If your hoses were even slightly porous, you'd be in real trouble! Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

The fluid is tested from the master cylinder reservoir. Most places take a little sample and put a tiny blob of it, on a refractometer. This is also becoming the way antifreeze strength is checked too.
My FL2 is in for annual service tomorrow, I think it is due for brake fluid.

geoff.c Forget any testing as after say 3 years of use, it just needs changing and its not a a big bill at an Indie and not that hard to do yourself.

No such thing as pure antifreeze really now, its a coolant and again it needs removing and changing at say no more than 5 years no matter what any test shows. Its in there now to stop corrosion and stopping freezing is secondary. Good time would be at a cam belt change when it makes sense to do the water pump on most cars as well. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Tbh I've never bothered with the 3 year rule. If braking is OK then you are unlikely to have a sudden problem.
EXCEPT for that time I had a heavy trailer on a steep hill with a bend at the bottom and the brakes suddenly disappeared. In my manual Disco I was able to use the gears and slow it enough to get round the corner. My conclusion -
1) If you are towing or heavily laden (eg with a full set of people and their luggage) the brakes have to work much harder and you should be much more attentive to them
2) This applies doubly to an automatic, as you cannot necessarily use the gears to slow down - the gearbox will not change down above a speed it deems to be appropriate!
 Ex AA Series III LWB Safari - Gone
300TDi Disco (bought new - terrible car) sent back after 18 months
Freelander 1 Estate - leased, given back at end of lease
200TDi Disco (bought from a mate with 100,000 on the clock) - Gone
Disco 2 TD5 - sold and exported to France
FR2 TD4 GS - Gone
FR2 SD4 HSE - Now changed for a DS
New model ex-demo Evoque S 180 in white
Unable to order a new DS, so gave up. Now have a Volvo S90 Recharge.

Mine is being changed tomorrow when in for warranty repair
the cost offered was £35 this has been waived as they for got to offer me the option when I took it in for service.

also they offered my a £167 DPF pipe repair, I reminded them car is under warranty till 02-17.

Click image to enlarge

hi guys,

strange thing happened today. i went for the brake fluid reservoir of the vehicle (first time as it is a sh) and it seems i donot have a brake fluid reservoir in there.







any thoughts would be greatly appreciated,


its the 160hp engine td4 2,2
thank you

hmm..
it should be on the cropped 3 spot in the reference..ill go and check


SOLVED - in the meantime i figures its on the other side near the battery On to Offroad

Last edited by thinkg on 3rd Feb 2018 5:45 pm. Edited 1 time in total

It’s been stolen.  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

LHD vehicle?

yup, solved in the meantime..reservoir is on the other side, as in dotted line 3 in manual On to Offroad