Servo ABS fluid change cost?

[BigBugger]

Hi all,
my 1150GSA is now 4 years old and I am going to have a full brake fluid change done in an effort to keep the servo unit in working order.
Any idea how much I would expect to pay to have this done at a dealer as a one off rather than as part of a service (everything else has been done bar the fluid), and what's involved?
Do they need to take the tank off to do it? If so I'll remove the Baglux cover before it goes in.
Thanks.

 

[Grim Rider]

I had this done as a one off last year at my local dealers, Clarks in Rednal- they also replaced the rear pads and had to fit a timesert in the rear caliper as one of the threads was knackered (I did suspect this already!) - total cost was just over £100 (with £60/hour labour). Don't think they needed to remove the tank.

 

[sockpuppet]

I believe they do need to take the tank off to bleed the servo circuits.

Ask Steptoe he'll probably be cheapest if your in the area. Edit: Ah, your in scotland.

 

[DaveH]

Do mine every year regardless of mileage. The tank definitely needs to come off to get to the accumulator. If BMW dont remove the tank, then I suspect they are only changing the fluid in the wheel circuits using the OE filling adapters. You need acess to the bleed screws on the accumulator to bleed the primary circuits. Not too difficult to do poviding you make up special tools and bleed in the correct order.

Would reccommend annual fluid changes to keep everything working as it should.

(Anyone who live in the midlands area - I service / repair bikes in my spare time... cheap rates, any makes except Ducati (and clutches in K1200LT's -did one in March - nightmare job !), Have diagnostics for BMW, Triumph, Moto Guzzi & Benelli.)

Dave H

 

[BigBugger]

You need acess to the bleed screws on the accumulator to bleed the primary circuits. Not too difficult to do poviding you make up special tools and bleed in the correct order.

You can do this yourself? I thought the dealer needed to plug it into their diagnostic machine to open valves in the servo unit to change the fluid in it?

I have checked with the local BMW dealer in Dundee, £137 including fluid and vat

 

[Springer]

Cw's £100 on my Adventure last September.

 

[west coast traveller]

You can do this yourself? I thought the dealer needed to plug it into their diagnostic machine to open valves in the servo unit to change the fluid in it?

I have checked with the local BMW dealer in Dundee, £137 including fluid and vat

You can do it yourself-takes about 45minutes once you get the hang of it and no need for fancy equipment. There are several threads on this but the "american instructions" make it far more complicated than it actually is. You do need some basic mechanical know how.

 

[BigBugger]

You can do it yourself-takes about 45minutes once you get the hang of it and no need for fancy equipment. There are several threads on this but the "american instructions" make it far more complicated than it actually is. You do need some basic mechanical know how.

I have read threads on here about it but as far as I could see they only covered bleeding above and below the actual servo unit, but didn't change the fluid that was inside the unit it’s self, and if this was left unchanged it eventually turned into treacle and ruined the servo unit?
I was under the impression that to do a full fluid change you needed to have the bike plugged into the dealer diagnostic machine to open the valves in the actual servo unit to let you flush the fluid through it?
If anyone can tell me otherwise and point me in the right direction then I'd be grateful.
Many thanks for all the answers
BB

 

[DaveH]

You can do this yourself? I thought the dealer needed to plug it into their diagnostic machine to open valves in the servo unit to change the fluid in it?

I have checked with the local BMW dealer in Dundee, £137 including fluid and vat

No...diagnostics are useful but haven't reached the stage yet where they can undo bleed nipples

Dave H

 

[Myke Rocks]

Brake fluid change

Why the hell should a motorcycle brake system which the atmosphere does not to have access (to absorb moisture) require fluid change on a regular basis, when few people in cars would contemplate changing fluid in their car's brake circuits at similar intervals, even though they are open to atmosphere and able to readily absorb moisture.
I suspect job creation.

 

[motobiker]

Every two years for me.. doing this on friday. which will be 2 years and 5 months since last changed.

 

[rudiemoto]

I had this done as a one off last year at my local dealers, Clarks in Rednal- they also replaced the rear pads and had to fit a timesert in the rear caliper as one of the threads was knackered (I did suspect this already!) - total cost was just over £100 (with £60/hour labour). Don't think they needed to remove the tank.

yep take the tank cover off ,cause we hate re fitting them .
also the tank has to come off the refill servo

 

[rudiemoto]

Why the hell should a motorcycle brake system which the atmosphere does not to have access (to absorb moisture) require fluid change on a regular basis, when few people in cars would contemplate changing fluid in their car's brake circuits at similar intervals, even though they are open to atmosphere and able to readily absorb moisture.
I suspect job creation.

brake fluid can deteraiorate with heat from the calipers , you can tell if its a gold brown color ,if its black then its deffo needs changing

 

[Myke Rocks]

Brake fluid change

brake fluid can deteriorate with heat from the calipers , you can tell if its a gold brown color ,if its black then its deffo needs changing

You still haven't answered my question. Why should it need changed in a BMW bike as an essential, and not in cars at the same intervals?
Originally in cars, the brake fluid was never changed, but about 25 years ago the brake fluid manufacturers started pushing for regular changing because brake fluid can absorb moisture & fluid might boil in extreme circumstances. This "puff" was and has been ignored by most people.

 

[Supertech]

Erm...maybe you should get your service manual for your average modern car out and read it. Changing the fluid is scheduled, in modern, cars every two years. Even in older ones there was a recommendation to change it regularly.

The reason is this - the ABS system is a hydraulic system with valves that have extremely fine operating tolerences. DOT 4 brake fluid breaks down with time and its viscosity changes. To keep the system working correctly you have to replace the fluid. Also changing it flushes away harmful build up thet could damage or jam valves. When dealing with some valves a tiny spec of dirt can cause a valve to fail.

 

[Myke Rocks]

Erm...maybe you should get your service manual for your average modern car out and read it. Changing the fluid is scheduled, in modern, cars every two years. Even in older ones there was a recommendation to change it regularly.

The reason is this - the ABS system is a hydraulic system with valves that have extremely fine operating tolerences. DOT 4 brake fluid breaks down with time and its viscosity changes. To keep the system working correctly you have to replace the fluid. Also changing it flushes away harmful build up thet could damage or jam valves. When dealing with some valves a tiny spec of dirt can cause a valve to fail.

Read my posting again. I am aware of the suggested change intervals. I said that very few do it. The supposed justification in cars is moisture being absorbed.
Not likely in motorcycles, given the sealed nature ot the system.

Re. Dot 4 breaking down. Why should it do so in a motorcycle, on which the heating and cooling cycles are so much lower than a car?
Fluid breakdown. Most unlikely. Clearances & detrius jamming valves? Cars have similar systems & clearances, & such worries do not exist.
No: I still suspect creation.

 

[motobiker]

I don't know about your bike - but the fluid that comes out of MY bike after 2+ years is considerably darker than the new fluid going in. Given its 'sealed nature' this seems a little odd don't you think? It changes over time the obvious symptom of that being the colour change. What that means in reality - I don't know. (I'm not a chemist) however the brake fluid developers are and if they say to BMW or whatever bike manufacturer "This fluid has an operating life of 2 years" who am I to argue with that? Brake fluid isn't exactly an expensive commodity, after all.

 

[Myke Rocks]

Of course it is darker, probably as a result of contact with the seals.
You have still missed the point. Very few people with cars, whose brakes have a much more onerous time, change the fluid regularly.
My Seat has been serviced from new by Seat dealer. 160,000 miles. 9 years. He has never requested that I have the fluid changed. It may be remiss of him, but the majority of car dealers are the same.

I am not racing either my car or motorcycle, and am not worried about fluid breakdown.
The last time I had a seal failure on disk brakes was on a Honda S800 32 years ago. In recent years my braking problems have been confined to faulty master cylinders. (All 1 make & model) where the "floating" piston inside dual circuit brakes sticks after brake bleeding.

In past times, I have rallied cars, and had all 4 disks glowing dull red. Boiled the brakes. Regularly. I am familiar with such eventualities.
No, as previously stated, I find it hard to believe that there a need for such regular fluid changes.

One way to generate significant service income is to put awkward items onto the service schedule: E.G. changing brake fluid, Setting tappets.
Is there another modern engine in the world has it's service schedule requiring tappets to be set at every service? I think not. Do the need done?
I suspect not.
No, I am deeply suspicious of the servicing requirements of these machines.
By the way, look at service costs in US. Circa half what they are here.
Myke

 

[motobiker]

so are you suggesting that two yearly brake fluid changes are completely unnecessary? and if so a. do you not change yours? and b. what is your suggested interval - if any?

 

[Myke Rocks]

brake fluid change

I am not recommending a brake fluid change interval, but personally, I never change it - in any road vehicle. This is an individual choice, not a recommendation, & is based on a lifetime of experience. (annual mileage - circa 15,000 bikes, 30,000 cars)
Competition vehicles, by the nature of their use, seem to have continuous unplanned brake fluid changes. In a competition car, if it did not have an accident, I would probably change the fluid on an annual basis because of moisture absorbed lowering the boiling point of the brake fluid.