Brake fluid recommendations

Lately I keep seeing weak recommendations for brake fluid services. It’s clear that in order to make a recommendation to a customer in today’s business climate you need to respect the customer and can show that customer respect by thoroughly knowing and understanding what is being recommended. Here is a quick example that could be copy and pasted from any number of quick lube pamphlets or maintence chain propaganda.

Remember, brake fluid can attract moisture, which will corrode a variety of components. Brake fluid should be replaced once a year to keep calipers, hoses, and other parts in top operating condition. 

While not inherently false it does clearly display a lack of true understanding as to why brake fluid needs to be replaced. The choice of words signifies that the author only understands brake fluid as a one dimensional hydraulic fluid for force transfer. With an understanding of brake fluid enough to make a trusted recommendation you should have the minimum understanding of the multiple different characteristics engineered into brake fluid.

The first recommendation rewritten in a manor to better educate and provide a solid purposeful recommendation. 

Remember brake fluid is designed to attract and retain moisture (hygroscopic) which if it becomes fully saturated (3.7 percent according to DOT) can no longer protect components from the potential of corrosion. It is recommend to replace once it hits 2.0 percent which our trained technicians can test prior to recommending service using a hygroscopic brake fluid tester. In the northwest climate that usually equates to once per year but sometimes less do to heat cycles and usage. 

Presenting in this manner educates the customer to what is actually happening and why it needs to be replaced. Loyalty will surely grow from that additional trust. That customer will now know as soon as another location tries for a monetary based upsell and not a customer benefitted recommendation. Be the better shop. 

BG Coolant service

The cooling system plays a vital role in keeping your vehicle traveling down the road worry free. As with any automotive fluid it has a certain working life and needs to be addressed before problems arise. Here is BG's way of addressing the cooling system.

BG CT2
Coolant Transfusion System The BG CT2 installs new 50/50 coolant into a vehicle’s cooling system while simultaneously removing the old, spent coolant. The BG CT2 can be refilled and emptied with a flip of a switch. No need to carry heavy buckets of coolant all around the shop. The system is small and compact, taking up the least possible space. It is completely portable and can be used inside or outside the shop. Unlike other systems, the BG CT2 has the capacity of transfusing the coolant with or without running the engine. Most vehicles can be serviced with the engine off, thus preventing the common problem of continuous intermixing of new and used coolant due to the closing and opening of the thermostat. This process backflushes the vehicle’s cooling system, removing scale and debris not accessible when going with the normal direction of coolant flow.

Ethanol

Video on the dangers of E-15

Article on the approval of E-15

Fact sheet on E-15

Fuel school on phase separation

Bg blender discussing Ethanol with solutions at the end

Resource page. The Proof, MSDS

A link to get to a PDF with a great deal of testing data and product descriptions.
The Proof

This is a database for accessing and printing off MSDS in accordance with OHSA requirements
MSDS database

This is a link to a brief description of the BG automotive services available.
Automotive Maintenance Services

If you are actively recommending products you might want to add these to links to your favorites for quick and easy access. I'll had more resource links on this page as I come across them, this might be one for your favorites instead.

BG Diesel baseline, BG 244 and BG 6573K

Having just picked up a 1972 Mercedes Benz 220D with some running and drivablity problems I thought I had my shop booked for work for a while. Before I addressed any of the running issues I needed to get it to a baseline. If you try to tune or diagnose with deposits and possibly heavy deposits you are fighting a losing battle. With the injectors not spraying accurately due to deposits you will never get it to run even and smooth. With varnish and gum built up in the injection pump fuel delivery and timing adjustments aren't going to be made accurately(Ford IDI Diesel is one of the worse I've seen when gummed).

    What I have been recommending is running a tank of fuel with BG 244 added to clean the deposits in the injectors and injection pump. If it's a customers vehicle and you don't have the opportunity to put some miles on the vehicle to utilize the 244 you can get the baseline established with performing the Diesel Injection service in a short amount of time with the vehicle never leaving the lot.

Veggie result

Once the fuel side is cleaned up and working as well as it can you then proceed to the oil side of things. For trucks the kit to use is the very popular 6575K(BG 109 and BG DOC in 32oz bottles) but for passenger cars like the Mercedes and VW diesels as well as anything that has less than about 6qt oil capacity the 6573K is the way to go. Its the same kit as the 6575K but in the 11oz cans. The 109 will restore lost compression from oil deposits built up onto the rings as well as glazed cylinder walls. This can usually be verified by looking at cylinder balance rates with the scan tool. No scan tool to use on the vintage Benz but the start time has been drastically reduced. This old diesel whipper starts up almost as quick as anything gas powered and still under warranty.

In closing if you need to baseline a diesel, address the fuel with either an injection service or BG 244 and do your oil change with BG 109 and BG DOC. You might end up like I did and end up with a very good running vehicle without needing to make a repair. I did have to adjust the idle down a bit post 109 oil service.

Currently two shops in Portland and a shop in Vancouver are familiar with doing the diesel oil services on passenger cars and stock the kits.

Interesting Porsche info

In the world of Porsche restorations factory original reigns supreme. With the driving dynamics of these machines it would be a shame not to put them to use. I viewed this the other day and thought it was a unique mix of restoration and enthusiasm put to use.

Service drive processes

This is a great guideline and reference point for shop owners, service writers and even technicians.