brake fluid

[Matt82]

whats the difference between them all? is it much of a muchness. is dot5 any better? will they be more resistant to fade? i think ive generic stuff in mine, albeit new. if i fade it to buggery, does it just recover anyway?

 

[gspk]

dot 5 is high performance stuff & i think needs to be changed more often, dot 4 is the standard stuff used by most car makers now.
I don't know how restistant to fading each spec is tho, I thought that was down to the temperature of the calipers.

G

 

[Dogbreath]

DOT5 is silicon brake fluid, and is not compatible with other types. Though many benefits were originaly claimed for it, there were also many disadvantages and it's not very popular now. DOT5.1 was introduced as a high specification mineral based fluid that is compatible with the other non-silicon fluids, e.g. DOT4.

Basicaly use whatever you car manufacturer recommends, but you should be perfectly fine using DOT5.1.

 

[nutcase]

Watching for people unencessasarily (sp) slating DOT 5

What Dogbreath says is right. The main difference between DOT 3, DOT4 and DOT5.1 is the boiling point. DOT 5.1 is overkill in most cars TBH. DOT 5 is a long life silicine fluid that would need the system flushing and all seals changed before use. IMO it's worth it on an older car that you plan to keep a long time.

 

[Agent_Smith357]

You can change brake fluid all you like but if the brakes are of crap design to begin with you’re just wasting your money.

Find out the real reason it fades, pad types can be a major contributor to this.