Brakes, rotors, and some questions

Straying from the original topic, but I just went through the maintenance records for the car I bought over the weekend (a Honda Element) and compared them to the recommended maintenance schedule. It's time to change brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid, air and cabin air filters. New spark plugs and checking valve clearances are right around the corner. It runs and drives beautifully as it is, so if course it's tempting to let some of this slide. But I know better...

 

I have never changed brake fluid in any of my cars, Pretty sure I never have done tranny fluid either.

 

I really like the maintenance reminder system in the wifes Honda Odyssey...it keeps track of whats due and it flashes a code, (like A1) you just look the code up in the OM, it will list exactly what needs done. Might be just engine oil and AF, might be tranny oil and tire rotation along with the oil this time.

You could get away with that on the older cars...the newer stuff with ABS, etc, you will pay for dirty fluid once the car gets older with failed components (maybe not always, but frequently)
Regular brake fluid change is one thing that has been done commonly in the motorcycle world for many years...much smaller parts don't deal well with contamination...and new parts are big $$, so better keep 'em happy!
Speaking of trans oil change...I hate the newer vehicles with "sealed" transmissions...

 

My wife's Honda has the Maintenance Minder feature, and it is nice. Mine's a few years older, so I'm stuck with charts and calendars.

The transmission fluid on the Element never gets completely changed. Total capacity is something like 7 quarts, but if you pull the plug only about half of that drains out. That's what they want you to do, too -- drain and replace 3.3 quarts at 120K or 6 years, then every 90K or 5 years. There's no pan on the bottom of the transmission, so the filter is external. The schedule doesn't mention filter changes, anyhow.

 

Trany fluid on any car never gets completely changed unless you stand an watch the people or do it your self. Just opening the drain on a tranny only gets part of it- has to be pumped through the whole system including coolers if equipped. At a lot of shops that's all they do and just maybe change the filter which requires dropping the pan . On a lot of rigs that is no easy feat.

 

Subie with CVT, "lifetime" fluid. Makes me cringe, it can be drained and filled with lots of pain I have read. I'll probably just wait until it blows up instead.

 

cousin is mechanic... he changed wife's subie,fluid has a pump pumps it out then fills it up.... said do it every 50k...

 

Closure on this.... $64 delivered pad slap all around, Wagners Thermo-Quiet or something like that.

Van stops great, no noticeable vibration from the rotors.