Handling The Brake Fluid

You might concern enough about filling the fuel to make sure your car can move. But believe it or not, some drivers or car owners seem to ignore one more important fluid for your vehicle – which is the brake fluid.

Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic brake which applied in vehicles. It transfers force into pressure and commonly used in hydraulic clutches. The pressure help the vehicle to brake or stop and without this brake function, you can’t even make your vehicle slow down. Well, it sounds pretty dangerous.

The best way to ensure your safety is to always check if the brake fluid level is sufficient before you start driving. Make sure to you refill the fluid container if it isn’t sufficient. It is extremely recommended to use fluid from a freshly opened can to prevent the impurities and future problems.

A good car should not have decreasing brake fluid levels. The brake fluid does nothing circulates in the car’s braking system and not used up like fuel. However keep in mind that some cars/vehicles have imperfections which allow some fluid to leak out. If you notice that your brake fluid levels have gone so low in a very short amount of time, seek for help from the mechanics as soon as possible. Remember that this brake fluid also affects your safety while driving, so act before it’s too late to regret.

The key indicator for the brake fluid is its boiling point. If you notice that the brake fluid boils and becomes a gas, it means the the fluid loses its ability to transform the force into pressure – means that it loses its ability to stop or slowing down the vehicle. In fact the brake fluid is most likely to boil during a period of prolonged braking and this is why you should always check the condition of the brake fluid.

If your vehicle runs out of brake fluid gets too contaminated, the brake pedal will eventually get stuck. It is recommended to replace it once per year by flushing it out and refilling the container with new fluid. This is extremely important important for cars that have an anti-lock braking system (ABS) as the ABS is heavily reliant on the brake fluid to operate properly.

Most vehicles today have a brake fluid reservoir that allows you to check the fluid level without opening the cap. Usually the brake fluid reservoir is located toward the back of the engine bay where it’s easy to access. So do remember to check the fluid level at least once per week. Once you locate the brake fluid reservoir, look for markings on the side that tell you if you need to add any brake fluid. If you can’t see the markings, clean off a little road grime to see them clearly.

Do remember to make sure that you are using an identically rated fluid as a refill. Refill the car’s brake fluid container with DOT 3 fluid if it had DOT 3 fluid in it. Mixing the blue DOT 5 brake fluid with DOT 3 can cause catastrophic effects and you should avoid this. Flush everything out first if you wish to change fluids to a different type of brake fluid.

Some other important things to keep in mind regarding the brake fluid:

• Don’t fill brake fluid into your used oil container.
• Don’t pour brake fluid down to any drain or on the ground.
• Don’t spray brake cleaner around the brake fluid.
• Determine your brake fluid level by testing the brake function, and act accordingly.

Let’s see a video about tips on brake fluid.

It’s better to act and always prepare before it’s too late to regret because your brake fluid level affects your safety while driving. Check your brake fluid now!