Brake fluid plays a crucial role in the safety of your vehicle by transferring the pressure you apply to the brake pedal to the actual brakes. Without it, your brakes simply wouldn’t function, and as everyone knows, a car without brakes is incredibly dangerous. Even slightly compromised brakes can pose a serious risk.

Brake fluid has a tendency to absorb moisture over time, which can compromise its effectiveness. Brake systems generate high temperatures, and brake fluid is specifically designed to have a high boiling point to prevent it from evaporating. However, when too much moisture builds up, the boiling point is lowered, making the fluid more prone to boiling under heat. This can lead to reduced brake fluid levels, ultimately affecting your vehicle’s braking performance and increasing stopping distances.

Why Is Brake Fluid Replacement Necessary?

In addition to reducing effectiveness, moisture-contaminated brake fluid can lead to corrosion within the braking system. Over time, this can damage components such as the callipers, wheel cylinders, and anti-lock braking systems (ABS). Regular replacement helps to extend the lifespan of these parts and maintain optimal braking performance.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it actively absorbs moisture from the surrounding environment, even through microscopic openings in the brake system. This is why regular maintenance is essential to ensure safety.

Your vehicle’s manufacturer will specify how often the brake fluid should be replaced—typically outlined in the logbook service schedule. At Ararat Auto & Ag Services, we recommend replacing it every two years as a general guideline. However, it’s equally important to have it checked during each routine service. A professional mechanic can assess the moisture content in the fluid and check for any leaks or other signs of wear that might require earlier attention.

How Often Should Brake Fluid Be Replaced?

Yes, at Ararat Auto & Ag Services, we provide a comprehensive 65-point vehicle inspection upon request with every full service. This includes a detailed review of your brake fluid, master cylinder, front and rear discs and pads, callipers, cylinders, and more. Our expert mechanics will assess the condition of your braking system and notify you if the brake fluid needs replacing or if any additional brake system repairs or maintenance are required. Regular checks can catch problems early, ensuring your safety on the road.

Maintaining your brake fluid is an essential part of car ownership, and neglecting it could lead to costly repairs or, worse, compromised safety. If you’re due for a brake fluid replacement or simply want peace of mind, book a service with Ararat Auto & Ag Services in Ararat. Our team will make sure your braking system is in top condition, so you can drive with confidence.

Learn why brake fluid is essential for your vehicle’s safety, how it works, and why regular maintenance by Ararat Auto & Ag Services is crucial for optimal braking performance and to prevent costly repairs.

Brake Fluid: What It Is and Why It Matters

Brake Fluid: What Is It and Why Do You Need It?

Do you drive an Automatic vehicle? Then you might not even be aware that there is a clutch in your vehicle. Without it, the gears in your car will not change.

Ararat Auto & Ag Services in Ararat know all about repairing and servicing these systems including clutches, cables and fluids. Learn more below.

The clutch is one of the most important elements of your vehicles driving operation. Your engine is what causes your wheels to spin, but what happens when your car needs to stop? The engine shouldn't stop spinning but the wheels need to. It's the clutch that allows this to happen. The clutch allows the transfer of power from the engine to the wheels to be interrupted while a gear is being changed or while the car is stationary and the engine continues to run.

Some vehicles have hydraulic clutches - when you press the clutch pedal, the clutch fluid moves the pressure from the pedal through to the clutch and disengages the power transmission. Leaking clutch fluid can cause all kinds of problem in your vehicle so it is very important to monitor it regularly. At Ararat Auto & Ag Services in Ararat we check your clutch fluid, hydraulic system or clutch cables for you in the course of our free 65 Point Vehicle Inspection - which you can request as part of every car service.


You should have your clutch inspected if:

What signs to look for if your clutch is not performing

You notice a burnt ‘toast' or ‘burning rubber' smell in your car, or smoke from under vehicle

Your vehicle is slipping out of gear for no reason

Your clutch is not disengaging fully, or your clutch is sticking or shuddering

If your clutch is showing any of the problems above - it could mean any number of faults. Clutch problems are difficult to diagnose by symptoms alone because many issues cause the same symptoms, depending on the vehicle and type of engine. The best way to deal with clutch shuddering, slipping or noise is contact your local mechanics at Ararat Auto & Ag Services today.

We can perform clutch diagnostics, service and repairs on most makes and models right here in our Ararat workshop.

The clutch is one of the most important elements of your vehicles driving operation.

Grinding Gears? - It could be your Clutch Fluid

When it comes to dealing with brakes, you should never leave checking them until brake repairs are a necessity.

Regular inspection as part of our 65 point vehicle report, which forms part of all full car services overseen at Ararat Auto & Ag Services, are important in confirmation that your car's brakes are able to stop you in time. Our expert service staff will inform you when they suspect that repair or service of a vehicle's braking system is to be considered so it doesn't become a serious issue.

Brake services we handle at Ararat Auto & Ag Services include:

Brake Disc/Rotor And Drum Resurfacing or Machining

If you have any warning signs that your vehicle's braking system may be overdue for servicing it's easy to book online and have your vehicle's braking system examined in our Ararat car service workshop today.

Brake service, repairs and testing in Ararat

Brake service, repair and testing in Ararat

Ararat Auto & Ag Services provide professional, reliable car service, all your automotive and agricultural repairs and maintenance, as well as agricultural product sales and service.

Ararat Auto & Ag Services are located on the truck route as you pass through Ararat, Vic, and operate from a convenient location on the Western Highway, 133 High Street. We have an established customer base in Ararat and Stawell and service customers from Great Western, Willaura, Lake Bolac, Maroona, Tatyoon, Beaufort, Elmhurst, Buangor, Crowlands, Halls Gap, Moyston, Pomonal, and surrounding regions. Customers come from as far away as Edenhope, Warrnambool, Horsham, Wimmera, Grampians, Pyrenees, Dimboola to take advantage of the exceptional service. 

Ararat Auto & Ag Services has many arms to the business:

Roadworthy inspections for light and heavy vehicles

Stihl Dealership, sales, repairs and parts

Ararat Auto & Ag Services care about the environment and have Arctick Authorisation to reliably and responsibly conduct automotive air conditioning service (AU36847). ARC Approved Car Air Conditioning Servicing reduces Fuel Costs and protects your health. The ARC Tick of approval helps ensure technicians have the skills and knowledge to correctly undertake service and repairs of refrigerated air conditioning to minimise environmental impact. 

We provide professional service, carried out by experienced technicians. Come to Ararat Auto & Ag Services for your automotive LPG repair needs and maintenance.

Ararat Auto & Ag Services offers Log Book Servicing to all makes and models of cars and other vehicles, without affecting your new vehicle warranty. They also provide general mechanical repairs to your 4WD, car, tractor, truck, trailer, farm machinery or forklift. At Ararat Auto & Ag Services we also do thorough Roadworthy inspections for light and heavy vehicles to ensure your vehicle is safe on the road. 

Contact Ararat Auto & Ag Services when you need to move anything big - your tractor or machinery, a site shed, shipping container, equipment or your car. Ararat Auto & Ag Services has a 12 tonne, 6.8 metre Tilt Tray Service, servicing Ararat, surrounding suburbs and across Victoria. Do you need a vehicle towed? Broken down and need transport? Run out of fuel? Stuck on a weekend? Call us now and get moving with Ararat Auto & Ag Services!

Ararat Auto & Ag Services provide extensive knowledge as your local dealer for farm machinery and a variety of other farm equipment and home garden products. With an on-farm service and experienced technicians, our service and knowledge are second to none! We service all makes and models of farm equipment, even your farm bikes and ride-on lawn mowers. We repair small engines and machines through to larger tractors, farm machinery and trucks.

The team of versatile and qualified mechanics at Ararat Auto & Ag Services can take care of all your motoring and farm machinery needs. We bring expertise in farm machinery repairs and maintenance, LPG conversions and maintenance, diesel and general mechanical repairs and servicing. We pride ourselves on providing you the best mechanics to work on your vehicles:

Servicing All Farm Equipment Makes & Models

Selling Quality Products With After Sales Back-Up

Terry has a fleet of Deutz tractors which the company uses for roadside slashing contracts. Terry has many years of experience driving and maintaining Deutz Fahr tractors. Terry is available to discuss your Deutz tractor requirements should you need any technical information.

Our workshop manager Terry Peatt, our suppliers and the team at Ararat Auto & Ag Services will be able to assist with your sales enquiries. You can be confident that we will provide you with sound advice and great back up service. Our products include:

Deutz Fahr tractor sales, service and spare parts

Kioti tractors and machinery sales, service and spare parts

Howard, Kanga, Burder, TMW, Silvan, Same, Antonio Carraro, John Berends and Giltrap products and more

Stihl product line: chainsaws, brush cutters, blowers and more

Ararat Auto & Ag Services provide professional and reliable service, repairs and maintenance to cars, trucks, 4WDs, farm machinery, trailers, forklifts, smaller engines such as ride on mowers and quad bikes. Great back-up service with experienced agricultural mechanics. On farm service available.

Our team of qualified vehicle inspectors is committed to providing accurate and complete assessment of your vehicle. Ararat Auto & Ag Services prides itself on being extremely thorough in our inspections, leaving nothing to chance. Your safety and your vehicle are very important to us. We'll keep you safe with our professional vehicle testing.

With a workshop equipped with the latest technology, coupled with world class technicians, we pride ourselves on providing a top of the range service delivering you, our customers, an experience with which you will be delighted.

Terry Peatt: (Owner/ Manager) Qualified Mechanic, fully qualified with Alternative Fuel Systems Assessment and Certification Scheme (AFSACS) as an automotive gas installer. Qualified roadworthy tester for light and heavy vehicles. Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) member. Widely experienced in all forms of mechanics and repair work from cars, trucks, tractors, forklifts and trailers.

Kerry Hammond and Terry Peatt have grown their farm machinery dealership Ararat Auto & Ag Services by keeping their options open in business.

When Kerry Hammond first met her partner Terry Peatt, he was working as a mechanic in his father's business Caltex Mid City Service Centre opposite the local picture theatre in the main street of Ararat. At the time it was a service station and a mechanical repair business.

Born locally, Hammond went to Ararat High School, while Peatt grew up in Buangor on a small rural property. They went to the same school and travelled on the same school bus, but life being the way it is, they didn't really have much to do with each other until later in life.

Hammond's parents and grandparents were all farmers, and she spent all her childhood and teenage years on the farm, apart from when studying in Ballarat to become a teacher in her late teens.

Meanwhile Peatt grew up around machines and trucks, with a keen interest in anything mechanical. Completing his apprenticeship at the local General Motors Holden dealer, he worked on trucks and cars and later as a mechanical fitter and welder on construction sites in Gippsland and Newcastle.

Soon after Hammond and Peatt met in 2004, Peatt's father Bill passed away unexpectedly, but not before passing on some valuable business tips. He also showed Kerry how to do the bookwork by hand. "Bill Peatt was a very astute business man, and was the driving force behind the innovations surrounding the local Ararat RSL complex in his day," Hammond says. "He is well known in Ararat for his contribution to the RSL." Hammond asserts both she and Peatt are completely driven. "I think that's why we work well together as a team," she says. "We both work hard on what we are trying to achieve."

When an opportunity came along to lease, and finally buy, a commercial site previously owned by the local Toyota Dealer on the busy Western Highway, they jumped at the opportunity. "We felt owning our own site was important to give us flexibility," Hammond says. The farm machinery sales and service side of the business has evolved from Hammond and Peatt's automotive repair and maintenance business which specialised in LPG conversions and roadworthy inspections.

Conveniently located in Ararat, Ararat Auto & Ag Services specialise in car servicing for all makes and models, including commercial fleet vehicles. So rest assured - your car is in safe hands.

For friendly car service from a trusted independent mechanic, you can rely on the team at Ararat Auto & Ag Services.

Automotive & Agricultural Servicing and Repairs in Ararat

Ararat Auto & Ag Services have the expertise and knowledge to provide diagnostics, repairs and service on all European and Luxury vehicles including Alfa Romeo - Audi - BMW - Citroen - Ferrari - Fiat - Land Rover - Mercedes Benz - Mini Cooper - Peugeot - Lexus - Porsche - Volvo and many more In-house at our Ararat workshop.

Why should I take my car to a European car specialist?

Designed and built with distinctive craftsmanship and finely tuned engines, European cars require a high level of specialised knowledge to service or maintain them to the standards they deserve. Euro and Luxury vehicles often have cutting edge technologies that require cutting edge expertise.

As we are members of the Repco Auto-Tech training programme - Australia's leading provider of automotive technical training and information, rest assured that Ararat Auto & Ag Services are completely up to date with all modern vehicle servicing techniques. Through the Auto-Tech encyclopaedia and SmartQuote programs Ararat Auto & Ag Services have instant access to the entire service schedules for all Euro and Luxury makes and models.

Our fully qualified technicians know exactly how to maintain the care of all European and Luxury Vehicles, from using European car specific software for diagnosis through to choosing the right quality parts for your vehicle.

If you're looking for an Audi service, an experienced BMW mechanic or someone to help take care of your Luxury investment with qualified European car expertise contact us or book a service today.

Ararat Auto & Ag Services have the expertise and knowledge to provide diagnostics, repairs and service on all European and Luxury vehicles including Alfa Romeo - Audi - BMW and many more In-house at our Ararat workshop…

European and luxury car service in Ararat

Log Book Servicing is a proactive approach to car maintenance where regular inspections and small fixes keep your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently to prevent small problems turning into major damage and issues which could otherwise be very costly to repair.

Every passenger car (and most commercials vehicles) should be issued with a “Log Book” by the manufacturer, which lays out the specified timing and agenda for your regular log book services. You should keep your log book in your glove box for reference and recording any details, but Ararat Auto & Ag Services can also refer to our database to get the required information if you've misplaced your book.

The schedule of the service will be a combination of both time or distance.

You may be tempted to delay your next log book service because your car is probably still driveable and it may not have reached BOTH the time and distance measures. While you obviously need to find availability in your budget and schedule, don't delay too long because wear and tear on the car will increase exponentially and could lead to damage which is many times more expensive than the log book service would have been.

Every car is different and the agenda for each service changes according to the schedule, which is why each vehicle is issued with a log book.

Here are some examples of what can be included:

For a qualified Log Book Service at a competitive price, contact us or book online. Ararat Auto & Ag Services are conveniently located at 133 High Street and service customers in Ararat and the surrounding areas.

Get more information in Repco's Auto Facts videos:

Every car is different and the agenda for each service changes according to the schedule, which is why each vehicle is issued with a log book. While you obviously need to find availability in your budget and schedule, don't delay too long because...

Log book service in Ararat

When it comes to brakes, you should never wait until brake repairs are necessary.  

Proper testing and routine checkups, such as our 65 Point Vehicle Inspection which we provide with all full car services, are important to ensure your vehicle's brake system is in top condition. Our expert team of technicians will be happy to advise you when they suspect that service or repair of your brake system is indicated to stop it becoming a bigger issue.

Brake services we perform at Ararat Auto & Ag Services include:

Brake Disc/Rotor and Drum Resurfacing or Machining

If you recognise any symptoms that your car's braking system could possibly need service or repairs simply book online with us and have the brakes of your vehicle assessed through our Ararat workshop today.

When it comes to brakes, you should'nt wait until brake repairs are necessary, get tested regularly.  

Brake and Clutch Service in Ararat

Brake and Clutch

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Ararat Auto & Ag  Services take great pride in offering their clients personalised, and friendly service at all times.

Conveniently located in Ararat , the business is a member of the Repco Auto Tech training program, ensuring their technicians are kept fully up to date with modern vehicle repair methods.

Ararat Auto & Ag  Services have a wealth of experience in servicing all makes and models, including commercial fleet vehicles. As a Repco Authorised Service centre, they have a commitment to high quality workmanship, ensuring the very best in automotive care.

Ararat Auto & Ag Services

Brake and clutch

Related articles

Brake Fluid: What Is It and Why Do You Need It?

Grinding Gears? - It could be your Clutch Fluid

Brake service, repair and testing in Ararat

Car service in Ararat

European and luxury car service

What is log book service