required interval was 3 years by Jaguar. He also told me this was covered in my CPO agreement. He said I should wait until mid next year to get this service done.

 

If you look in your manual, the manual states every other year -- not 3. There's lots of religion about changing brake fluid, but at the end of the day brake fluid is hygroscopic. If you do any 'spirited driving' or track days, every other year is a good rule of thumb. I change the car I HPDE every spring (but I run DOT 4 in that, not DOT 3). Daily drivers should have it changed with regular frequency too. 3 years isn't a bad interval for most. There are SO many older cars whose brake systems are trashed by people not changing their fluids... it costs thousands later instead of just 50 bucks now. (Stupid Rolls Royce Owners... Grrr)

 

You run DOT 4 in your Jag, also. Or is that what you were saying?

 

No Muddy -- DOT 3 in the Jag. DOT 4 in the Z. DOT 4's boiling point is higher than 3, but it's even more hygroscopic. If I ever track the XKR, then I'll probably switch.

 

I can understand the chemistry and don't argue with it but my bet is that at least 80% of car owners don't/have not changed their brake fluid over the course of ownership of their cars. I would also bet that dealers don't do this even with the CPO cars. It makes you wonder how long it takes to absorb enough water to make the brake system ineffective. No argument , just sayin

 

Does Brake Fluid Need to Be Changed?

Does Brake Fluid Need to Be Changed? - KickingTires

 

So I'm still a little confused, Rahtok. The dealer did my last brake fluid flush (I had them do it when I bought the car) and the part number on the invoice doesn't specify DOT 3 vs 4, but this is what my owners manual says:

Also, am I correct in remembering that DOT 4 is usually synthetic, and can't be mixed with DOT 3 or the world will blow apart in a nuclear explosion?

(Or at least something about degrading the rubber seals.)

 

Hrm. You know, I've just had it done as part of service since I've owned the car. I made an assumption it was DOT 3, but didn't actually check. And you're right, it is DOT 4.

As far as 'mixing' the two, in most cases you can. Not that you would want to, but most of the 3's and 4's use the same glycol ether base. DOT 4 has a higher boiling point when fresh, but it drops off more rapidly as it absorbs water than DOT 3 -- hence the suggestion to change it more frequently.

And Jagtoes -- you're right. Most don't -- ever. My wife's car is on a 3 year cycle (she's a little aggressive with her brakes and does 15k+ a year). I let the truck go 4 to 5 years between changes. I suppose it really depends on how long you intend to keep the car and how well you take care of them. Cars that sit a lot are at the highest risk of having the water in the brake fluid cause corrosion. The 2nd pic below is what happens if you DO let the brake fluid sit too long. Those came out of one of the calipers of my Rolls. Mind you, that was 8 to 10 years or so of sitting in a warehouse, but still.

 

Just to add to the conversation and make sure folks are clear

DOT4 is compatible with DOT3 systems.

DOT5 is not compatible with DOT3 or DOT4 systems.

Most of you know this but I didn't want it lost in the discussions

I'm an avid believer in this using ATE super blue (Available in both blue and amber).

Turns out the Blue is now illegal to sell for street cars in the US, as Federal law requires all brake fluid to be colorless, or amber in color.

ATE pulled Super Blue from the US market in late 2013

Vince

 

I currently own a 1984 Mustang, 2000 Lincoln LS and 1998 C1500 truck that where all purchased new and I never changed the brake fluid on any of them. What is suppose to happen if you don't and how long does it take to happen? All seams fine as of now. I also purchased a used 2010 XKR are the brakes different then the before mentioned autos? Always looking to learn!

 

You scare me....

 

The brake system is a hydraulic system. Introducing water, or especially air into the system will cause your brakes to feel "mushy" or even fail completely.

I can't say that I ever changed brake fluid in my old cars. Maybe my dad did once when a master cylinder went out. But like Rahtok says, the DOT 4 fluid has a tendency to collect water more readily and should be changed occasionally.

I'd suspect you'd feel the mushiness of wet fluid first before anything bad happened. Even with air in the line once the brakes kicked in after the initial "Oh Sh.." feeling of nothing happening!

 

This is so different than the way I learned it. In trying to upgrade a car with stock DOT 3 system to Motul RBF600 my mechanic refused to do it without replacing all the seals in the entire system. He was pretty clear that you couldn't combine them.