Would appreciate some comments about an issue I had recently.
Took my 2014 Accord Hybrid into Firestone in May 2019 for new tires. They suggested that I really needed a brake fluid flush so I did it. Then in July 2019 (2 months later) I had to go to Honda service for another issue and they told me that the brake fluid really needed changing and the tech said it was brownish/copperish in color and should normally be clear(er). I kind of got on their case and explained we had this done two months earlier and of course didn't have it done.
Now last week we had to bring our car back to Firestone due to a tire repair/replacement (we have their road hazard). When the car was ready they listed on the services needed that the brake fluid needed changing. Their test showed 200 ppm and that was actually pretty bad.
I asked him a few questions about the reliability of the test (they use test strips and visual of fluid) and it sounded like the test was pretty "sound". When I explained to him that they did this in May and he looked it up then he started with some technical explanation basically explaining that it could have been so bad in May that it didn't all get flushed out, etc., etc..
Was he feeding me a line of bull??? Would appreciate any insight or thoughts in this since I'm not mechanically inclined.

 

He was probably trying to explain the best way he knows how so that you will do what is right.
If the tests shows that you need to change the brake fluid then it is a good idea to do so
Tests, not BS is what you have to go by.

 

So it doesn't sound odd to you that the place I took my car to get the brake fluid flushed, 3 months later, is saying the test show it needs to be flushed?
He didn't know at the time that I had the car in there for the same reason 3 months prior.
Honestly, to me, it sounds like they said they did it in May 2019 and didn't do it.
I don't know of any other plausible explanation.
I really don't follow your logic in what you said avisitor.

 

That was my first thought,they didn't change it the first time,brake fluid dosent go bad in three months. If you have it done again check the master to see if it's clear before you leave.good luck.

 

I actually will take it to the Honda dealership in a couple of weeks to have something else done. They will check it then.

 

You're right. It does sound like they didn't do the brake flush previously.
Or they are trying to get you to do it again.
My logic is tests are truth.
If you do the test and it shows it needs to be flushed then that is truth.
It doesn't matter what they say.

 

OK, I thought your first post was overlooking the fact that they supposedly did the brake flush 3 months prior.

 

This was the part that confused me.
So, I only go by tests and not BS from anyone.
And I usually like to see the test run in front of me

 

I was telling the Honda people basically that this was already done (at Firestone) two months ago and I was on the verge of accusing the Honda people of trying to up-sell me for a service I didn't need. I guess they were right to conclude that the brake fluid really did need changing since it is now obvious (to me) that Firestone never did it in May. I could have worded that better I suppose.

 

Follow up on the 2nd brake fluid flush...

The tech made a note to keep the before and after test strips, which they did.
The test strips he showed me were in the 200ppm range before and after it was on the low end (as expected).
He still held his ground and said it the reason why it was back up to 200 ppm 3 months after they did it was because it must have been really bad off, so bad that there was still stuff in the system after the flush.
That didn't make sense to me because I had the brake fluid system flushed about 30 months prior so I'm inclined to just stick with the scool of thought that they failed to do it the first time.
I didn't argue, it was free, I left and not sure if I'll want to trust that store again.