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Brake Fluids

How many of you know what brake fluid is? Or even knew that your brakes need fluid to keep them working properly? Brake fluid is probably the most underestimated fluid ever in cars. If you didn’t have proper working brakes, how do you think driving would feel? Horrible and terrifying!! Without brake fluid, we have no brakes, no brakes on a fast, beautiful car bring disaster. A wise man once said, “What is the point of driving a car that cannot be stopped when you want to???” That’s how important the brake system is…

What Is It brake fluid?

Brake fluid is what keeps your brakes working properly. It is as plain and simple as that. Brake fluid is part of a closed system - like your transmission; which means you shouldn’t have to refill or change it often. With that being said, checking your fluid is still needed. A good sign indicating it is time for new fluid (or more serious conditions like new brake pads and rotors), is when the brakes feel off. If they feel weak, as in mushy when you press down to brake, you need to check the fluid.

Three main brake fluids are used the most. Check with your owner’s manual to determine which is best for your car.The three most popular brake fluids are DOT3, DOT4, and DOT5. DOT3 and DOT4 are glycol-based fluids that absorb water. DOT5 is silicon based fluid that doesn’t absorb water. They all have a different viscosity and boiling points, so there is need to determine which is best for your vehicle and it's usually described in your vehicle's manual.If you don’t have one check the cap of the brake fluid reservoir. Take note of this so you won’t be adding the wrong fluid!

Checking, Changing, and Bleeding

You can help you brake line in two ways

·         Making sure the reservoir is full of fluid

·         Bleeding the line to remove air.

We will discuss both

To check your brake fluid, look for the reservoir usually located towards the driver side under the hood. It should be a clear container like the coolant reservoir, but positioned more towards the back around the driver’s side. Make sure your car engine is cold, open the cap for the reservoir and look inside. If the fluid is at the max line, then you are set. If the fluid is below the max line, then that would explain why your brakes feel off. You can refill to the max line if needed, but be careful and avoid spill.Avoid direct contact with the skin as it's quite harsh and a skin irritant.

The next time you take your car in for oil change, tell your mechanic you had to refill the fluid. They will want to check the brake line for a bigger issue like bad rotors or brake pads. Like I said before, the brake line is in a closed system which means it shouldn’t run low. If it does, that usually means the brake pads or rotors are worn and needs replacing. If you need to change the pads or rotors, so be it. You don’t need to change them often and proper working brakes equals safer vehicle.

Sometimes air enters your brake line which causes an anomaly in the fluid flow.Since we have already established that it is a closed system, air in it may not be able to escape so there is definitely a gap. The term “bleeding the brakes” means you are releasing the air bubbles from the line and for this task it may require two people. I would advise that your mechanic to bleed the brakes because some cars can be more tricky than others. But if you want to accomplish it yourself, you will need a couple of hands.

Checking and changing the fluid can vary on how you drive and how hard you brake. To be safe, I advice that brake fluid level be checked twice between oil changes. When determining whether the fluid needs replacing -the feel of the car and the color of the fluid are the first pointers. However, we can’t all rely on our intuition, so have the fluid changed every three to four years. Of course if you take your car to the workshop and your mechanic wants to change the brake fluid, please let them. But you can always ask them to explain why and also take a look at the fluid.

The color of most fluid is a light golden-brown, so if the fluid is dark brown (or close to), then you need a change. Know your facts and don’t be afraid to ask questions and tell your mechanic to show you what he/she means. After all it’s your car, your safety, and your money! Feel your car, understand brake fluid because you are MOTOSMART!