I have seen many vehicles with brown brake fluid after 3-4 years. It is like antifreeze- it may work, but it may also not be ideal. Considering the marginality of the average Dodge brake system, I flush mine out when I get a "new" truck, and about bi-annually thereafter, providing I dont sell it for $2K more than I have in it before then. If you live in a humid climate (if you have frost or dew most mornings, you live in a humid climate), more flushing may be needed. Water can seep into the rubber brake lines through micorscopic holes in the rubber compound, plus whenever you open the master cylinder to make sure you still have fluid, water is introduced via humidity in the atmosphere.

I have noticed no noticeable difference in synthetic vs standard brake fluid- save your money and get the el-cheapo, just make sure it is a DOT 3 or 4.

Daniel

 

I'll go along with a 4-5 year service interval for the brake fluid alone, if nothing else is being done. 18 months for fluid flush is just obsessive. Who goes more than five years without having to replace pads or shoes and bleed anyway? That is why I say just do it in the course of normal maintenance and otherwise fuggedaboudit.

 

My expeirence with silicone fluids is that they seem slightly more compresable giving a slightly softer pedal, and if they leak they make a mess, you can't just wash the shoes off with water and re use them. System components like wheel cylinders and calipers last forever though. I might consider using it on a boat trailer with surge brakes.