What is the colour of fresh brake fluid?

[uumode]

My mother has had a major service. (I mean her car ;-)

What is the colour of fresh brake fluid?
I looked at the brake fluid reservoir and through the transparent white body, it looks like water, or as clear as. Am I right in thinking the brake fluid was changed?

 

[aka$h]

Should look almost clear

 

[BaldGuy]

Its been changed by the sounds of things..... used fluid will look cloudy or worst still brown...

 

[Satch]

Colour is indeed one thing to be concerned about and dark or gunge laden brake fluid could obviously do with a change.

However, it is actually impossible to tell if fluid is OK or not just by colour. Could look perfectly OK to the naked eye yet have absorbed enough water to be in danger of creating vapour. To do a proper test you need a boiling point tester: there are a number of portable units around.

If in doubt, change it.

 

[uumode]

If in doubt, change it.

The brake fluid was supposed to have been changed by the garage at the service, and they said they were going to change it, but the service sheet where they tick the items has brake fluid UNticked (could be an oversight on a tick mark, AS conversely I have had in the past a tick to confirm that an item had been changed/OK'ed when it had/was not).

Looking at the brake fluid it seems very clean and water like, and as you say a visual inspection tells nothing of it's hydroscopic content. If brand new brake fluid that is clear turns a darker colour then I would assume they had replaced the brake fluid. But if new clear brake fluid *remains* clear in use (I don't know hence asking the question), then visually it will always look new even though it's 2 years old (unlike engine oil for example which looks dirty).