You should inspect your Toyota Corolla's brake system every 15,000 miles or annually; however, if you frequently drive the car in extreme conditions, this should be done every 3,000 miles. These conditions include driving in dusty areas, idling for long periods of time, towing a trailer and driving less than four miles at a time at below-freezing temperatures. The brake fluid needs inspection and changing on a different cycle.
The brake fluid level should be checked weekly or every 250 miles; simply check the indicator marks on the master cylinder reservoir and add fluid as needed. The fluid needs to be changed every two years or 30,000 miles. The fluid is siphoned out of the master cylinder reservoir. A hand suction pump is recommended, but a turkey baster can work; just make sure it is new and has not used for any other task before or after. Check your local ordinances for the proper method of disposing brake fluid and similar liquids. After filling the reservoir with new fluid, you need to bleed the brakes. With the car safely raised and the wheels removed, connect a clear tube to a caliper's bleeder valve, submerge the tube's other end in a container and have an assistant press the pedal while you open the valve until fluid runs out of the tube with no air. Repeat this for each caliper, but make sure the master cylinder remains filled in-between.
You will need to raise the car and remove the wheels to inspect the brakes. You can check the lining of the brake pads by looking through the inspection hole in each caliper. This can be difficult, however, and it may be easier to remove the pads by disconnecting the caliper--remove the caliper's guide pin bolts and make sure it doesn't hang by its hose. The pad's lining needs to be at least 3/32-inch thick or else the pads must be replaced. If you remove the pads, you should clean them with brake cleaner before re-inserting them. Brake discs should be replaced if there is scoring, gouging or burned spots or if the thickness is down to .906 inches At the same time, check the brake lines and hoses for cracks, leaks, bends, corrosion or any other damage; you should definitely inspect the hoses where they connect to the calipers.
You can check the thickness of the brake shoes on the rear brakes by just removing the rubber plug from the backing plate and inspecting the linings with the help of a flashlight. If you want to inspect them more thoroughly, you need to remove the brake drums--make sure the parking brake is off with the front wheels blocked and mark the drum's relationship to the hub with paint so you will connect it back in the right way. The shoes should be changed if the linings are down to within 1/16-inch of the metal hoes or rivets. They should also be changed if they are cracked, glazed or contaminated with grease or brake fluid. Also, check the condition of the springs within the drum, making sure they're not distorted or deteriorating. You should also inspect the drum for cracks, scratches or hard spots before placing it back on the hub.
