Good for you golfmiata - soon you'll be joining ranks with CD. Don't get fooled into thinking that the higher number is better. 'someday' - stop second guessing this and just do what the specs call for - use the DOT 3 fluid, rest easy and be done with it. It should be the same as the specified brake fluid. It is possible that the trouble people are having with the hydraulics in their clutch systems is because of seals wearing prematurely due to the wrong fluid being used. It's not such a great idea to get your information from advertising It's only the minimum specs for DOT 4 that exceed minimum specs for DOT 3. You can buy low moisture absorbing fluids though in either DOT rating.īoiling point specs are minimums only - fluids usually exceed that, and DOT 3 fluids can exceed DOT 4 fluids. That warning is not there just for your amusement.īTW - it's not the DOT 3 fluid that should be replaced annually - rather it's the DOT 4 fluid that needs to be replaced more often. If the reservoir cap specifies a particular DOT fluid then use that and that only. Modern brake systems may be able to cope with the different chemistry in each mix but then again your car's system may not. Of course DOT 3 and Dot 4 and DOT 5.1 are compatible, they're glycol based - and of course a container can be labelled DOT 3 and 4 because they're compatible and the numerically higher fluid will mix with the other. What about seal leaks when you're not using the recommended dot 3 product and as you mentioned the above is from their own website -could be a touch biased. The overall high dry and wet boiling points make this fluid an excellent choice for street driven vehicles, too, where brake fluid is flushed less frequently than that in race-driven vehicles." Products with a lower wet boiling point have to be replaced considerably more often (e.g., DOT3 products should be replaced annually). The formula offers a minimal drop in boiling point resulting in a long-lasting fluid that may not need to be changed for up to 3 years under normal highway driving conditions. It is compatible with and will mix well with most DOT3, DOT4, or DOT 5.1 fluids. "ATE Super Blue Racing High Performance Brake Fluid is designed to excel within the extreme demands made on a race vehicle and exceeds all DOT4 standards. It offers a higher boiling point, and much longer drain intervals - since it resists absorption of water. Just because the number 4 is greater than the number 3, that does not mean that brake fluid with a number 4 is better for your car than fluids with the number 3! You can also get high boiling point DOT 3 fluids, and some DOT 3 fluids have a higher boiling point than some DOT 4 fluids. Note that DOT 4 needs to be changed more often to maintain its boiling point ratings since as it absorbs moisture the boiling point lowers more quickly than DOT 3, and it may not be compatible with all the materials in your brake system. If you haven't already read this then check it out - Brake fluid 1A You can get Castrol LMA (low moisture absorbing) fluid. "Silicone" and "Synthetic" brake fluids are not the same thing! Don't confuse that with DOT 5 fluids which are not compatible. It's a glycol based fluid which has always been "synthetic". The "synthetic" labelling is just advertising. This is not something to obsess over - just get any container labelled DOT 3. The car's brake fluid reservoir cap has the recommended fluid to use on it -DOT 3. So, can I just add the Prestone DOT 4 synthetic brake fluid to the fluid that is already in the master cyclinder (whatever is in there now) and be done with it and not be concerned or worry? I just don't want to ruin my brake system, I just want to do the right thing, this should be a simple question. And where do I get so called conventional brake fluid? If the can doesn't say conventional does that mean it isn't? Most stores only carry synthetic. I don't even know if I have synthetic or conventional. The NAPA guy said I should never mix conventional with synthetic. The MAZDA dealer said they only use conventional, but did not tell me wether that is what I am supposed to use or not. I want to use it to top up my brake fluid after my brake job. I picked up some Prestone DOT 4 synthetic brake fluid. I bought my 1997 Miata used and I am not sure what kind of brake fluid is in there now, although I am convinced it is not silicone.Īs long as I am using DOT 4, does it matter if the bottle reads "synthetic" or not? I am confused after reading the threads on synthetic brake fluid, I think some people may be referring to Silicone brake fluid.
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