Introducing yet another Range Rover - Holland and Holland Range Rover, it costs £180,000 which is a lot more than a ‘regular' Range Rover LWB supercharged V8 by £70,000

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/range-rover-svo-holland-and-holland-2014-11-07

http://www.carthrottle.com/this-russian-ferrari-458-owner-went-ballistic-after-a-redlight-running-vaz-driver-caused-him-to-crash/

Can you imagine the insult? Vaz destroys a Ferrari, why did he run when the Ferrari driver came for him? I wonder oooo!

I travel a lot.

For a businessman time is money, which is why despite the fact that I might have a right. It is the course of wisdom to decide when it makes sense to fight for a right and when to let it go. A classical example is my being in the proper lane and some maniac decides to do an overtake without considering upcoming traffic, in a few seconds, he is face to face with me, insisting on my right of way at that material time my destroy my car (less important) and my life ( very very important). As a matter of fact, I got a few seconds to either stick to my right and become a part of the past instead of the present, make my wife a widow, and my children orphans.

The point is everything in life is a trade-off, and one needs to count the cost.

This is relevant because what is the point of stopping everything to go to court and lose a major client? Or a major contract?

I do not support bribes but I wonder if it is right to call it bribe or extortion.


I think extortion is more of the right word here.

I have suffered the same indignity in Lagos and in Enugu while I have not suffered it in Edo, I nearly did when i lost an engine there. What saved me was the locals warned me, so I hired a policeman to watch my vehicle and paid him while I make arrangements to move it from the road.

OP, thanks for the thread because by sharing your story, you have saved others and created enlightenment.

I perfectly agree with some of the sentiments of the Evilseed about pursuing the matter the legal way, but what I do not agree with is the fact that sometimes, the tradeoffs required to pursue a matter legally cannot be afforded, which is why someone may decide to waive away a right. I may not also like his method of delivery, although I know he has passed across a few valid points and defended why he holds his position properly/soundly.

I too believe in fighting for my rights, but when dealing with uniformed persons one has to decide on an appropriate course of action because some of them appear not to be able to reason intelligently, may even be high on drug or alcohol, and soaked in frustration may use their guns as a means of venting out their frustration on others.

I have on more than one occasion waived a right just to stay alive. I think that in the final analysis, that all things considered, I did the right thing in the circumstance, for another, he might prefer to die and let his family fight his case, but that is his cup of tea.

And rather than ask for directions, print Google Map directions or use Garmin, since humans are turning into animals, and no one wants to be his brothers keeper

no update?

Hope these links hep you:

forums.mazdaworld.org/101-323-protege-protege5/66499-o-d-light-flashing.html, just add http:// to the start

justanswer.com/car/156ip-od-light-blinks-time-time-it-s-2001.html, just add http://www. to the start


clubprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?49978-O-D-OFF-light-is-flashing-%28code-is-P0771%29, just add http://www. to the start


network54.com/Forum/15854/thread/1057122129/last-1057767998/2000+Protege+O-D+light+flashing, just add http://www. to the start

mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123742808-Transmission-HELP-O-D-light-blinking-above-120KM-H, just add http://www. to the start

mazda3club.com/showthread.php?t=41086, just add http://www. to the start

hazvat:
only engine changed.

The above question may seem irrelevant but often times I have noticed that some mechanics only care that the vehicle starts and not that all the wires are reconnected to their sensors.

So let me ask, did you ever experience this problem previous to the engine change? If no, then you need to do either of two things or both of them.

1. scan the car and post the codes here
2. get another similar vehicle without the same problem and meticulously trace all the wires in the engine compartment and compare with yours to confirm if indeed something has not be unplugged

If you can do one or both, we can get somewhere

ladycool430:
I drive 1997 Volkswagen golf. I got it 7 months ago. my fuel tank capacity is 60litres (plus reserve). I have taken note of fuel consumption rate of the car several times. it used to give me 400km (+/-15km) thereabout when I just got the car in March till around June. After which its fuel efficiency start dropping till today. I get roughly around 300km with 60litres gas now. I use AC all the time anyway, I read the car' s review online. I discovered the full tank should give up to 500km (combining city and highway trips). I drive on Lekki expressway to and fro mostly. So far, I have not done any work on the engine apart changing the oil after 4000km.

Going through a thread on NL now, I saw posts of cars covering between 500 - 600km with the same quantity of fuel- even SUVs and cars that are by far older than my golf (1990 Toyota carina)

PLS, WHAT CAN I DO

According to the above, the only work ever done on the vehicle is changing the oil hence my recommendation previously. However, if indeed you are using 20w-50 weight, please listen to the voice of wisdom on this thread and do the needful.

However, over time car components degrade, hence some of them are called service items. These include oxygen sensors, air filters, oil filter ( you already know that) to mention but a few, check your car manual for the service schedule and pay particular attention to items that need to be either inspected or replaced. When you do this check, don't start counting from the odometer at the moment of purchase, start counting the odometer from zero since you may not have any idea if the previous user kept to the maintenance schedule.

You mention that you have replaced the air filter, it is a good practice to always clean the MAF sensor when you change the air filter. If that has not been done, it should be done.

It also makes sense to do a scan as you have been advised. Could it be that your oxygen sensors are getting lazy? A scan should be able to detect that?

Has the sound of the vehicle changed? indicating a leak or leaks in the exhaust pipe?

I hope the above helps.

Then again you mentioned 500 kilometers on mixed driving. Did you ever achieve that? Or is that the statistic for the type of vehicle online? The question is relevant because we have quality of fuel issues which it seems will soon be resolved when Dangote's refineries introduce premium fuel to the Nigeria in a couple of years.

Could your plugs have outlived their useful life? What of the ignition wires? Who knows, maybe all you need is a tuneup.

All the best in your search for a solution.

tsiriman:


How is he able to sell it so cheap, is it actually the real thing?
The 5L jug is sold for 18k in kaduna while the 1L pack of 6 is sold for 21k.

maybe because they buy at distributor rate not end-user rate ?

Off-topic

I import mine. While the ordinary Mobil 1 5w-30 is ok, with non-dyno oil, my manual recommends filter change is at 5,000 miles and oil change at 3,000 miles. So I think it makes more sense to use Mobil 1 Extended Performance for 15,000 miles + a performance filter and change the filter at either 7,500 miles x 2 if I am paranoid or run 1 performance filter for the entire 15,000 miles or run the ordinary filter and change at 5,000 mile intervals.

But that is my choice after extensive research and weighing all the factors including other users who have done the same including oil tests at Blackstone for the same kind of vehicle.

Your case may be different.

I strongly suspectyYou have got electrical faults, please list the last 5 things mechanics did to you vehicle before this happened.

Did you change your transmission? Or engine recently?

Did anyone touch any wires in the engine compartment?

Then I might be able to tell you what has gone wrong.

I also suggest you do an OBD scan and post the results.

I suspect it will tell you P0767?

ladycool430:


the car mileage when I bought it was 183000km, I serviced it that very day using Mobil.
at 186000km, I used Mobil.
at 190000km (the last service), I used total

my mileage at present is 192000km+

Mobil has got lots of grades/types oils and so has Total. Which Mobil in particular? Which Total in particular?

What engine oil did you use during the last service?

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/bmw-44-liter-n63-engine-experiencing-frequent-reliability-problems-88225.html

I just hope the v12 does not have a similar fate , cause replacing that engine with new after warranty expires is not a pocket-friendly exercise.

Excerpt of importance:

To be more precise, we’re talking about the 2008-2014 BMW E71 X6 xDrive50i, the 2009 - 2012 BMW F01/F02 750i or 720 Li, the 2010-2012 550i models (sedan, wagon or GT), the 2011-2012 E70 X5 xDrive50i and some early versions (built in 2012) of the F12/F13 650i models.

Those units are the ones built before the facelift came out. In 2012, BMW released the same engine with a technical update, called N63B44O1. This one also makes more power, being rated at 450 HP and 650 Nm (480 lb-ft) of torque instead of 408 HP and 600 Nm (440 lb-ft) of torque as the faulty one.

Meringe:

Do you deal on Spare parts?
I need parts.

Private message me

chiebube:
Hello folks, pls where can i buy the 5w-30 oil in Abuja? If you have for sale, kindly contact me.

08034533668

Chiebube

Anny Japan has Mobil 1 5w- 30 at Gudu for 2,000.00 per 1L jug. Call him on 08033146927 or visit him at Shop W43, Block 15 by second gate.

I personally prefer it to that semi synthetic you find online (check my posts on engine oil to find out why)

eaglewingz:
Words can't express how grateful I am for all your responses.

From your suggestions and other researches I carried out, I think I will go with the toyota sienna 2000 model for a start pending when I have enough funds to get hummer buses.

Thank u all for taking ur time out to comment.

Given that you have decided, I won't bother to post the comparison.

Suffice it to say that the market screams Toyota Sienna, so if you go Sienna, you do no wrong, but right.

all the same, While the market screams toyota hummer bus, I think that bus is the most dangerous thing ever created to move human beings, although the market likes it so much http://rightcar.govt.nz/ancap-test-result.html?q=434

Meringe:

If you have enough money, go for 2004 sienna. You will not be having to change pad every now and then and your tires will last longer.
Good luck.

I think those of you in the transport business should forget about all the cheap pads imported from china even if they are in toyota packaging and replace with some aftermarket brands that are very qualitative.

I have seen pads that can do 50,000 miles ( 80,467 kilometers) - 100,000 miles (160,934 kilometers) before having to be replaced, but the guys in the market won't order such since it doesn't move as they say

From my research the best Sienna is the 2006 model crash protection wise in even in the base model

eaglewingz:


Tnks for ur input. But which of them will u advice I use? People are also recommending the nissan quest 2005. What's ur take on that?

Come to think of it, which year Sienna are you considering? If you tell me the year, I will be able to give you more precise analysis of that year versus a similar year MPV. I am familiar with Toyota Siennas (in V6 guise) and Mazda MPVs (in V6 guise) and not so familiar with Nissans not to talk of Nissan Quest, which is why I am extremely hesitant to speak on the subject.

People said all sorts of things when I got an MPV. Well, I'll tell you one thing. I tend to use it to travel because it is not on the watchlist for car snatchers.

Mazda MPV is extensively used for transportation in Ibadan I gather, but elsewhere in Nigeria, Toyota Sienna and Volkswagen Sharan win.

Toyota Sienna is used for transport not so much because the vehicle is the best 6 to 7 to 8 people carrier that was ever made, but speaking as someone who has interacted heavily with all sorts of transporters ( big time and small time), customers on certain long distance routes and in certain cities ( Abuja/Port Harcourt and to a lesser extent Lagos) will not join such a vehicle for the journey unless it was a Sienna. Based on this, it would be good to find out if the passengers you intend to carry will want to join your vehicle if it is not a Sienna.

It is possible that the Nissan Quest 2005 is not such a bad vehicle but I would suggest you sign up at nissan quest forums and lurk around to see if you can gain some intel on the vehicle.

Relatively speaking the parts of the Sienna are costly because it is a vehicle in demand compared to the parts of the MPV.

I will not decide for you, I will lay the facts for you as dispassionately as possible and will let you decide based on the parameters available to you.

Let me not go into more specifics until you provide the year of the Sienna you are considering.

chucky234:
2002 - 2005 MPV is fitted with 2.3L I4 and it is in no way underpowered.

Good to know, haven't driven it. My training tells me to err on the side of caution by not making a definitive statement on something I haven't exhaustively studied, hence I merely made a comparison not a definitive statement of fact

If you asked about the v6 engines in Mazda MPV, I can comment.

I know we had I4's in the Japanese versions, but I am not familiar with them. If people complained that the 2.5 v6 in the 1999-2001 versions were underpowered, resulting in the release of the 3.0 v6 in the 2002 - 2006, I wonder what would be said of the 2.4 I4s in the 2002 - 2005 as regards power.

If you want to use it for transport, you will need to replace the rear coil springs, all the Toyota Siennas used for transport replace the rear coil springs with something capable of carrying more weight than stock and that ensure the vehicle does not bottom out when navigating poor roads with full load

My idea ( not foolproof, but why lose two lives instead of one because of a mob)?:

Ideally, stop and assist

BUT

if stopping might mean, you will die or lose you limb or property than

HEAD STRAIGHT TO THE NEAREST POLICE/ARMY/SSS/NAVY/AIRFORCE FORMATION

and plead with them to let you in that your life is in danger ( not that you hit and killed someone)

ONCE SAFELY INSIDE

report the accident and ask for support aka reinforcement to go to the scene OR to a police station to report the matter


NOW THAT THAT IS OUT OF THE WAY

when i approach heavily trafficked areas or places where errant pedestrian are known to sacrifice their lives for nothing,

I do the following:

1. Slow down ( 5 to 10 to even 20 seconds from the spot the pedestrian(s) is standing waiting to cross)
2. Turn on my headlights or flash them repeatedly ( as i approach him or them)
3. blow the horn as if it were a siren and as if i am going berserk ( as soon as i spot the pedestrian[s] at the side of the road and i am 2 or 3 light poles away from him)
4. watch intently in case, I might need to swerve around pedestrians and cars as a result of a particularly stubborn die-hard who insists on crossing despite all the warnings above ( as soon as i spot the pedestrian[s])

CONCLUSION:
There are places that stopping to help or sympathize or whatever would mean suicide, if you guess that it would be suicide, then better follow the suggestion above

CAVEAT
The above advice is given based on the presumption that the driver did not drive dangerously INSTEAD the pedestrian opted to commit 'suicide by accident' by crossing foolishly, stupidly, without regard to other road users and put the driver between the devil and the deep blue sea

If your model and year is on this list, please take action speedily!

BMW: 627,615 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2000 – 2005 3 Series Sedan
2000 – 2006 3 Series Coupe
2000 – 2005 3 Series Sports Wagon
2000 – 2006 3 Series Convertible
2001 – 2006 M3 Coupe
2001 – 2006 M3 Convertible

Chrysler: 371,309 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2005 – 2008 Chrysler 300
2007 – 2008 Chrysler Aspen
2003 – 2008 Dodge Ram 1500
2005 – 2008 Dodge Ram 2500
2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 3500
2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 4500
2008 Dodge Ram 5500
2005 – 2008 Dodge Durango
2005 – 2008 Dodge Dakota

Ford: 58,669 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2004 Ranger
2005 – 2006 GT
2005 – 2007 Mustang

General Motors: undetermined total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2005 Pontiac Vibe
2005 Saab 9-2X

Honda: 5,051,364 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2007 Honda Accord
2001 – 2005 Honda Civic
2002 – 2006 Honda CR-V
2003 – 2011 Honda Element
2002 – 2004 Honda Odyssey
2003 – 2007 Honda Pilot
2006 Honda Ridgeline
2003 – 2006 Acura MDX
2002 – 2003 Acura TL/CL
2005 Acura RL

Mazda: 64,872 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2007 Mazda6
2006 – 2007 MazdaSpeed6
2004 – 2008 Mazda RX-8
2004 – 2005 MPV
2004 – B-Series Truck

Mitsubishi: 11,985 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2004 – 2005 Lancer
2006 – 2007 Raider

Nissan: 694,626 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2003 Nissan Maxima
2001 – 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
2002 – 2004 Nissan Sentra
2001 – 2004 Infiniti I30/I35
2002 – 2003 Infiniti QX4
2003 – 2005 Infiniti FX35/FX45

Subaru: 17,516 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2005 Baja
2003 – 2005 Legacy
2003 – 2005 Outback
2004 – 2005 Impreza

Toyota: 877,000 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2002 – 2005 Lexus SC
2002 – 2005 Toyota Corolla
2003 – 2005 Toyota Corolla Matrix
2002 – 2005 Toyota Sequoia
2003 – 2005 Toyota Tundra

Source:http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1095064_nhtsa-expands-takata-airbag-recall-heres-an-updated-list-of-every-u-s-car-affected

auhanson:


No worries Bros.



Gee welcome back , we've got to do some drifting and twisting like these ones here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3N9dtNjS84


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv-tEtGQzN8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDoZl_j-qjs

When discussing matters such as drifting or cone slalom-tackling, a Maybach is probably the last car that comes to mind. This is precisely the reason for which seeing F1 development racer Susie Wolf bashing a 57S way past the limit made our day. Naturally, we wanted to share this with you.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkSxkVVrJ_s
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/watching-f1-test-driver-susie-wolff-drifting-a-maybach-will-make-your-day-video-88091.html#agal_0

I'd love to see the S-Class or BMW 7 Series being drifted here. Sure there is at least one Maybach in Abuja, but it isn't used for drifting LOL.
And this one is being drifted by a lady!!

BizBooks:
To avoid severe loss in public trust and confidence such as Toyota and GM
suffered recently, car manufacturers are now issuing recalls at the slightest
hint of a problem. As a result, people are getting tired of the numerous recalls
from different manufacturers. Some of these recalls are now practically ignored
by car owners.

However, I have decided to post this airbag recall because it was issued by
the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and has been
all over the news here. On their website, they wrote "NHTSA urges owners of
certain Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, and General Motors vehicles to
act immediately on recall notices to replace defective Takata airbags".

According to reports, at least four people have died when inflator mechanisms
ruptured on the air bags, spraying the passengers with metal fragments. NHTSA
warned drivers whose cars have been recalled as a result of faulty inflators to
take them to the dealer immediately.

Car owners uncertain about whether their vehicle is equipped with a Takata airbag
can check at www.safercar.gov/vinlookup. Using the site requires that owners enter
their vehicle identification number (VIN).

A complete list of the affected vehicles is available at the NHTSA website. But the best
thing to do will be to type in your VIN number at www.safercar.gov/vinlookup and see for
yourself whether your car is affected or not. I say this because the list may be a bit
confusing for some people. For instance 2001 - 2007 Honda Accords are affected by
the recall but only the 4 cylinder engines. V6 engines are not affected.

References:
NHTSA Website
Washington Post

This is an extremely important issue and should be up there on Car Talk :

http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/New-free-online-search-tool-for-recalls-using-VIN-released
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/takata-airbag-incident-fatally-injures-a-woman-87988.html
http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Owners/VIN-lookup-msg

Especially since American cars often end up in Nigeria

Denn:


300km/h on twisty roads?

Ok

Well, a road that is twisty may have long straights, the roads i mentioned are twisty at some points but have got some very nice and long straights and if you are a good driver and have got the nerves and the car, you can make up for having to slow down during the straights and take the twists at insane speeds like they do in car racing

While mere mortals slow down to take it, you show them that when they say there are men and there are boys, you are one of the men! That you can take it at higher speeds without careening off the road

LOL

So that when they catch up with you at the next police or army checkpoint, they will turn to look at the angel or should I say devil that performed stunts before their vehicle eyes and lived to tell the tale!

When they get home, depending on orientation, they will recount the tale of the devil they met or the angel they aspire to become when they hope to become like you!!

Hope I made you laugh!!

Denn:


Ok. Which road?

Routes I have driven!
Abuja Lokoja (extended)

Abuja Kaduna (extended)

Benin Asaba (extended) if you want to try out your BMWs here's a place to go, it has also got some very sweet, smooth and twisty roads ( shall
I say I fell in love with the road which I traveled on the very time at night, but I did see one BMW that was destroyed entirely when its owner exceeded his limits and the cars limits, from the look of things, am not sure he survived. Matter of fact, Delta beats many southern states hands down in terms of number of kilometers of very very good roads in several directions!

Don't know the name of the roads - but Enugu and Ebonyi have some very sweet, smooth and twisty roads ( briefly), if you want to try out your
BMWs here's a place to go

Some sections of East West Road in Delta State ( briefly)

Abuja Minna ( very briefly)

Port Harcourt Expressway ( briefly)

Enugu and Abia state ( brief sections of that expressway)

Routes I have heard friends perform speed miracles
Kaduna
Kano
Sokoto
Jigawa


Come to think of it, should the constitutional amendment on road safety work, then it is time we abolish one speed limit for all of nigeria and replace it with varied speed limits like it exists in the US, and since states are complaining of lack of cash, they should build autobahn type roads and tax those who wanna use them, like i read Germany is about to do: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28199383 and http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-06/autobahn-thrills-to-cost-foreigners-under-german-plan.html and http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-06/autobahn-thrills-to-cost-foreigners-under-german-plan.html and http://www.justlanded.com/english/Germany/Articles/Travel-Leisure/The-Autobahn

I would gladly pay the bill to be able to drive between Abuja and Delta at 200km instead of 100km if all the states in between would work out an arrangement to build and toll such a road, same goes for abuja lagos

Jigawa

Disclaimer: I do not recommend exceeding speed limits, this was posted to illustrate what is possible, this is no incitement or encouragement to break the law and neither should it be taken as such!

Denn:


I do not know of any road in Nigeria where you can safely get to a cruising speed of 300km/h...

None to my knowledge.... And I have done a fair share of driving.

On the new ogbomoso to ilorin Road, I cruised at 200km/h and only for a very short period.

300? No

Cruising speed? definitely not for long.

Top speed? I think yes!

I love BMWs but it seems BMW doesn't want owners to fix their cars, my evidence is that they don't allow users to access technical data via sources like alldatadiy. That being the case, the vehicle is a black box, and you need a diviner in the form of the dealership aka stealership to make sacrifices on your behalf and commune with the Gods should anything go wrong, that comes at a huge price.

it didnt use to be so, but recent BMWs seem to be like i described above

I stand corrected, speaking based on what I have observed

Devirus2:
Pls where can I find that oil weight cos I can't find it here in abuja.

Private Message me for details

I stole this from another forum: oil grades have more of an effect on cars driven hard or used in extreme conditions

Read more: http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=228783#ixzz3GAG3iXpA

I guess this is why the majority of users don't realize what they are doing to their engines, but I guess because I drive very hard 99% of the time, I had to pay a price quickly, but if you drive like a grandfather, the day of reckoning will still come albeit much later

Devirus2:
My car recommended 5w30, but I've searched for it everywhere and can't find it. The closest I found is 5w40. Can I use it?

Where in Nigeria are you because i have seen 5w30 in Nigeria in synthetic form, though some report they have seen it in dyno form ( I haven't).

Let me share my experience with you, I used to use Visco 2000 which seems a lot better than Mobil XHP which eventually completed the destruction of my engine.

My manual says use 5w30, i drove to Lagos with Visco 2000 and decided to do an oil change before coming back ( I didnt find Visco 2000) so I used Mobil XHP, the day after I arrived, indeed the very the next morning when I started the car, the timing chains started rattling.

One thing led to another including 3 engine rebuilds, but after everything I lost that engine, since then its synthetic for me, initially i did 0w40, then i moved to 5w40 and now I am on 5w30 and while I have covered many many more miles since then and driven the car very hard even redlining it a couple of times, I have had no more chain rattling.

File a case with CPC - Consumer Protection Council. they helped me recover rent paid for a business premises in its entirety when I could not use the place

Ideally a car should be enjoyed from day 1 not endured from day 1.

Of course it can be fixed, but you will lose the use of the car until then, and then again what is the guarantee of the quality of the fix.

Ideally get your money back, start afresh

Don't be railroaded into an emotional decision, act based on the facts, and please get a lawyer along to ensure you don't negotiate away your rights, you are in a position of strength and the dealer is in a position of weakness.

But should you decide to accept the car, you MUST dictate the terms of such an agreement NOT the dealer.

CityNG

I have the greatest respect for you. Infact for everyone else I interact with, by character, I try very hard not to cause offense, even when offended or taunted or baited to make trouble, I do not retaliate, I just want to set the records straight for posterity. This is no fight for supremacy! If it was I would not quote you because I know and have known for quiet a while that Somorin and CityNG are one and the same.

Siena has built a reputation on Nairaland Car Talk that puts quoting him on the same pedestal as quoting an established authority, so I basically wanted anyone who reads this post in the future to know that checking the status of brake fluid is important, not just because a lesser mortal said it but because every higher mortals think it is.

REPOSTING MY FIRST POST ( EMPHASIS APPLIED WHERE NECESSARY)

I have never ever seen any post here on nairaland recommending that buyers of used cars should include changing the brake fluid as required servicing. I have seen change the transmission oil, engine oil BUT NOT brake fluid although everything points to the fact that brake fluid can degrade over time?

I read a lot about why brake fluid replacement is required servicing several weeks ago but put if off until I actually experienced brake failure (or should I rather say brake fade)?

Needless to say it was scary, it happened 200 miles into a 400 mile journey. When I returned home, I did what I read, i serviced the brakes and replaced the fluid with new.

I used DOT 3 as a temporary measure because I know DOT 5.1 is better ( by the way nairaland speed demons don't keep using DOT 3 when DOT 5.1 has the advantage of very high boiling points, relatively stable viscosity over a wide range of temperatures PLUS all the nifty water-absorbing characteristics of DOT 3.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_fluid#Glycol-based_.28DOT_3.2C_4.2C_5.1.29
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=421463

Please do not use DOT 5 in place of DOT 3, only DOT 5.1 in place of DOT 3.

While replacing engine oil keeps your motor hale and hearty, replacing brake fluid as and when due may very well mean the difference between life and death!

I used the expression FLUSH in the sense Siena used it here in his post of January 27, 2012 at 12:13am:

Brake fluid does NOT need topping up. The level will drop for two reasons only - you've got a leak, or the pads are worn pretty low. As the pads / shoes get thinner, the caliper and brake cylinder pistons extend more. Then the bores will take more brake fluid. If you top up, when new pads are fitted and the pistons are retracted to allow the new pads to fit, the fluid will overflow from the fluid reservoir.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic (meaning it absorbs moisture) so replacement interval is every 24 months. If it's not replaced and the water content gets too high, the fluid boiling point will be lower, no good. Also, the water will corrode the brake system internals - calipers, brake cylinders, brake master cylinders and ABS units will corrode from the inside out.

The same applies to clutch fluid (some models share the same reservoir as the brake). Replacing brake and clutch fluid requires flushing the old fluid through, and bleeding the systems thoroughly. If you're not mechanically-minded, it should be entrusted to a decent garage.

I used the words, change, replace and flush synonymously and in response to Piyke, I explained the sense in which I used the word flush. I even changed the title of the thread due to feedback from others including you!

I am also in IT by the way and that thread I linked to made me know you are also in IT which I did not know about CityNG until I read it this afternoon.

I hope the clears the air and settles the matter once and for all.

Related and relevant to the topic especially comments by @Siena and Somorin1 https://www.nairaland.com/854337/auto-maintenance-issues-how-often