How to Check Brake Fluid As a car owner, you are quite aware that regular maintenance of your car is so vitally important, so that compromise remain a taboo. And, if you are like many other car buffs, having some decent knowledge how to carry out little (but vital) maintenance and/or repair routines yourself is sought after. Well, don’t fret – I am not saying you should become an automobile engineer or a perfect mechanic, but simply those simple tasks that can be accomplished by following easy instructions. One of such maintenance tasks is checking the brake fluid of your car. Now, in this article I am assuming you haven’t done this before or rather you’d tried initially and failed. Don’t worry, if you can follow this step-by-step instructions I’d laid out for you, you will amazingly carry out successful brake fluid checking of your car today, tomorrow and always. READY? The first step is to locate the brake master cylinder. How? Just open up the bonnet, then lift the hood and look in the direction of the back engine area (at the driver side near the firewall). There, you will locate the brake master cylinder (mc). It is a little - just 6 X 2 inches rectangular metal holding a plastic reservoir with a rubber cap on top. A vital tip: If your car is a latest model, then your reservoir will certainly be semi- transparent so that you will see the fluid point without opening it up. But if it’s an older model, the reservoir will most certainly, consist of metal and you will have to open the cap to see the fluid point or level. Start the checking proper. To do this, you have to remove or pop up the rubber cap gently with a screwdriver, and then lift it with your thumbs. Please don’t rush to avoid breaking it. And, it’s highly suggested that you use clean paper or soft cloth to clear the filler cap before removing it. NOTE: And you may be surprised at the dirt and debris stuffs you will see – but don’t. Simply clean them off with towel paper or clean cloth as gently as possible can. Now, what you will see next will determine good or bad discovery. That is, if the brake fluid inside the master cylinder (mc) remain up to the circle inside the filler, then be rest assured that the system is satisfactory. Check the color of the water. If the color of the water is somewhat yellowish, that means the fluid is clean. But if dark (or blackish or grayish), then certainly the hoses inside are getting rotten. Here is what to do. Clean out the master cylinder, and make sure you change rotten hoses to avoid them polluting or destroying the master cylinder later. Removing them is simple, just that the entire fluid in master cylinder will get drained out. But don’t worry about that – let it drain out. Just simply wash out the brake compartment. You have to add more brake fluid now Great care must be exercised when applying brake fluid. Why? Because you can easily pour the wrong brake fluid into your master cylinder. If you’re not sure of the right type, then go get the manual. You will find which proper brake fluid grade is specifically made for your car. As a general rule, though, most cars require ‘Dot 3 or 4’ brake fluid. But if your reservoir has two halves? Fill both with fluid. However, check to be sure that the fluid in the reservoir is below the “Min†level point before adding more brake fluid to reach the “Max†level point. As a rule - don’t exceed this limit to avoid overfilling and to allow room for the fluid to enlarge when hot. Again, always be prepare to use only new brake fluid, because previously-used fluids may no longer be safe for your braking system. Please note that if the reservoir is empty, the brake pedal will fall to the floor. So if this explain your situation, then it’s highly advisable to consult your mechanic to help you bleed and/or re-fill the brake system appropriately. He may also do some repairs or effect changes in case your car show any problem, like requiring frequent fluid addition, which may be due to leakage. Danger - watch out! Brake fluid is highly toxic and poisonous. Don’t allow any spillage on your bare hands or contact with eyes. Don’t allow drops on your car body, to avoid causing corrosion on the painting. But, in case the fluid accidentally fall on your car body, then wash quickly with clean water. After, this exercise discard every used container with much care; away from children and pets. That is it - you have just finished checking your brake fluid system. But at the end of everything, make sure (you must remember) to wash your hands very well.
Now, is something like this considered spam? I would like to see how this ranks in a couple days for "check brake fluid".
How to check brakes on car are working - Aim car at large, immovable object, such as a wall Press accelerator pedal until optimal speed is reached Press brake pedal very hard in time to stop before immovable object and car collide Should stage 3 of the test fail, your brakes are knackered. Don't bother topping up the brake fluid - seek medical attention. Claim insurance money for destroyed car and buy a new one, making sure to check there is sufficient fluid in the reservoir prior to purchase.
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My apology to those of you who felt offended or got irritated by this post. However, let me state upfront that I NEVER had any intention to post spam, neither do I have any hidden agenda whatsoever. Personally, I believe there is nothing wrong if educative articles are posted for other members to read. But if such idea is considered wrong or SPAM here on DP - no problem - I will stop. Thanks. Patrick Ubuane