Audi Q8 Brake fluid is black or brown Inspection at your home or office.

Our certified mobile mechanics come to you 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(2,394)

How A Diagnostic Works

Instantly book a certified mobile mechanic to come to you

Mechanic diagnoses the problem and quotes necessary repairs

Your vehicle is ready to go

Fair, upfront & transparent pricing for all services

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to you now.

Customer Ratings

(2,394)

Brake fluid is black or brown Inspection Service

How much does a Brake fluid is black or brown Inspection cost?

On average, the cost for a Audi Q8 Brake fluid is black or brown Inspection is $95 with $0 for parts and $95 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
2020 Audi Q8V6-3.0L Turbo HybridService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$114.99Shop/Dealer Price$124.99 - $132.49
2021 Audi Q8V6-3.0L Turbo HybridService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
2019 Audi Q8V6-3.0L Turbo HybridService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
2022 Audi Q8V6-3.0L Turbo HybridService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$104.99 - $112.48
Show example Audi Q8 Brake fluid is black or brown Inspection prices

Your car requires several different fluids in order to operate. Engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid and coolant are all essential. Another important one is brake fluid. Like other fluids, your brake fluid will deteriorate over time and eventually need to be replaced with a brake system flush. If you’ve noticed that your brake fluid appears black or brown, it’s well past time for a service.

How this system works:

Your brakes are operated by fluid pressure. The master cylinder and brake booster work to create pressure, which is then directed to the moving parts of the system (the calipers and shoe actuators). In a normal system, the brake fluid is clear or very light gold in color. This is true whether your car requires DOT 3, 4 or 5 brake fluid.

Brake fluid is held in the master cylinder reservoir, but it is also stored in the brake lines that run from the master cylinder to each wheel. You have two types of brake lines – steel and rubber. Over time and through normal use, brake fluid becomes contaminated. This happens on all vehicles, even brand new ones.

It requires only a couple of years for the fluid to build up enough contaminants that the color begins to change. It will darken over time, changing from clear/golden to a darker gold. In severe situations, your brake fluid may appear to be brown, or even black (think used engine oil).

It’s important that your brake fluid is changed regularly, before it turns brown or black. Very dark colors indicate that your fluid has collected a significant amount of contamination, and might have absorbed moisture, as well. This reduces the system’s ability to build pressure, which compromises your braking performance. You may have noticed that your brake pedal feels softer, or spongy. In serious situations, you may have to pump the pedal a couple of times for it to work properly.

Common reasons for this to happen:

  • Normal Aging Gone to the Extreme: The most common reason that brake fluid appears brown or black is that normal aging has gone unchecked (you haven’t had the fluid changed in too long). Contaminants collect in the fluid, darkening the color and reducing its ability to work.

  • Moisture Contamination: Brake fluid can absorb moisture from the surrounding air. This generally occurs by rubber brake lines allowing moisture to seep in. When moisture accumulates in brake fluid, it causes problems in a couple of ways. Water has a much lower boiling point than brake fluid, and can reach very high temperatures at the calipers and drums. This causes the water to flash boil into steam, causing the brake fluid to darken, but also creating air in the lines. This can cause a soft pedal, or even cause you to have to pump the brake pedal to get the system to work properly.

  • Deteriorating Rubber Lines: The rubber brake lines on your car will eventually deteriorate and need to be replaced. Brake fluid is also corrosive, and while the lines are designed to withstand that corrosion, they’ll eventually begin to break down. Microscopic pieces of rubber and chemicals leaching out of the lines into the fluid will also cause it to darken.

  • Normal Heating: Brake fluid is heated by contact with the calipers, and this heat creates a chemical change in the fluid, adding to the darkening created by moisture and other types of contamination.

What to expect:

A top-rated mobile mechanic will come to your home or office and visually inspect your brake fluid’s condition, the master cylinder and the rest of the system to determine if the problem is simply due to normal age and wear/tear. The mechanic will then provide a detailed inspection report that includes the scope and cost of the necessary repairs.

How it's done:

The mechanic will inspect the master cylinder, lines and other brake system components. The mechanic will also determine how long it has been since your brake fluid was last changed, and may need to perform a brake fluid flush to remove the contaminated, old fluid and replace it with fresh, clean fluid.

How important is this service?

Brake fluid darkens as it ages – it’s natural, and due to normal contamination that occurs in all brake systems. However, it must be changed regularly, or you risk reduced braking performance and the deterioration or damage of other brake system components. One of our professional mechanics can inspect your system, change your fluid, and ensure that you enjoy the safety you deserve on the road.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee


Meet some of our expert Audi mechanics

Real customer reviews from Audi owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(2,394)

Rating Summary
2,221
85
19
12
57
2,221
85
19
12
57

Ralph

38 years of experience
186 reviews
Ralph
38 years of experience
Audi A4 L4-2.0L Turbo - Brake Pads Replacement (Rear) - Seattle, Washington
Ralph really went the extra step of making sure he explained not only his process and reasoning during the repair, but also the things he noticed about the car and why he was recommending additional things for a later date and the time frame for those additional repairs. He was punctual as well which is always a plus.

Jerel

11 years of experience
125 reviews
Jerel
11 years of experience
Audi S4 V6-3.0L Turbo - Oil Change - Durham, North Carolina
Onetime, explained everything, made it easy as I was hoping. Will use again on next service.

Mark

11 years of experience
349 reviews
Mark
11 years of experience
Audi A4 Quattro L4-2.0L Turbo - Automatic Transmission Fluid Service - Mountain View, California
Mark was going to replace the transmission fluid and fix a torn rubber cover of the drive mode selection stick. Having opened up the car he realized that he got a wrong filter part for transmission. This was not his fault (apparently yourmechanic did not ). So Mark had to come again and do a lot of extra work (for no additional pay). He also tried to glue the torn rubber. Somehow he put far too much glue and glued together parts which prevented the drive selection stick from going into some modes. He also somehow managed to leave unremovable superglue on the steering wheel. When I contacted him he came to separate the accidentally glued parts. He managed to fix the sticking but as a result also the part which was supposed to be glued disconnected again. He then told me he is going to look into replacing the part. He did not get back for two weeks. After I reminded him he said he could not figure out the part and said he'll get back to me. But after another week I just went to the authorized dealer and got it fixed. I also checked online and the part was very easy to find on audiparts.com

Ben

18 years of experience
114 reviews
Ben
18 years of experience
Audi A4 Quattro V6-2.8L - Windshield Wiper/Washer System Inspection - Denver, Colorado
Knows his stuff and is also got the personality and friendliness to match

Excellent Rating

(2,394)

Rating Summary
2,221
85
19
12
57
2,221
85
19
12
57
Number of Audi services completed
26334+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Audi MECHANICS
700+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

How to Buy a Personalized License Plate in Missouri
A A personalized license plate is a great way to customize your car. With a personalized plate, you can display a sentiment on the front and back of your car that no one else has. You can cheer on a...
P2239 OBD-II Trouble Code: O2 Sensor Positive Current Control Circuit High Bank 1 Sensor 1
P2239 P2239 code definition O2 Sensor Positive Current Control Circuit High Bank 1 Sensor 1 What the P2239 code means This trouble code indicates that the powertrain control module has detected a voltage from the O2 sensor positive current control...
All About Car Service Indicator Lights
No matter which manufacturer your car is from, there is a service indicator light that lets you know when your car needs maintenance or attention.

How Do You Deal With a Car Battery for Long Term Storage?

Batteries need special care when being stored for an extended length of time. A battery has 3-5 years’ life expectancy. This can be shortened when doing long term storage incorrectly. When the battery is connected, voltage draws from the vehicle’s...

Engine loses power, revs high, cannot shift gears - 2014 Nissan Rogue

Hello. It sounds like there is an intermittent problem with the throttle position sensor (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/throttle-position-sensor-replacement) or the idle air control valve (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/idle-control-valve-replacement). These two sensors are made into the throttle body and the throttle body assembly (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/throttle-body-replacement) would have to...

Car stalls out of nowhere

Hello - what a frustrating problem to solve! You may have provided a key clue to the solution, given that it requires another vehicle to jump start it to get it going again. This MAY mean that the increased starting...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com