Advice on brake fluid please

[Paul Kennedy]

Hi everyone,

 

Yes I know I should be out on the road but I thought I would quickly change the brake fluid first!

 

Unfortunately I have hit a snag. I started at the passenger rear and pumped the new fluid through using daughter while I crouched with jam jar, but the old and the new liquid are the same colour. Howe do you know when the new fluid has filled the pipe? I under stood the old would separate from the new in the jam jar but they look so similar it is impossible to tell the diference.

 

The old fluid is very old but has not discoloured and is not dirty.

 

The car is a 99 LA and I have now pumped through about 700ml, all to the one wheel. Any ideas or advice to solve my predicament appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Paul

am f 10 years old! I cannot telthis come n. , as I cannot tell whent he new fluid starts

[philwaters]

I recently had a problem with mine and when I re-filled the system it took around 600ml to fill all the circuits - so I think you're getting fresh fluid.

 

Phil Waters

[Nick Chan]

Can't help too much on differentiating between old and new colours but I change mine by releasing the bleed nipple on the NSR wheel and pumping out all but the slightest amount from the master cylinder, just leaving enough to stop the air going through the system. You then refill the M/C completely and as you bleed each wheel, with the first 3-4 full pumps, I'd expect old fluid to come through the line and then the fresh stuff to follow behind.

 

As Phil says, I expect with 700 ml from the NSR to easily be pushing through new fluid by now.

[Paul Kennedy]

Thanks for your advice and help.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Colin Mill]

I know I'm an old nit-picker but since the idea is to reduce the amount of dissolved water and gasses in the system the fluid in the reservoir is likely to be the worst of the lot having sat in a partially vented container for years. I avoid pumping this through the system by syphoning the reservoir out and filling it with fresh fluid as a starter - then bleed the system.

[6speedmanual]

Colin

 

I agree. Good tip

 

 

Peter

 

 

 

BRAWNGP green SUPERLIGHT

*tongue*There's no such thing as too much IQ per Pound 😬

[Manxseven]

Colin,

 

Great Tip

 

 

 

---

Caterham BEC here

[Steve Campbell]

..and get an eezibleed from Halfords for ~£16...saves having to bribe 2nd person to pump the pedal. Just did mine for the first time ever at the weekend and it was a doddle (although mine was definitely different colour, old was golden syrupy colour and new was much light yellow).

[ric355]

Make sure the seal is properly seated inside the eezibleed cap and that it is tightened down properly over the reservoir, otherwise fluid can be forced out from under the cap under pressure.

 

Ask me how I know 😬

[Z3MCJez]

How do you know? (I'm guessing I know how you know ).

 

To more helpful stuff, the Eazibleed gives (in my experience) a better bleed first time too. And it can be expecially helpful if you've got a leak (or in my case, it can identify a leak before you've filled it up), as you can hear the hissing sound (or, I guess, small bubbles, if it's previously been full).

 

Jez

 

Build Photos

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

otherwise fluid can be forced out from under the cap under pressure.

I can second that one !!

 

Top tip from someone here recently - don't fill the EziBleed reservoir with brake fluid as per the instructions ... or the above can happen ..... just remove the air feed line from the wheel each time you need to top up the reservoir on the master cylinder wit brake fluid. That way, you can't have a disastrous spillage.