why is my clutch fluid so dark?

[JoeSchmoe]

I just took a peek in my clutch reservoir yesterday and for some reason the fluid is 2x darker than the brake reservoir??? Its about the color of maple syrup. In comparison, the brake reservoir is close to apple juice color and the ABS reservoir is about vegetable oil colored. I dont see any particles floating in it and there doesnt appear to be any leaks anywhere in the system.

Is this normal or is it time to flush and bleed the lines?

 

[snapper]

Time to flush.

 

[Vytas]

As mentioned, it's time for a flush. My NSX tech recommends flushing brake fluid every two years and the clutch fluid yearly since it get's a lot of use.

 

[W]

I thought the clutch fluid reservoir was vented, unlike the brake fluid reservoir. If so, you may find that it will turn dark within days of flushing. BTW, how many miles are on your car?

 

[JoeSchmoe]

I thought the clutch fluid reservoir was vented, unlike the brake fluid reservoir. If so, you may find that it will turn dark within days of flushing.

Well, I just purged and bled the line. The reservoir is still darker than the brake one. I ran about 6oz of honda fluid from an unopened bottle through the lines and the stuff coming out never got any lighter, so I just bled it and called it a day.

Im going to recheck it a few times this week to see how quickly it gets back to maple syrup color -- although opening it up so many times will probably contribute to its demise.

BTW, how many miles are on your car?

Theres about 57K on it now. The previous time it was flushed was when I had the clutch replaced 7K miles ago (~2 years).





I also greased the ball joint on the slave cylinder, so it wasnt a complete loss.... but it still squeaks.