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[Auto Addict]

My mates car has failed the MOT, told it needs a brake fluid change.

Is this correct?

[henryd]

It may well need one but don't believe the tester can fail it for that

Edit

Looking online it seems that if tester can see contamination of fluid he can fail it

[Auto Addict]

It may well need one but don't believe the tester can fail it for that

Exactly, how could they tell!

[Doctor Gollum]

It may well need one but don't believe the tester can fail it for that

Exactly, how could they tell!

If the fluid is particularly dark or has obvious bits floating in the reservoir...

[Auto Addict]

It may well need one but don't believe the tester can fail it for that

Exactly, how could they tell!

If the fluid is particularly dark or has obvious bits floating in the reservoir...

It's not, I've had a look, clean as a whistle, he's going to take it elsewhere.

[Bigron]

They can check for water content, which doesn't show on a visual inspection. The water can boil off in the brake cylinders and result in inefficient or no brakes!

Ron.

[Andy B]

My tester has never removed the cap of any car I've taken for a test & unless you did so, IMHO it'd be impossible to tell the state of the fluid 

[Bigron]

Really, if your brake fluid is the original or hasn't been changed for some time, accept that your tester was doing you a favour and have it changed - the cost is trivial compared to a potential accident or loss of life.....

Ron.

[Andy B]

Really, if your brake fluid is the original or hasn't been changed for some time, accept that your tester was doing you a favour and have it changed - the cost is trivial compared to a potential accident or loss of life.....

Ron.

But there's no evidence that there is a problem with Barry's mate's car's brake fluid.   

[Sir Tigger KC]

Don't they take a sample of the brake fluid and test it in a spectrum analyser or something?     

How much are we talking to change the brake fluid anyway? 

[dave the builder]

Really, if your brake fluid is the original or hasn't been changed for some time, accept that your tester was doing you a favour and have it changed - the cost is trivial compared to a potential accident or loss of life.....

Ron.

Spot on , well said that man 

even if it's clean looking in the reservoir, who knows what it's like in the calipers,plus it absorbs moisture ,replacing it on a regular basis based on mileage AND age is good practice.

As for the NT (mot tester) he has inspected the brakes,felt pedal travel, brake tested on the rollers (so knows what the brakes are like) and can compare from experience good and bad brakes .

even if it is the cars first MOT , that is 3 year old brake fluid

I think tyres and brakes are pretty important and just meeting the minimum requirements at MOT time warrants at least an advisory , because some people get their MOT certificate and do NO maintenance to their car for another 12 months (next MOT )   

[Bigron]

Maybe this will help?
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=brake+fluid+testing&t=ffnt&ia=web

Ron.

[dave the builder]

I would not recommend Brake fluid testing with cheap Chinese probes that you stick in the reservoir.
the fluid in the calipers is subjected to much bigger temperature differentials ,so calipers can suck in moisture and dirt particles .

brake fluid is cheap,
 if you DIY a brake fluid change and clean up the calipers ,so the pads move  the cost is peanuts .

if you have your car serviced by a good garage , the cost of tagging a complete brake fluid change onto the service is minimal (because they have your car on the ramps anyway )

[STEMO]

Don't they take a sample of the brake fluid and test it in a spectrum analyser or something?     

How much are we talking to change the brake fluid anyway? 

Ah...the old rectum paralyiser, haven't used one of them for over 40 years. 

[Andy B]

Really, if your brake fluid is the original or hasn't been changed for some time, accept that your tester was doing you a favour and have it changed - the cost is trivial compared to a potential accident or loss of life.....

Ron.

Spot on , well said that man 

even if it's clean looking in the reservoir, who knows what it's like in the calipers,plus it absorbs moisture ,replacing it on a regular basis based on mileage AND age is good practice.

As for the NT (mot tester) he has inspected the brakes,felt pedal travel, brake tested on the rollers (so knows what the brakes are like) and can compare from experience good and bad brakes .

even if it is the cars first MOT , that is 3 year old brake fluid

I think tyres and brakes are pretty important and just meeting the minimum requirements at MOT time warrants at least an advisory , because some people get their MOT certificate and do NO maintenance to their car for another 12 months (next MOT )   

No one is denying that Dave, but this seems to be the first that anyone here has heard of brake fluid being an MOT fail.