After giving the car some time to cool down, I discovered that my clutch pedal came back to its normal firmness. With a combination of hard launches and old fluid in my reservoir, my clutch pedal fell dead to the floor as I was trying to shift into third gear. While at the quarter-mile drag strip on a sunny day, I lost the functionality of my clutch. I recently went through this with my car.

So whether the contamination is from air, water, temperature or foreign materials, your brake fluid will need to be changed. Silicone fluids will only absorb so much moisture, leaving the rest to stay in free form and sink to low spots in the system. Not all brake fluids have this property of absorbing moisture. The high temperatures common with braking systems can result in this moisture vaporizing, which causes the fluid to become compressible and gives you that “spongy” feeling. As the brake fluid absorbs moisture, it lessens the fluid’s performance. Of course, this property comes at a price. Otherwise, water molecules could rot the internal components and damage the braking system. Of visitors never replace the brake fluid in their vehiclesīy design, a brake fluid is formulated to absorb moisture. Vacuum and pressure systems offer better options for removing the air. The traditional bleeding method of having one person depress the brake pedal while another person bleeds the air at the wheel can be very time-consuming and often is not the most effective for removing 100 percent of the air. When worn or broken components are changed, pockets of air may also move into the system and be difficult to purge out. Over time, as the pistons move back and forth, the seals will break down, allowing air into the system. Air may also enter the system due to worn seals and components. The leading cause is poor bleeding of the system. This heat combined with any of the previously mentioned contaminants can result in a poor-performing braking system.Īir contamination within a braking system can occur in a variety of ways. The high temperatures associated with braking can also cook the oil inside the caliper or wheel cylinder. If the brakes are not properly bled, air contamination will remain in the system. When the master cylinder is opened up to inspect the fluid level, it is exposed to moisture contamination. It is subjected to contamination from deteriorating hoses and lines. Why should you change brake fluid if your vehicle’s manufacturer doesn’t give direction for doing so? Simply put, brake fluid is no different than the other fluids in your vehicle and should be replaced. The recommendations from fluid manufacturers and other countries typically range from one to two years for performing a flush of the braking system.

However, most American manuals offer no guidelines for when to service the brake fluid. Reading your vehicle’s owner manual will provide details on certain time-based or mileage-based service that should be performed, including oil, transmission, coolant and differential fluid changes. Indeed, brake fluid may be a car’s most neglected component. While vehicle owners may change their brake pads, rotors or drums based on a mechanic’s recommendation or their car not stopping as soon as it once did, few people replace the brake fluid. With roughly 253 million vehicles on American roadways daily, the braking system is vital for driver safety.

Typical applications include automobiles, motorcycles and light trucks.

Compatible with all brake system rubber components and other fluids.Have you ever found yourself in a store isle looking at various brake fluids and wondering which one was right for your vehicle? Or maybe you just want the best performance from your braking or clutch system? Is your decision based on price or the fancy label on the bottle? There are many options and lots of information to decipher.īrake fluids are mainly used in the braking and clutch systems of on- and off-road vehicles.

Lucas DOT 4 Brake Fluid is recommended for use in both disc and drum brake system and clutch system where this type of product is called out for.

It meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. Lucas DOT 4 Brake Fluid is a high quality blend of polyethylene glycol ethers and additives which meet or exceed the industry minimum dry boiling point of 446'F. Lucas DOT 3 Brake Fluid is recommended for use in both disc and drum brake system and clutch system where this type of product is called out for. It meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. Lucas DOT 3 Brake Fluid is a high quality blend of polyethylene glycol ethers and additives which meet or exceed the industry minimum dry boiling point of 401'F.

Fmvss no.116 dot 3 brake fluid