Brake fluid quality differences?

[LucasDK]

Hi,

I need a DOT4 brake fluid and was wondering if there are quality differences depending on brands: You can get very cheap Walmart-like brake fluids or more expensive Castrol etc brake fluids ... all still DOT4.

What is your opinion?

Lucas

 

[JHZR2]

some will absorb water faster than others and some show a more severe effect in terms of wet boiling temperature.

 

[chad8]

Originally Posted By: LucasDK
Hi,

I need a DOT4 brake fluid and was wondering if there are quality differences depending on brands: You can get very cheap Walmart-like brake fluids or more expensive Castrol etc brake fluids ... all still DOT4.

What is your opinion?

Lucas


I have been using wagner synthetic. very satisfied on 3 cars. It goes on sale at aap quite often and you can get 20% off too. ship to store.

 

[Kuato]

I've always bought what's on the shelf and they have all performed as expected.

 

[Rollins]

I like ATE TYP 200 (which is ATE Super Blue Racing sans the blue dye).
It's made by Clariant AG and is identical to their product Safebrake 10M...
ATE TYP 200 =Clariant Safebrake 10M is the Mercedes OEM brake fluid for more demanding applications (sheet 331.1)

Sheet 331.1

http://www.ate.de/generator/www/com/en/a...id_flyer_en.pdf

TYP 200-Clariant 10M

ATE Super Blue Racing =Clariant 10M Blue

The manufacturer claims better anticorrosion properties,apart from the other positives...And it's cheap enough (10 euro/liter).

 

[mongo161]

I use Dot 3 Brake Fluid and have used the Pennzoil Heavy Duty brake Fluid for Dot 3 and Dot 4.

You can pick this up at Big Lots. I pay $1.80 for 12 ounces in the yellow container. Works fine for me and all brake fluid is synthetic....don't be fooled by the marketers claims with Synthetic on the bottle....it's all synthetic.

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: LucasDK
Hi,

I need a DOT4 brake fluid and was wondering if there are quality differences depending on brands: You can get very cheap Walmart-like brake fluids or more expensive Castrol etc brake fluids ... all still DOT4

Change it every two years and it doesn't matter what you buy.

However, Honda sells its own brand of brake fluid, which Honda claims contains special lubricants that prolong the life of the system's internals. It is possible that cheaper brands do not contains such lubricants.

 

[hate2work]

Originally Posted By: Tegger
However, Honda sells its own brand of brake fluid, which Honda claims contains special lubricants that prolong the life of the system's internals. It is possible that cheaper brands do not contains such lubricants.


It's also possible that Honda brake fluid doesn't contain anything special. I've used the ATE blue/gold in Hondas and Toyotas for many years now and have never had a problem. I suppose it's very much like the Honda Z1 tranny fluid. I did a complete flush on my daughters 99 Civic with Amsoil ATF and that tranny ran smooth as butter and was still going strong at 130k when we sold it.

 

[Quest]

I just luv watching respondants posting away without even notice that OP is situated in Denmark ....

Q.

 

[LucasDK]

Originally Posted By: Quest
I just luv watching respondants posting away without even notice that OP is situated in Denmark ....

Q.


That is OK

Lucas

 

[mechtech2]

I use whatever is on sale.

Racers with special needs may look for fluid with a few degrees more boiling tolerance.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I agree.

I just use the cheapest DOT-3 brake fluid in all my cars for normal daily drive. My E430 recommends DOT-4 but it has cheap Preston DOT-3 since last year and I could not detect any difference in performance.

I think regular flush, every 2-3 years, is more importance than brand.

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I agree.

I just use the cheapest DOT-3 brake fluid in all my cars for normal daily drive. My E430 recommends DOT-4 but it has cheap Preston DOT-3 since last year and I could not detect any difference in performance.

I think regular flush, every 2-3 years, is more importance than brand.


I agree. I have only used the cheapest DOT3 Brake Fluid in every car that I have ever owned(domestic/imported). And years ago, I never changed out the fluid ever, not like I do today. Never an issue!

 

[garlicbreadman]

supertech user here

 

[ltslimjim]

I use Valvoline Dot 3/4, but I would like to try Amsoil's offering one day.

 

[nleksan]

Since you're in Europe, you can probably get Motul cheaper than us here state-side...

If so, I would HIGHLY recommend Motul RBF600 for a street driven car. It out-performed the ATE Blue "Race" fluid significantly in my application, though admittedly that does not mean it is inherently better, I am just providing an anecdote.

Brakes are the ABSOLUTE WORST PLACE ON THE ENTIRE CAR TO "GO CHEAP" (actually, they are TIED FOR FIRST WITH TIRES). Stopping is infinitely more important than going, if you value your life. Always go for the best brakes and tires you can, they're the only thing keeping you from slamming into a wall at a speed your face might consider unpleasant.

I know I advocate certain boutique oils, because I have had good experiences with them and like to share those with others, in hopes that they will have good experiences too!
But, with brake fluid, we're not talking about "better lubrication" or "cheap stuff works fine"... We're talking about what keeps your pedal from going limp when trying to stop from 120km/h...
You can always replace an engine, but you ONLY GET ONE LIFE...

/endrant

 

[johnsmellsalot]

I use Valvoline DOT 3 & 4 brake fluid.

 

[Mark_S]

Bled my brakes last week. I bought Valvoline. It cost $1 or so more, but I suppose I feel a little more confidence in them. Bleeding brakes is not done that frequently, so the savings among fluids is not so much.

 

[tom slick]

Ever boiled your brake fluid while driving?
Ever had corroded brake parts even though your changed fluid regularly?

If you answer no to the questions why would you need "better" brake fluid than what the OEM calls for?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Some drivers do not care if "better" fluid will do anything for their cars, but they like the "feel good" for spending extra.

Similar to drivers who spend extra for higher grade fuel, 93 octane instead of 87 octane, than what the car needs because it feels good.