David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
6/30/20 11:11 a.m.
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What does brake fluid do? 

In the simplest of terms, brake fluid transfers the pressure generated in the master cylinder by the driver’s leg all the way to the brake hardware found at each wheel of the car. Ideally, this fluid should not freeze, boil or excessively compress, and it should remain compatible with the materials found in the system. It’s a tall order.

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parker
parker Reader
6/30/20 3:22 p.m.

Has the August issue mailed?

 

ChrisTropea
ChrisTropea Associate Editor
7/1/20 10:24 a.m.

In reply to parker :

The August issue is shipping now. If you subscribe by today, July 1, 2020, you should receive this issue. 

Ranger50
Ranger50 UltimaDork
7/1/20 10:59 a.m.

I hope I get mine.

spandak
spandak HalfDork
7/1/20 3:06 p.m.

I read the article and it was good! 
I have one question that I cannot find the answer to though:

Is there any downside to using brake fluid higher than the called for spec? For example, my wife's car calls for DOT 3. Any reason I should use DOT 3 over the bottle of DOT 5.1 I have on the shelf? 

Ranger50
Ranger50 UltimaDork
7/1/20 3:22 p.m.

In reply to spandak :

I never mix different fluid levels. If it's dot3, I keep putting in dot3. Now I've switched to dot4 in my Avalanche and Suburban so I keep them with their like manufacturer fluid as the differences are great between manufacturers.

Matt B (Forum Supporter)
Matt B (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
7/6/20 11:14 a.m.

In reply to Ranger50 :

As long as you "flush" out all the old fluid through bleeding I would think it shouldn't matter if you put in a higher spec, but that might not be contrary to what you're saying.  As far as mixing, I also assume I'd simply never get the benefit of the better fluid if it wasn't pretty uniform in there. 

I never thought about the differences between manufacturers.  I've never experienced any pain points on the issue, but I can't imagine it being a big deal on a street car (could be wrong I guess).  That said, my track cars have all had uniform spec & manufacturer fluids, but admittedly that's partly a byproduct of the replacement cycle between events.

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