Chevrolet Cavalier 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

(368)

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

(368)

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 Chevrolet Cavalier 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
1988 Chevrolet CavalierV6-2.8LService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$114.99Shop/Dealer Price$124.99 - $132.49
1991 Chevrolet CavalierL4-2.2LService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1990 Chevrolet CavalierV6-3.1LService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1985 Chevrolet CavalierL4-2.0LService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$104.99 - $112.48
2000 Chevrolet CavalierL4-2.4LService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.02 - $112.55
2005 Chevrolet CavalierL4-2.2LService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
2004 Chevrolet CavalierL4-2.2LService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$109.87 - $117.28
1995 Chevrolet CavalierL4-2.3LService typeBrake fluid is black or brown InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$110.24 - $117.94
Show example Chevrolet Cavalier 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 Chevrolet mechanics

Real customer reviews from Chevrolet owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(368)

Rating Summary
346
8
5
2
7
346
8
5
2
7

Nicholas

21 years of experience
354 reviews
Nicholas
21 years of experience
Chevrolet Cavalier L4-2.2L - Oil Change - Denver, Colorado
Best mechanic there is!!! Always reliable and tells me what I need now and in the future to better plan my automotive needs!! I can always trust Nick to be honest and upfront!

Carlos

17 years of experience
225 reviews
Carlos
17 years of experience
Chevrolet Cavalier L4-2.2L - Car is not starting - Los Angeles, California
Fast and accurate

Joshua

8 years of experience
20 reviews
Joshua
8 years of experience
Chevrolet Cavalier L4-2.2L - Oil Change - Englewood, Colorado
Joshua was great! Friendly, professional, knowledgeable and made sure the service I got was what I actually needed.

Rodney

36 years of experience
545 reviews
Rodney
36 years of experience
Chevrolet Cavalier L4-2.2L - Water Pump - Sacramento, California
Very good

Excellent Rating

(368)

Rating Summary
346
8
5
2
7
346
8
5
2
7
Number of Chevrolet Cavalier services completed
4048+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Chevrolet MECHANICS
1600+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

How Long Does a Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve Last?
Your Your car’s engine operates by mixing air with fuel and then burning it. This obviously creates waste gases. Most of those gases are routed out of the engine, through the exhaust and then out the muffler. However, that can’t...
P2134 OBD-II Trouble Code: Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch F Circuit Intermittent
What What the P2134 code means? P2134 is an OBD-II generic code for the engine control module (ECM) detecting the throttle pedal position sensor F has an intermittent sensor return to the ECM What causes the P2134 code? The ECM...
What Does the Attention Assist Warning Light Mean?
The Attention Assist warning light turns on when the Attention Assist system suspects you may need a break from driving.

Car does not start right away

Hi, thanks for writing in to us. It sounds like you may potentially have an issue with the ignition switch (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/ignition-switch-replacement) in your car. Your ignition switch has small tumblers inside of it that fit the grooves in your key...

Engine hesitates when warm - 1997 Toyota Tercel

Hi there. As you already know, replacing components without diagnoses can be expensive and time consuming without resolution. A few things come to mind concerning the lack of performance. First, camshaft timing needs to be checked. When the engine is...

When I start the car it will idle but when I push on the gas pedal no gas goes through and car shuts off. You have to wait 3-4 minutes for the car to start and it does the same thing over again

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 (844) 997-3624 · hi@yourmechanic.com