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Loss of brake fluid must not be ignored, so follow our guide to the common causes and how they can be fixed.

Brake fluid is the essential ingredients for ensuring your vehicle can stop, so if you need to top it up regularly, or notice it’s leaking out, then the cause of the problem must be found and fixed immediately.

Brake fluid should be renewed every two years because it absorbs moisture (hygroscopic), which leads to corrosion inside the brake system, resulting in leaks and rust particles damaging seals. Most brake pipes are open to the elements, so they inevitably corrode and eventually need to be renewed. Wheel cylinders, brake fluid reservoirs and brake master cylinders can all leak when the seals become worn.

As part of routine servicing, it’s worthwhile asking someone to press the brake pedal while you look for leaks at the brake master cylinder, reservoir, brake pipes, flexi-hoses and brakes. And when it comes to servicing the brakes, particularly drum brakes, they can be further inspected to ensure brake fluid isn’t leaking out. These checks can help to identify problems at an early stage when the brakes may seem to be working perfectly well.

The following pages provide step by step information on a variety of aspects of brakes and fixing problems that can cause brake fluid leaks, including renewing seals inside a master cylinder and wheel cylinder, fitting a new wheel cylinder, and fitting new brake pipes and flexi-hoses. We’ve also looked into tools such as brake flaring equipment and brake bleeding kits.

Brakes are one of the most important components on a vehicle, so don’t ignore any problems.