Brake Fluid Explained

Hydraulic brakes are always used from approximately 7 mph to 0 mph, however regen provides impressive braking at speed. Enough to surprise the novice Toyota hybrid driver.

Yes but you quickly got used to it. It is all simulated in any case unless your brake booster system has failed. At that point you get a light show, no power braking and dramatically increased stopping distance. However Toyota does a decent job of predicting the situation before it happens and then alerting the driver.

The biggest problem with brake boosters in Toyota hybrids were early failures and no aftermarket options in gen2 and 3 Prii.

 

Darkness of the fluid and moisture content aren't correlatable, so hard to say using your eyes would be more reliable than a moisture sensor

 

Brake fluid turns black due to contamination, moisture absorption, and thermal breakdown.

I suppose that when my brake fluid goes from honey coloured to USN Chief coffee color I could spend $15 on test strips and open up the system to check things out.
Or?
I could just spend the $15 to replace the fluid in the system and get on with my life.

It's like getting your engine oil analyzed for $50 rather than spending that money to just change the oil.


MY MILEAGE.
Yours may vary.