My brake fluid level is below the "Low" mark which is causing my brake light to come on...(I'm pretty sure thatz the reason why). Anyways my question is, is it ok to just take off the lid and add some more brake fluid? Or do you think I should have my brakes serviced? They were serviced about an year ago and the guy said the front pads have alot of life left on it but the back ones were replaced. What could be the cause of this leak and is it ok to just add more brake fluid?

P.S. Can u find Dot 3 or Dot 4 brake fluid at like Pep boys? Does brand really matter? Not quite sure what the brake fluid brand is

 

any DOT 3 fluid is fine. i believe DOT 4 is synthetic, or at least the majority of DOT 4 fluids are. dont use synthetic, as it will exacerbate your possible leakage. you just open the cap and fill it up to the middle of the min and max lines.

check under the vehicle after sitting overnight and see if you see any drops of fluid from the corners or under the master cylinder. could be a simple as a slightly loose drain plug on a caliper, a leaky o-ring, or a faulty master cylinder.

 

normally the fluid level drops because the brake pads get worn down. you should probably take a look at the pads to see if they need to be replaced. if they are still good, then go ahead and top off the brake fluid reservoir.

 

Actually, your light is on because you probably have a leak somewhere, causing the excessively low level of fluid which probably triggers the brake light. I don't know if your car has a low fluid sensor to trigger the light. Generally, brake warning lights actuate because of a low pad or low pressure. The fact that you have such a low fluid level & the light might indicate a leak somewhere.

I agree to check the pads; however, you may want to invest somemore time in finding a leak. Could be an internal gasket: easy to fix if you have the tools and a Haynes manual.

Best of luck, bud.

 

Just fill it back up and you should be fine. The light is on probably cause its letting you know your fluid is low. Its a type of sensor thats connected to the lid, so it knows when it needs to be filled letting you know by having the light come on

 

Fluid gets low for a reason. Just filling the reservoir back up would mask the problem. If his brake pads are worn down, they'll soon wear out and be scratching the rotors. If there's a leak somewhere, that won't be a good thing to find out when he's trying to stop.