28 replies to this topic

[gazza82]

Dot 5 is incompatible with 3, 4 and 5.1 .. that last one confuses people.

Wasn't 5 the odd stuff Citroen used in the 70s/80s?

[minimans]

Dot 5 is incompatible with 3, 4 and 5.1 .. that last one confuses people.

Wasn't 5 the odd stuff Citroen used in the 70s/80s?

Nope that was mineral oil. used by Jaguar and Rolls-Royce at various times and definitely not compatible with brake fluid.

[Spider]

 

Not sure if it's the same situation in the UK as here in Aust, but I've found colour varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.
 
Eg Valvoline Branded fluid is Blue while Castrol was Brown.
 
I swap brands every year for the same reason, when the new fluid comes through, it's easy to spot.

In UK Castrol has 3 fluids the spec sheets state:-
DOT 4 clear bright yellow
React DOT 4 clear bright yellow
React DOT 4 Low Temp clear bright pale yellow

Valvoline have 3 fluids spec sheets show
DOT 3 Clear Yellow
DOT 4 clear yellow
DOT 5.1 clear Amber.
So not a lot of difference in the colours!

 

 

No, it certainly seems not (for you guys at least).

I have found too that the colour, in these parts, isn't always different between DOT Classes, except DOT 5, which last time I bought some was a purple colour.

[DUF2]

Silly question No 2. Does anyone know of a dye that is not water based which could be added without affecting the fluid?

[Avtovaz]

wonder if it was this sstuff?

 

https://www.ebay.co....kkAAOSwOrxZv9mC

 

i highly recomend you use that fluid anyway. Its ATE who make callipers and master cylinders etc.

Edited by Avtovaz, 06 January 2018 - 11:22 AM.

[Ethel]

The only way you'll remove all the existing fluid is a complete strip down, anyway. You could push the caliper pistons fully back to expel as much as possible, but some will be left where new fluid won't push it towards the bleed nipple. As fluid doesn't keep, just keep bleeding your new bottle through until it's used up, doing it over a few intervals will allow the new to mix with the old so you can reduce the concentration of old where it's highest. The fluid is slightly more dense than water so, if you could wait long enough, in theory the old stuff that's absorbed water ought to settle out above the new - doubt that theory holds water* in practice however.

 

*Too obvious a bad joke to pass over.

 

Out of interest has anyone measured the maximum system volume? Obvs it'll vary depending on your setup - I've got through a litre in a rather messy filling of a new system. (dual circuit with remote servo).

[Magneto]

I use a pressure bleeder, puts new fluid in the master cylinder reservoir as I open the furthest bleed screw and it pushes the old fluid right out - I doubt there's little mixing as it does this as the color change is pretty immediate when the new fluid hits the pipe into the catch bottle.

[ings]

brake fluid is so cheep, just buy one litre and flush with the whole ammount you have... make no sense to contaminate the fluid with colors or fancy messures.

[DUF2]

wonder if it was this sstuff?
 
https://www.ebay.co....kkAAOSwOrxZv9mC
 
i highly recomend you use that fluid anyway. Its ATE who make callipers and master cylinders etc.

Avtovaz, yes that was the stuff, but no longer has the blue dye unfortunately.

Edited by DUF2, 18 January 2018 - 03:08 PM.

[Rorf]

Suck the old fluid out of the MC first, refill then pump it through the system. One litre of fluid should be totally adequate for our small Minis. Do not keep brake fluid once it has been opened, it is cheap enough. Only Dot 4.

 

Most dealership workshops never change brake fluid anyway unless specifically asked for by the owner - and the first time it is changed is when something starts going wrong with the braking system

 

If you are changing brake fluid every 2 years, the system should be trouble free for along long time.

 

You can apply this theory to the coolant system too and your car should be trouble free for many years.

[Avtovaz]

 

wonder if it was this sstuff?
 
https://www.ebay.co....kkAAOSwOrxZv9mC
 
i highly recomend you use that fluid anyway. Its ATE who make callipers and master cylinders etc.

Avtovaz, yes that was the stuff, but no longer has the blue dye unfortunately.

 

 

 

I used to buy ap 600 for my rally car, and it was really dear, then tried 701 by questmead, and that was just the same. After 1 event i had to bleed the brakes or id get problems. Now i use the ate stuff, spec strangely is slightly less than teh ap600 but its defo much better. I have done 4-5 events now and havnt changed the fluid. Ap600 is like £65 1/2 ltr, this is £14 per ltr!!

 

awesome stuff, and oem for the bmw!

[DUF2]

wonder if it was this sstuff?
 https://www.ebay.co....kkAAOSwOrxZv9mC
 
i highly recomend you use that fluid anyway. Its ATE who make callipers and master cylinders etc.

Avtovaz, yes that was the stuff, but no longer has the blue dye unfortunately.

 
 
I used to buy ap 600 for my rally car, and it was really dear, then tried 701 by questmead, and that was just the same. After 1 event i had to bleed the brakes or id get problems. Now i use the ate stuff, spec strangely is slightly less than teh ap600 but its defo much better. I have done 4-5 events now and havnt changed the fluid. Ap600 is like £65 1/2 ltr, this is £14 per ltr!!
 
awesome stuff, and oem for the bmw!

Lada?

[Avtovaz]

oh LOL! no never used it in the Lada, only in the bmws...

 

 

you googled my user?

[maccers]

Funny enough I just bought 5 litre from Halfords, Coma stuff, £19. I have two motorbikes with hydraulic clutch and the mini to do. Done both bikes by soaking up the old fluid and filling up with new then pumping it through a few times.

 

Will use Ezi Bleed kit with the tyre pressure to bleed the mini though, but will essentially suck up all the fluid in the master/servo then top it up with new, fill the bottle, connect the spare wheel and bleed it all through, probably fill at least twice the Ezi Bleed bottle. 

 

I just checked now what cap to use and the Mini fluid is really dark brown, checked my book where I write down all the service and it was last done March 2014 - so well overdue.