Synthetic Dot 3 Brake Fluid

[kaboom10]

Made by Prestone. Saw this at Walmart today. I thought synthetic was Dot 5 or 5.1. It claimed 470 degree dry boiling point. It was like $5.87/qt.

 

[CharBaby]

All brake fluid is synthetic. Always has been(well, maybe not always). Even the cheap stuff.

 

[MrBeachcomber]

The minimum wet boiling point determines whether a brake fluid is DOT 3 or DOT 4. For example:

DOT 3 = 284F

DOT 4 = 311F.

Synthetics can be DOT 3, DOT 4, or DOT 5.1 while all silicon brake fluid is DOT 5.

 

[kaboom10]

Thanx but it just threw me when it said synthetic. I used to use silicon brake fluid in an older brake system but read to not use it in the newer ABS systems. It worked great on the race track.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Originally Posted By: kaboom10
Thanx but it just threw me when it said synthetic. I used to use silicon brake fluid in an older brake system but read to not use it in the newer ABS systems. It worked great on the race track.


I love silicone fluid in my older cars. I've heard it's too viscous for ABS. Don't know if that's true, but I dont care to be the guinea pig!

 

[kaboom10]

Mine was an 80 Camaro that was basically a race car on the street. The ABS system moves brake fluid at a rate the silicon can't match plus the orifices that it has to pass thru it's to viscous IIRC from reading.

 

[Falcon_LS]

I got some of that stuff myself today, in a yellow 32 oz bottle. I wanted to use DOT 4 this time round, but I posted about this earlier and it was recommended I use whatever is cheapest.

 

[labman]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
All brake fluid is synthetic. Always has been(well, maybe not always). Even the cheap stuff.


Yes, marketing hype popularized by Valvoline.