Brake Fluids

[kemicalx]

G'day people,

I need to top up my break fluid soon, the brake light keeps on comming on...

Anyway. I was wondering what you guys feel is a good quality fluid to use.
And finally what do i need to know about filling it up? Do i need to drain out the current brake fluid? or is it ok to mix diferent fluids?

Cheers guys,
Ashlin.

[Cosmo Dude]

You can mix 'n' match if you like, it won't do any harm. Best to bleed the brakes (replace all the fluid) as it does have a lifespan.

A jar, 10mm spanner, jack, cloth, two people and brake fluid (in a different colour the one you are using) is all you realy need. I'd like to check where the old fluid has gone first, have a look at all the calipers and lines as you may need profesional attention.

[kemicalx]

mmm i think it's ok, as it hasn't decreased anymore for a long time. But it has been below 50% for a while, and i'm sick of thinking i've left the hand brake up when i drive off

[twilightprotege]

yeah dont mix fluids. they mightnt mix!

[Cosmo Dude]

Then just top it up, I think you will need dot three but check your owners manual.

[kemicalx]

don't have an owners manual.. gotta love hand me down cars :x any BG owners out there know?

[kemicalx]

Any brands of brake fluid perform better than others? if so whats a good one?

[Cosmo Dude]

Best not to go for 'home brand' or 'black and gold'. Pop into supercheap and grab a known brand. If you trust their oil then you can trust their brake fluid.

[platypus]

dot 3 dot 4 will both mix... dot 3 is harder to get, as dot 4 seems to becoming standard...

if you must go all out get dot 5.1 NB 5.1 NOT 5...

but realisticaly just get dot 4, castrol stuff... should be like heavy duty brake fluid

only other thing is do not spill the brake fluid!!! if you do, finish the fill, cap the brake resorvoir tightly, and then wash the area down with water, so that it goes down the drain and kills the dolphins.... don't let it get on the grass either

[kemicalx]

ok so if i wanna bleed the brakes how do i go about doing this? It doesn't sound like a bad idea to replace all the fluid. just so i know what is actually in there.

[platypus]

best get your self a one man bleeder kit... on the brake caliper there is a small rubber boot, pull that off - don't lose it!!!
place 10mm ring spanner over the nipple onto the bolt... plug in the bleeder hose... place bleeder hose into a GLASS jar... get in car, depress brake pedal until brake fluid stops coming out... this will require about 300,000,000 depressions, and then top the resorvoir... once again press the brake pedal down about 4 times, until the air is no longer present in the tube... (the valve will keep the fluid from coming out first)

tighten nipple nut thing, detach hose, and then place nipple cover back onto the nipple

[kemicalx]

was there a reason for the 10mm ring spanner? do you undo the bolt or just leave the spanner hanging there

[platypus]

leave it hanging there during the work

[kemicalx]

mmmk, whats it do?

[platypus]

the bolt stops the brake fluid from draining out when you press the pedal...

the nipple drains the fluid out.... turning the bolt is like turning a tap

[geetee]

Originally Posted by kemicalx

was there a reason for the 10mm ring spanner? do you undo the bolt or just leave the spanner hanging there

:lol: :lol: you need to loosen the bleed nipple!! other wise the brake fluid won`t come out.
i`ve got a bg and i use dot 4 with no probs. remember that this fluid operates the clutch too so you might wanna check the clutch master cylinder for leaks too! :wink:

[kemicalx]

i found a guide which is pretty informative.. However it also sounds like bleeding is a ****e load of f'n around. Is this method of bleeding overkill? like jacking all 4 corners up, fixing calipers horizontally, etc, etc... if so i really cbf

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/...rakesright.htm

[platypus]

they make it sound hard.... i've never removed wheels, but have always gone back to front, down the passenger side, and checked the clutch at the same time

[Cosmo Dude]

The Bleeding process is pretty good. First time you do the job you may want to remove the wheels (one at a time) so you can see what you're doing. A few things I'd recommend.
1. A clear plastic tubing that fits on the nipple (get your eyes off twilights avatar) can be useful so you can see the fluid and any bubbles.
2. Use a different colour fluid so you can see when the new fluid comes through.
3. Go from the most distant wheel to the closest.
4. Check the reservoir often, if it runs out of fluid you need to start again.


To bleed the clutch you have your assistant press the peddel in fully and loosten the nipple, the fluid will flow due to the preasure of the clutch. Tighten pump repeate until compleate.
Happy trails