It’s not that hard and replacing it can solve any issues where the fluid gets moisture in it over time or you may notice other things in the fluid or notice fluid level too low (pads are not worn) and be able to catch other issues. It Just takes two bottles for $20 total and takes about 30 mins.

I do it every 3 years on all my vehicles.


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It’s not that hard and replacing it can solve any issues where the fluid gets moisture in it over time or you may notice other things in the fluid or notice fluid level too low (pads are not worn) and be able to catch other issues. It Just takes two bottles for $20 total and takes about 30 mins.

I do it every 3 years on all my vehicles.


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On my '03 I have to remove the wheels to bleed the brakes and I can guarantee you that I cannot jack up the vehicle and remove the wheels and replace them and do a brake fluid flush in 30 mins.
Course, a garage with a lift and air tools could probably come close to doing it in that time.
But, that 3 yr preventive maintenance on the brake fluid is a damn good idea.
Buffalo4

 

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, it is a real concern.

Every Odyssey has had some kind of note in the maintenance section of the manual about changing the brake fluid either when the minder says, when the mileage interval is for non-MM models, or every 3 years regardless.

Of all things to be cheap on, brakes is not one of them.

 

Had ours changed around 32k at the dealer. Used to do all my vehicles when I was more agile 😁 used a turkey baster to extract the fluid from the MC, and bleed the brakes, furthest rear first, then worked my way to the front, refilling with fresh fluid as needed.
The brake lines can get corrosion, moisture, and crude in them through the years, ask me how I know…

 

Same with the power steering fluid. Don't know what the spec is on 18+ but on the 17-down I do the fluid every 3 years. For brake fluid, I will do at least a partial flush and refill when I do pads/rotors. Given that Odys like to eat rotors its a regular cycle.

 

What is a partial flush and refill of the brake fluid?
Buffalo4

 

@CraigInNC
The GEN5 ODY's do not have power steering fluid, it is electric.

 

Motive Products

Motive Products Brand Store

www.amazon.com

Very Very simple....

 

Upvote - I've got a Motive pressure bleeder. Our other car is a BMW and requires changes every 2 years, so it comes in handy (low viscosity DOT4 fluid for the traction/stability control/ABS system).

 

Just going to chime in and add that I was driving my '91 VW Jetta back in high school on a really hot day and had the brake pedal go completely to the floor as I pulled up to a red light at a busy intersection. Brake fluid had boiled over.

Not something I ever want to experience again.

As others have said, don't skimp on brake fluid changes.

 

OP: I was a skeptic, like you. Until I bled the brakes on my 16 Ody and got something that looked like used motor oil. I dunno what it is, but brake fluid in Hondas goes bad real fast, apparently. My other car is a 2003 Vibe and the fluid has a mild yellow tint after 20 years.

 

I believe it’s a scam from Honda to get you in their shop.

Absolutely not a scam. If you live in Arizona (very low humidity), then the 30,000 interval is probably extremely conservative, but for most other places, it's cheap insurance on the most vital safety system on the vehicle as others have already stated.

The Harbor Freight bleeding kit (PITTSBURGH AUTOMOTIVE Pneumatic Brake Fluid Bleeder with Auto-Refill Kit) makes this task very easy.

 

I agree with the others' advice on this. Definitely not a scam. I don't have a pressure bleeder, so I enlist the help of wife or son to depress the brake pedal to work around the four wheels. It is easy to do. Just suck out the most fluid possible from reservoir and fill with fresh. I forget the specific order to bleed brakes, but I look it up and follow the prescribed sequence. It is pretty easy to tell the difference in old fluid and new. By the time you get done, you probably have 95%+ new fluid, unlike ATF change. For the minimal cost of fluid, this is good insurance. I've never had a problem with either Odyssey, but I have a Dodge Ram that had squishy brakes and ABS was malfunctioning. I changed the fluid when I did the brake shoes and it restored the function to better than ever. From what I have read, the moisture that gets absorbed in the fluid can wreak havoc on ABS systems, so it is just good practice to change the fluid according to schedule. For as easy as it is to do, I would hate to pay the dealer $100 to do it.

 

You've been very lucky. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. That moisture will at the very least rust out parts of your brake system. At worst, when braking hard the water in the fluid will boil and will turn to a gas and a gas will not provide enough pressure to brake the car. I've seen calipers freeze when the piston rusted to the caliper because the brake fluid was not periodically replaced. The best thing to do is use a moisture meter to check how much moisture is in your fluid. If you don't have one, every 5 years is a good idea. This is something you can do yourself with some simple tools and a fresh bottle of brake fluid.

 

I used brake bleeder tool made by Motive on other cars. Makes changing brake fluid a one person job.
Only thing is that you need to have the correct adaptors for the brake fluid reservoir cap.
I will be looking for an adaptor for Honda.

 

I’m on my fourth Odyssey since like 2000. I run the wheels off of them like over 200,000miles on a 2003. My current 2019 Ody maintenance minder keeps hounding me every 30,000 mile to replace the brake fluid. In my lifetime of working on cars and Odyssey I have never replaced
brake fluid. Never seen or heard of contaminated brake fluid. My previous three Odyssey went to the scrap yard with no brake issues. I believe it’s a scam from Honda to get you in their shop. What have any of you experienced with this issue ? I currently have 71000 miles on my 2019

I would not do fluid flush at 30k. I would if money was no object! Your definitely due at 70k though!! That reminds me my 17CRV is due at 60k. It’s cheap insurance! also if you haven’t changed your trans fluid yet, that needs done ASAP! Trans fluid is so easy to change I change at every 25-30k
Transmissions are very expensive

 

I would not do fluid flush at 30k.

He was referring to brake fluid not trans.

Brake fluid service is every 3 years. His 2019 is due.

 

I had no brake oil issue with my 2014 honda odyssey which I drove for 6 years with no minders.
But, this year I got minder on my honda 2020 odyssey @70,000 miles. Should I go for brake oil replacement or not.

 

New to thread, I have a 2023 that I got last year, and it has under 30k, and they are saying it is due now. Do I wait or do I get it changed, and when I get it changed do I use a better quality fluid?

 

they are saying it is due now

Brake fluid needs replacing only every 3 years. Your 2023 isn't due until late 2025 or early 2026 depending on its manufacture date.

do I use a better quality fluid

Any DOT 3 fluid is fine. There's no difference, even for Honda's own fluid.

 

I just had my brake fluid changed for maybe the 3rd time in September with the annual inspection. All went well, except the front left caliper locked up when the tech test-drove it out of the service garage. It was just the brake hose, not the actual caliper. They offered to replace the hose with me, just paying for the part, which I gladly did. Swapping out the broken hose was like a 10-minute job. They just rebled the one caliper, and it was all over. Honda has a $149 special for the brake service. $41 for the hose. The next thing up is four new tires in the spring.

 

@CraigInNC
I have never heard of that happening on a brake bleed before. Is your ODY GEN5? If it is a 2010 as shown in you name area... I could see the hose possibly going bad just by age.

 

@CraigInNC
I have never heard of that happening on a brake bleed before. Is your ODY GEN5? If it is 2010, as shown in your name area, I could see the hose possibly going bad just by age.

I should probably update that I pay attention to this section because my sister has a 2019, and she lives nearby. I handle her non-dealer maintenance. It was an unusual occurrence that I had never experienced before. However, it was noticeable AFTER they did the brake flush, not before when they did the initial inspection/test drive. It was part of our annual mandated inspection, and the tech had the van on the lift and had to do a once around the parking lot to test the whatnots for the state.