Brake fluid

[4eye]

Got to bleed the system......is there a specific/prefered brake fluid used

[chan]

i ask the same question please

i hope its dot 4

[ScottieJ]

yeah i think it is dot 4.

[4eye]

Well i bought and topped up the res.........she's now back on the road! Happy happy happy!

[chan]

nice one mate

[bourneyo]

Well i bought and topped up the res.........she's now back on the road! Happy happy happy!

In theory you should never have to top up your brake fluid! if when you replace all your brake pads and shoes you make sure your fluid is at the max line, when your fluid level begins to drop it is a sign that your pads/shoes are worn.

Dan

[4eye]

Well i bought and topped up the res.........she's now back on the road! Happy happy happy!

In theory you should never have to top up your brake fluid! if when you replace all your brake pads and shoes you make sure your fluid is at the max line, when your fluid level begins to drop it is a sign that your pads/shoes are worn.

Dan

Yeah the thing was i had a small problem withsa caliper.........it wouldn't go in so i undone the nipple and tried again......it went all the way in but also lost a caliper's worth of fluid......plus a little more when i bled the breaks.

[ben_moto501]

If your vehicle recommends DOT 4 brake fluid then you can use DOT 4 or above! Brake fluid is a hydroscopic liquid and this means it absorbs moisture from the air, as brake fluid gets older the amount of moisture it has absorbed gets high enough that when it gets hot the water boils and turns to a gas giving you spongy brakes. It might appear fine when you bleed them but when actually driving you would still get spongy brakes! The only difference in the DOT numbers is the resistance to absorbing moisture and ultimately lifespan! I would never advise anyone to use a lower number than the manufacturer recommends but there is no harm at all in going for a higher number!
Remember if your brakefluid is almost as old as your anus (mine being 18 years old) then you really should change the fluid as you might have already noticed intermittant spongy brakes! Brake fluid is normally good for 4 or 5 years, depending on condition of seals and rubber pipes, but if you're in doubt then it's not really an expensive thing to change!
Always bleed the brakes from the furthest cylinder/caliper from the master cylinder and then work your way to the closest! It's pretty easy with 2 people or you can get 1 man kits from pretty much any car shop! These are sometimes quite fiddly though so jus call in a favour from a mate and get someone to help you!

Hope this helps!

Ben