Old Brake Fluid Switched Out - Feels AWESOME

[LeiZ]

Did a brake fluid flush over the weekend. Now feels AWESOME! Little touch gives you tons of stopping force. Love it!

I gotta say I haven't changed it since I bought it 5 years ago, ya 5 years. And I don't know how long the fluid has been there EVEN BEFORE I bought it. So no surprise, the fluid looks dark yellow. The bottle in the middle is the old fluid. The bottle on the left is the old fluid in brake lines mixed with new fluid I put in. Wanna know why it looks so dark, almost black??? You'll know it when I post another picture later.

[jgold47]

do you have your pictures backwards?

The one on the left looks like what old, waterlogged brakefluid should look like. The one in the middle is really not that bad...

I bought a motive power brake bleeder. Makes it super easy to do. Definitely on my every two year list now.

[LeiZ]

jgold, the pictures are in the right order. The reason why the left bottle looks so dark black, is because, new fluid is BLUE. So when blue mixed with yellow, it turned nasty black.

The new fluid is racing grade, with fluid dyed in BLUE, for the ease of fluid change. Bavarian Auto sells it for $15, and exceed DOT5 requirement (in terms of dry and we boiling point).

So far so good.

Originally Posted by jgold47

do you have your pictures backwards?

The one on the left looks like what old, waterlogged brakefluid should look like. The one in the middle is really not that bad...

I bought a motive power brake bleeder. Makes it super easy to do. Definitely on my every two year list now.

[LeiZ]

Ya, I need a power bleeder too. A LOT OF PUMPING on the brakes to make the job done. Kinda pain in the a$$.

Originally Posted by jgold47

do you have your pictures backwards?

The one on the left looks like what old, waterlogged brakefluid should look like. The one in the middle is really not that bad...

I bought a motive power brake bleeder. Makes it super easy to do. Definitely on my every two year list now.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by LeiZ

The new fluid is racing grade, with fluid dyed in BLUE, for the ease of fluid change. Bavarian Auto sells it for $15, and exceed DOT5 requirement (in terms of dry and we boiling point).

So far so good.

Hopefully you used Dot 4, and not Dot 5 (which doesn't mix.....)

Can looks like ATE Super Blue. Just Dot 4, but nothing wrong with that.

You know why it is called racing grade? There is a chequered flag on the can.

[jsoto]

Well, we know how the transmission fluid debates go...

I wonder aside from us *enthusiasts*, what percentage of drivers actually have changed their brake fluid in let's say, 6-8 years of ownership !

[JCL]

If the vehicle is near new, the brake fluid will be changed twice in the four year prepaid maintenance interval, all you have to do is visit your dealer (in North America). Beyond that time period, I suspect a lot of people let it go, enthusiast or otherwise.

The significant difference to the transmission fluid debate is that if you do the brake fluid change properly, with the correct fluid, there is zero downside. And brake fluid does wear out, in the sense that it accumulates moisture (by design).

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by JCL

Hopefully you used Dot 4, and not Dot 5 (which doesn't mix.....)

Can looks like ATE Super Blue. Just Dot 4, but nothing wrong with that.

You know why it is called racing grade? There is a chequered flag on the can.

Actually, Ate Super Blue (and Gold) Racing DOT 4 has a higher wet and dry boil point then almost all other DOT 4 fluids. It's around 20 deg F higher if I recall correctly.

The blue brake fluid is illegal in some states (used in vehicles on public roads), FL for 1.

FWIW, I change out the brake fluid every 2 yrs.

[jsoto]

LeiZ -

BTW, I still do a foot bleed AFTER a bleeder. IMO, it still produces a firmer pedal

[JCL]

Didn't know it was illegal in some staes. As of August 16th, however, it is illegal in all states. They have been ordered to pull it from the shelves.

Link here:

Braking News: ATE Super Blue Deemed Illegal for US Distribution*|*Hooniverse