Question abouut brakes on my truck?

[MikeKle]

Lately my truck(dodge ram 4x4 1500) has been stopping really good!! But before a few days ago, the pedal had alot of travel before stopping, actually almost to the floor, now I can barely even touch the pedal and it stops, and hardly no pedal travel at all? What caused this? It has been VERY cold lately, so maybe that is it? Thanks guys

[unkownfl]

How long has it been since you changed your brake fluid?

[MikeKle]

Never changed it, but check it quite often, I never knew you were supposed to drain and fill with new brake fluid? I didnt know it went bad? Does it?

[unkownfl]

If your truck has some mile on it or you use it a lot to tow you should change it. You need to bleed all the lines out and the tank to completely change it. The owners manual will say how often. The fluid breaks down and boils at a lower temperature with age that is what the dot rating is. It may look fine but it can also accumulate water in it from humidity and other factors. I'm not saying it is 100% your problem but it is something that should be done every so often anyway.

[topsites]

Never changed it, but check it quite often, I never knew you were supposed to drain and fill with new brake fluid? I didnt know it went bad? Does it?

Not sure if it goes bad but it does contaminate, after so many years of sitting
in the system unchanged the stuff eventually turns black, it should be clear.
I see it all the time in my own vehicles, I call it dirty brake fluid, I'm sure it's not good for it.

So to answer the question, yes we're supposed to drain the system every so often for that exact reason,
I'm also sure most never do, then again as anal as I am about things but this one I hardly ever do either.

One thing I found that helps, is to syphon out the master cylinder then refill,
careful how you do it because brake fluid is nasty on paint and other surfaces
also that still leaves all of the stuff in the lines but it's a whole lot easier than
completely draining the system.