becauseful when u found that your brake fluid is deceased. check your brake pad whether its time to changed.

recently i found that my brake fluid decreased. so i added some. after 2 weeks i hear noise from 4 wheels. so i went to check it, the brake pad is almost gone.

so i changed my brake pads, after that i found that the brake fluid reserver tank overflow.

so please note that u should check the pad before added in any fluid.

 

Anybody that is qualified to do basic repairs on any car would know that.

 

i didn't know. :P

 

Haha

 

Some of us learn from the mess.

Definitely no need to keep the brake reservoir level topped off to "max" as the pads wear. Only add fluid if it drops below "min" and the pads are still good.

Or if you have a leak.

Ken

 

Well, then, you probably haven't heard that brake fluid destroys paint too.

 

That's part of the mess. Fortunately, the mess path usually does not involve important painted surfaces.

Leaking brakes that require periodic topping off are usually associated with a car where the paint is not of great importance.

Brake fluid's paint removal properties provided me with an opportunity to learn how to do a serious touch-up. While flushing/bleeding the brakes on a VW Rabbit I used to own, I accidentally dripped a few drops onto the fender. Ate right down to the bare metal.

My sense of self-worth was restored when I eventually repainted it well enough so I could no longer tell where the spill was. I also learned to use a fender cover whenever messing with brake fluid.

Ken

 

FYI:
As brake fluid ages, its additive package breaks down.
When that happens corrosion can start to pit the cylinder bores.
Then the rubber seals begin to wear on the pits causing the fluid to darken.
If your fluid is not clear as beer, the seals are already wearing out.

The prevention:
Every time you change the pads, bleed the brakes & the clutch.

 

Actually, the fluid absorbs mostiure, that's what causes the pitting.

 

Actually, it absorbs water from the time you open the lid, but as long as the additive package lasts corrosion is prevented.

It's just that many drivers don't realize that brake fluid needs to be changed out periodically.

-Bill

 

Here's a great article on brake fluid, didn't mention anything about additive packages though.

http://www.type2.com/library/brakes/brakef.htm

 

Good article.

BTW - on the MT editor's experience with the gas station - must have been an old mechanic. At one time standard practice in the US was to not periodically replace brake fluid. The reasoning was that flushing the system had a chance of introducing dirt.

Kind of a self defeating policy, since in those days it was pretty common to rebuild wheel cyinders as part of a brake job (at least one usually leaked) so the fluid got replaced anyway.

European practice has always been to periodically flush brake fluid. That became US practice after disc brakes became common.

Ken

 

Yup - The pros know it.

We just have to inform the DIY'ers

-Bill

 

funny i knew this long ago.