Changing brake fluid
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Illusion Lighting
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 285
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From: So. Cali
well one time my brake light came on and so when i took it down to the shop they said brake fluid was a few drops low, so they filled it back up. don't know why it was low though.
A little chin music
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,655
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From: Cleveland, Ohio - Rock 'n Roll capitol of the World
Originally posted by JJJ784
i read it is recommended to change your brake fluid because brake fluid gets hot and cools, so b/c of temperatuere differences and condensation, there can be water vapor (or something) and "dilute" the brake fluid, so that the brakes would feel "mushy" and the hydraulics of the fluid wouldn't be as effective. yea, i'm talking outta my ass. hehe.. somebody correct me!!!!
i read it is recommended to change your brake fluid because brake fluid gets hot and cools, so b/c of temperatuere differences and condensation, there can be water vapor (or something) and "dilute" the brake fluid, so that the brakes would feel "mushy" and the hydraulics of the fluid wouldn't be as effective. yea, i'm talking outta my ass. hehe.. somebody correct me!!!!
A little chin music
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,655
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From: Cleveland, Ohio - Rock 'n Roll capitol of the World
Cars go for 200,000 miles on the origional fluid.... really, they go to the grave with the factory fluid. Even with a half million miles, if the brake system has been maintained (pads, shoes, and rotors and drums always replaced/turned to within spec) and you have never cooked the fluid, brake fluid should NEVER need to be replaced.
No Soup For You!
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 731
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From: Orange County
AHHH... there we go... from how stuff works dot com. hehee.. info from THEIR ass talking.
One of the important characteristics of brake fluid is its boiling point. Hydraulic systems rely on an incompressible fluid to transmit force. Liquids are generally incompressible while gases are compressible. If the brake fluid boils (becomes a gas), it will lose most of its ability to transmit force. This may partially or completely disable the brakes. To make matters worse, the only time you are likely to boil your brake fluid is during a period of prolonged braking, such a drive down a mountain -- certainly not the best time for brake failure!
As a DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluid absorbs water, its boiling point decreases. It can absorb water from the air, which is why you should avoid opening your car's brake fluid reservoir. For the same reason, you should always keep containers of brake fluid tightly sealed.
DOT5 fluid does not absorb water. This means the boiling point will remain relatively stable, but it also means that any water that does get into your brake system will tend to form pure water pockets, which could cause brake corrosion.
Two other important things about brake fluid: DOT3 and DOT4 eat paint, so don't spill it on your car. Also, none of the different types of brake fluid should be mixed. They can react badly with each other and corrode your brake system
One of the important characteristics of brake fluid is its boiling point. Hydraulic systems rely on an incompressible fluid to transmit force. Liquids are generally incompressible while gases are compressible. If the brake fluid boils (becomes a gas), it will lose most of its ability to transmit force. This may partially or completely disable the brakes. To make matters worse, the only time you are likely to boil your brake fluid is during a period of prolonged braking, such a drive down a mountain -- certainly not the best time for brake failure!
As a DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluid absorbs water, its boiling point decreases. It can absorb water from the air, which is why you should avoid opening your car's brake fluid reservoir. For the same reason, you should always keep containers of brake fluid tightly sealed.
DOT5 fluid does not absorb water. This means the boiling point will remain relatively stable, but it also means that any water that does get into your brake system will tend to form pure water pockets, which could cause brake corrosion.
Two other important things about brake fluid: DOT3 and DOT4 eat paint, so don't spill it on your car. Also, none of the different types of brake fluid should be mixed. They can react badly with each other and corrode your brake system
Honda Biased
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,076
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From: Kennesaw, GA
Originally posted by fastball
No need to correct you.... you really are talking out of your ass
No need to correct you.... you really are talking out of your ass
at least it sounded a "little" professional..yeh RIGHT! lol..but for real..if ALL you do is change your oil...u arent ready to do this. Its not gonna be easy and ur gonna be messin around with your brake lines and most likely u'll screw someothin up. It also sounds like you dont have a manaul, dont try anything without a manual unless you want to take my advice which i WOULDNT haha....get a professional to do it or just leave it like it is.
So you want ur engine to blow up or somethin? I dislike people attitudes when they say that. Alot of people out there dont even have the money to get a car and we are around wanting our cars to blow up so our parents can get us a new one or the insurance will pay for it.
I dont know your reasons..but people like that are the ones that make insurance premiums so friggin high!!
Hopefully you have a responsible reason which at the moment i couldnt think of. also btw....accord engine are a little bit more difficult to blow up. UNless u deliberatly tried...water/sugar/lack of oil..etc..you know the stuff.
Dave
Member
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 41
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From: MA
Originally posted by fastball
No need to correct you.... you really are talking out of your ass
No need to correct you.... you really are talking out of your ass
Brake fluids can absorb water over time, and you can lose braking power, it is a fact. depending on how hard you drive your car this is more or less likely to happen. My Accord is a DD and rarely sees any hard driving because it handles like the overweight, FWD, understeering pig that it is. OTOH my Miata's brake system gets a workout quite regularly, and thus will need to be flushed/bled on a regular basis.Mushy pedal feel usually creeps up on you, and you never realize how bad it was until you bleed/replace the fluid
/bill
Cracker Quack!
Joined: Nov 1998
Posts: 659
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From: LI, NY
[QUOTE]Originally posted by bbbradley
What is factually incorrect about this? Brake fluids can absorb water over time, and you can lose braking power, it is a fact. depending on how hard you drive your car this is more or less likely to happen. My Accord is a DD and rarely sees any hard driving because it handles like the overweight, FWD, understeering pig that it is. OTOH my Miata's brake system gets a workout quite regularly, and thus will need to be flushed/bled on a regular basis.
Mushy pedal feel usually creeps up on you, and you never realize how bad it was until you bleed/replace the fluid
im gonna have to agree with this guy. Brake fluid does lose its "dry property" over time. Most brake fluids are only really good for about 2-3 years on the regular road. Does it need to be changed? maybe. Most folks don't know how to use their brakes effectively and prolly end up using them too much. As a result, the fluid isn't overly important, because most folks are riding their brakes and not depending on a good solid push from the fluid. Most folks are really negligent too. BTW their is a lil air in your reservoir. As your pads wear down, the level of the fluid drops a lil. Furthermore, do you really trust your master cylinder to be perfectly waterproof from the humidity in the atmosphere?
I have had the fluid changed in my car once when I got SS lines and once about a year ago. Last year when I used ATE super blue, the fresh fluid made a difference in terms of simply giving a solid and more responsive pedal feel. THis stuff is great because I have stood on the brakes from 60-0 a coupla times and there is no fade.
The super blue is cool too cuz it is blue, so when you change fluids you will see the color change as the old is flushed out. BTW they also make a yellow fluid which will be goin in my car next year, so i can tell the difference from the blue stuff.
Many folks that autocross on the weekends will change the fluid that they were using on the street to a fresh batch every race and some will do it between laps. So I really think spending the $20-30 bucks to put fresh fluid in every 2-3 years is not a big deal considering how much people spend on cheap halogen bulbs every six months.
noel
What is factually incorrect about this?
Brake fluids can absorb water over time, and you can lose braking power, it is a fact. depending on how hard you drive your car this is more or less likely to happen. My Accord is a DD and rarely sees any hard driving because it handles like the overweight, FWD, understeering pig that it is. OTOH my Miata's brake system gets a workout quite regularly, and thus will need to be flushed/bled on a regular basis.Mushy pedal feel usually creeps up on you, and you never realize how bad it was until you bleed/replace the fluid
im gonna have to agree with this guy. Brake fluid does lose its "dry property" over time. Most brake fluids are only really good for about 2-3 years on the regular road. Does it need to be changed? maybe. Most folks don't know how to use their brakes effectively and prolly end up using them too much. As a result, the fluid isn't overly important, because most folks are riding their brakes and not depending on a good solid push from the fluid. Most folks are really negligent too. BTW their is a lil air in your reservoir. As your pads wear down, the level of the fluid drops a lil. Furthermore, do you really trust your master cylinder to be perfectly waterproof from the humidity in the atmosphere?
I have had the fluid changed in my car once when I got SS lines and once about a year ago. Last year when I used ATE super blue, the fresh fluid made a difference in terms of simply giving a solid and more responsive pedal feel. THis stuff is great because I have stood on the brakes from 60-0 a coupla times and there is no fade.
The super blue is cool too cuz it is blue, so when you change fluids you will see the color change as the old is flushed out. BTW they also make a yellow fluid which will be goin in my car next year, so i can tell the difference from the blue stuff.
Many folks that autocross on the weekends will change the fluid that they were using on the street to a fresh batch every race and some will do it between laps. So I really think spending the $20-30 bucks to put fresh fluid in every 2-3 years is not a big deal considering how much people spend on cheap halogen bulbs every six months.
noel