Any point in using "performance" brake fluid in a DD?

[AlpacaBowl]

Like the title says... Any point in using a performance or higher temp rated brake fluid in your daily driver? Obviously I likely dont need the additional 500+ degree boil protection however maybe they are higher quality?
Approaching 3 years and 50,000 miles - I'll be swapping out the fluid soon and want to know if I should consider something other than DOT4 from Walmart.

 

[RooflessVW]

IMO no.

Brake juice is brake juice in a DD. All of my cars just get BG.

 

[KGMtech]

Nope. Change it every 24-30 months and take comfort that you're doing far better than 95% of the motoring crowd.

 

[Vercingetorix]

No point in synthetic motor oil either. Just get whatever is cheapest and go through life complaining when things go wrong.

 

[mrsilv04]

In the motorcycle, yes... I care. Will use Pentosin or ATE.
In anything else, no... I don't. Just as long as it is newer/cleaner than what I'm flushing out. Last I used was O'Reilly store brand.

 

[skyactiv]

FYI since not everyone knows this: There are two DOT 4 fluids. DOT 4 and DOT 4 LV. Ford has specified DOT 4 LV in the F150 and some other of its vehicles for a few years now. Some other auto makers specify the LV version, too.

It's to ensure better operation of the ABS pump in very cold conditions. I myself won't cheap out using the wrong fluid to put additional strain on the expensive ABS pump which controls other things like traction control.

And who knows, maybe the auto makers can get away with a smaller, less powerful pump factory filling with DOT 4 LV when proper operation is needed at -20F.

 

[RooflessVW]

No point in synthetic motor oil either. Just get whatever is cheapest and go through life complaining when things go wrong.

False equivalency.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Changing it after 3 years is much more important than what kind of fluid you use

Even the cheap Walmart DOT4 is fine for your use.

 

[barryh]

The main reason I wouldn't use a high performance fluid like Dot 5.1 is because it absorbs water faster and therefore needs changing more often. So for a daily driver there is no practical advantage, only a disadvantage. I would use a Dot 4 LV fluid because my car requires it and it works fine in my 42 year old motorcycle too.

 

[Hall]

In the US, brake fluid is regulated by the .... DOT (Dept of Transportation). There will be negligible differences between brands of DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 4 LV, etc. As others have already said, just change the brake fluid more routinely with simple stuff from Walmart, Autozone, etc vs paying for expensive marketing.

 

[Marcozi]

Just use a good quality brake fluid. I used to use Castrol Low Moisture Activity (LMA) brake fluid. Change it ever 2 to 3 years.

 

[kschachn]

Like the title says... Any point in using a performance or higher temp rated brake fluid in your daily driver? Obviously I likely dont need the additional 500+ degree boil protection however maybe they are higher quality?
Approaching 3 years and 50,000 miles - I'll be swapping out the fluid soon and want to know if I should consider something other than DOT4 from Walmart.

What is the brand and the DOT designation of this performance fluid?

 

[AlpacaBowl]

Thanks guys, thats about what I figured. I appreciate the insight.

 

[BHopkins]

Yea, probably not. But I still do. I use either the Bosch ESI6-32N or ATE TYP 200.

My reasoning is that out there in the West, there are some pretty steep mountain passes. For example, heading West on I-70 between Denver and Vail, can involve some pretty heavy braking. Would regular Prestone DOT 4 do the job? Most likely. But it is cheap insurance. Just like good tires.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Nope