For my 2004 Mini Cooper S, < 20,000 miles

To my understanding, you're normally supposed to change out your brake fluid once every 2 years or so. Or it's also recommended at the same time when you change out your brake pads.

Seeing how a brake fluid flush hasn't been completed in 9 years (the previous owner hardly drove it), should I go ahead do a flush now (the techs at the dealership said it was really contaminated) or should I wait until my brake pads wear thin? I have about 10mm (fronts) and 8mm (rears) left on my brake pads and it'll be my DD.

 

You're fluid is long overdue for a flush. Change it now. It will be many months and miles before you wear out your brake pads.

 

Every two years whether you like it or not

 

Yeah, it's not a bad idea... at all. Old brake fluid is contaminated AND have a higher level of humidity, which isn't good for braking.

The only thing to be careful about is if your pads aren't new when you flush the brake fluid and set it at the normal level, once you put new pads in, brake fluids will spill out of the reservoir. You can always check the level first, flush it and make sure it's at the same spot once you're done, then adjust it once the brakes are new on all wheels.

I bought a Motive bleeder when I changed my brakes and installed ss lines and it works like a charm. Much easier and faster than the standard method, no helper required.

 

I would bleed the brakes and clutch.

http://www.waymotorworks.com/ate-sup...ake-fluid.html

And either a bleeder or patient helper. I flushed out my '04 with 50k a year or so ago. Pick a weekend to crack open a beer and DIY, pretty easy job.

 

Haven't had the time or money to spend a lot of time on a track this year, but I've bought ATE Type 200 and Super Blue, changed the fluid using the Super Blue and will use the Type 200 next time I do a flush (for obvious flushing easiness). Don't know how long the fluid sat in my Mini before I bought it, but it went from a little bit on the soft side, to hard like it should be.

 

8-10mm considered to be a decent amount of life left on pads?

 

Yes, I feel pads are done at the 4mm mark. Some states go as low as 2mm for inspection.

 

Local independent mechanic offered brake and clutch fluid replacement for $130 complete, seems like a good deal to me. And in my climate, two years is not a long time but 9 years is way too long, so get it done soon OP.

 

Looks like I'll be doing the brake fluid soon. What's the deal with the clutch fluid though? What's the interval on that?
(EDIT) I just read somewhere that the clutch and the brake use the same reservoir... Does that mean they use the same fluids? Meaning I just need to change the brake fluid and I'm good to go?

 

I bled mine with ATE Super Blue last May. I didn't bother to bleed the clutch. There's a special tool that's needed to compress the piston in the clutch slave. My clutch is working fine, and I believe it *should* be changed for good maintenance, but to me it's not a safety issue like brakes are, so I'll wait till I replace pads next Spring.

This will make sense after the next time you look at it. You'll see the brake master cylinder mounted to the vacuum booster on the firewall. Look closely at the bottom of the fluid reservoir. Obviously it feeds fluid to the brake master cylinder which it sits directly on top of; but you'll also see a small tube that gravity feeds the fluid from the reservoir through the firewall. If you look under your dashboard you'll see the clutch master just above the pedal. -So yes, the brake master and clutch master both get fluid from the same reservoir. But you can bleed the brakes without bleeding the clutch. Unless you open the bleed valve on the clutch slave, the old fluid will simply remain in the line between the clutch master and slave underneath everything.

 

True, but have both done after all these years,...

 

I have Way replace the brake fluid every other year with Motul 600 and had him replace the transmission fluid with Redline MTL. Shifts feel much smoother. In Aug switched to EBC yellow pads and they seem to have made a nice difference, in really hard braking, at the track.