Brake Fluid in Radiator - is this a problem?

The message from snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com (Mike Roberts) contains these words:

Depends on the car. Some rubber doesn't like brake fluid at all and may dissolve or go gungy or swell up and go weak like cheese. Some doesn't.

I'm not sure if that's a troll or not, but just in case.....

It certainly wont do it any good, you would be well advised to empty and flush the system, before refilling with fresh coolant.

Could have been worse, at least she didn't put water into the brake reservoir!

Could have been even worse still, I recently had to go and recover a truck where the 'driver' had got the fuel filler, and the oil filler mixed up (the oil filler is on the side of this particular truck) and filled (yes, completely filled) the engine with diesel. By the time I go to it, there were 60 litres of diesel, and several pieces of engine block all over the forecourt, as it blew the sides out of the block when he attempted to start it!

depends on how much she's put in lots will certainly cause a few problems a bit won't either way you are going to have to drain and fully flush the system once it's done, I'd boot the car because you never know what is going to go wrong with it in the future if the water system has been contaminated at least a rad swap, maybe a whole pipe swap youjust never know tell her off

Bit extreme, given that brake fluid is water soluble. Cheaper to boot the girlfriend.

Simon - certainly not a troll! Thanx for the advice, will get it sorted asap.

Cheaper to boot the

Yes, but that's only to stop it happening again. Right now he needs to sort the car out.

Rob Graham

Which, unless his girlfriend bough a 4l container of brake fluid, is probably fine.

I don't think it will do any damage at all. Certainly not to the block, radiator or water pump. I doubt there's much difference in the compound used for the water hoses, to that used for brake hoses, so I can't see it affecting those. Just drain and replace the coolant. IMO any brake fluid left in the system will have little affect on it's cooling properties. Mike.

In article , Mike Roberts writes

For suitability of common oils and chemicals v's rubbers see

I understand Brake fluid has glycol components

Check the 16 section (OSHA compatible) MSDS for disposal requirements. It might also hint at the suitability of brake fluid for coolant use. Check the flash point (well it's in a coolant system) , boiling point (well it goes through a big radiator) , miscibility (it is!) and stability.

Here is one below, but the maker is duty bound to provide an MSDS if you ask for it for work purposes so check on the website of the manufacturer for their own MSDS.

In article , Z wrote: > It might also hint at the suitability of brake fluid for coolant use.

I doubt the flash point and boiling point have much relevance in a cooling system, given the temperatures brakes reach.

Hi Dave

No!, seems a good excuse to deal out a good spanking, with the attendant afters!!

In article , Dave Plowman writes

It'll determine if the brake fluid in the coolant is going to pose a flash hazard though - which it shouldn't.

Once again, thanks to all who have replied. I have a confession to make though... I can't live with the guilt any longer... it wasn't the girlfriend who did this... it was me. I've changed brake fluid before, topped up antifreeze many times. For some reason I just lost it. I really can't believe I did this, must be getting old or something.

I reckon 99% of people who post saying their wife or girlfriend did something stupid are actually talking about themselves. You're the honest

The message from Dave Plowman contains these words:

And full marks for it!

Now, hands up, who's forgotten to put the drain-plug back in before adding new oil.

And who's had the bottle-trap off the sink and tipped the bowl you caught the spill in down the same sink?

Did it for the first time, after 45 years of doing my own servicing, last oil change!

Must be metamorphosing from Crinkly to Wrinkly :0)

Pete

Never done that, but I've left the oil filler cap off a few times after topping it up. Makes a real mess on a 2CV...

Yep, done that more than once.

Messiest one I managed was to use a 5 litre plastic oil container with the side cut off as an oil drainer. Then picked it up from under the car by it's handle and pulled it vertical. Whoops. Took me ages to clean the drive :-(

Mike

The message from "Mike P" contains these words:

Cor, yes, with a horizontally opposed twin it would!

Time for one of my tales of woe methinks.

When I had my first Carlton (heh, sounds like a toy!) I was just leaving home to head back to uni (only 16 miles away so hardly a long trek!!) and I'd just given the car a good tidy inside, and checked and topped up everything if need be (washer fluid, coolant, oil etc.) and drove back to uni (uni=Guildford, home=Bracknell). About 3 miles outside of Bracknell, just at the end of a 2 mile stretch of NSL dual carriageway, I noticed a burning smell and some smoke near the front of my car. There was an old shed in front of me (can't remember exactly what it was) and I just assumed it was that - running rich or not quite right - I was stopped quite close to the back of that car, so hard to tell. Then at the next roundabout (M3 junction) the smell was still there, so was the smoke but the old shed wasn't in front of me. I pulled over within the next 100 metres or so and popped up the bonnet - smoke everywhere - oil burning off exhaust. I'd forgotten to put the oil filler cap back on and it had splashed everywhere and was burning off the 'zorst manifold. A quick check revealed that there was still just enough oil in it to get the Vauxhall main dealer about 1 1/2 miles down the road, where I promptly bought a replacement oil filler cap (about 2 quid). And as a little bonus, it was a plastic handled one instead of the old metal one which was always a bit hot to handle.

And that was that. The burning continued until it had all burnt off and it eventually stopped.

That brief oil-burning experience must have had a long-term effect on me, as I drive diesels now.

Peter