Yesterday, my wife took her PT Cruiser to Goodyear for an oil change.  The car has 36,000 miles on it.  They called up and told her that the power steering fluid and the brake fluid needed changing ($89 each service).  They said that they tested it and it showed it need changing.  They told her that these fluids break down just like the engine oil.  In all my years, I have NEVER changed those fuilds (I have replaced as they have gotten low, but that was due to a leak) EVERYBODY/ANYBODY please chime in!  Am I the stupid one for NOT changing these fluids!!!!!!

Look at the owners manuals and see what it says about service intervals for those items.  

I wouldn't have changed them.  Sounds like they were trying to take advantage of your wife.  I wonder how they "tested" them?

For the sake of argument, let's say that the owner's manual (per gunslinger) DID call for a change.  So you suck the brake fluid out of the resevior (sp) but I bet they would not have blown the brake fluid out of the lines so it is clean fluid all the way through (or the power steering hoses)!  Then that would be like changing the oil and NOT the oil filter.  Next thing you know, they will want to change the flicker fluid in the flasher unit!

Newer vehicles are not made as well as the older vehicles. Some of the PS systems these days will lock up on ya at any time due to contaminated fluid.....these things wear quite rapidly with old fluids. Brake systems are also prone to damage from old fluid...much more so than older cars without ABS/Traction control, etc.
There are tests for this....some simply use a PH paper, some actually take a sample of the fluid and analyze it. Would I pay them to do it? Prolly not, but I can do that myself. If you don't have the equipment to bleed your brakes, or flush you PS system, it might be a good idea to let someone else do it. You do NOT have to let the guys doing your oil-change do it....it's not a law.....

btw...they would normally flush the brake system completely, and the PS system would also have the hoses removed, and the system completely flushed. This is itself CAN cause problems, by loosening up stuff that was happy being stuck to the sides of the R&P....


oh...and with the advent of electronic flashers, the flicker fluid is not longer needed on newer cars....


|UPDATED|10/15/2012 10:04:04 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

GunSlinger and Dr. Adams,

David(and Mrs. David), times are hard out there....folks/shops are doing everything they can to stay afloat. Selling preventative maintenance is a good thing, so that's what they try to do. It's not really "wrong" of them to do it, but if they try to INSIST that you have to have it done, then there's a problem. Their job is to inform you that this or that service is recommended...it's up to YOU to either do it or not. If they try to intimidate a customer into doing a service like this, then it's time to get in your car and leave.....
Like Bruce said...check your owner's manual...it may have a suggested service interval for those fluids.

Owner's manual.....you speak in foreign tongues......that would be like reading the directions on an "Easy-to-Assemble" item before mid-night on Christmas Eve when you have youn'ens  (and after a couple of Christmas toddy's, or so I have been told).  Actually this Goodyear place is very good about 'pointing things out' but leaving the decision up to the car owner.  And I would rather have it that way, the not knowing.  I just NEVER knew!!!!!!

What year/engine is this thing...I'll look up the maintenance schedule for ya....yeesh.....



Really, you're no different than 90% of the other folks out there....not knowing about other things on the vehicle that need attention during the lifetime of the vehicle. Most folks only concern themselves with oil/filter changes, tires, putting fuel in the tank, and driving. All of the other stuff is outta-sight, outta-mind. Did you know that most cars these days have a filter for the fresh air-A/C system that needs to be changed? Whodathunkit?


btw...I'm not trying to make ya feel bad....that's the last thing I wanna do to anyone here. Just trying to point out that you questioning the need to check/service these other systems is not just you...a lot of this kinda crap isn't really common knowledge. Newer cars are just getting to be waaaay to complicated....


|UPDATED|10/15/2012 8:12:19 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Thx for the offer to look up the maintenance schedule.  I will look at the owners manual tonight.  yes, I did know about the air cabin filter and I do flush out the radiator and have the transmision fluid changed when required, or sooner.