brake fluid

Does anyone know what kind of brake fluid Subarus use, especially the 2000 Outback Wagon? I have just bought some Dot 3 brake fluid for my other car, and was wondering if the Subaru will take the same spec?

Yousuf Khan

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Yousuf Khan
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My 2000 OBW manual says DOT 3 or 4.

Reply to
bg

And remember: NEVER keep a can that's been opened around for top offs. It's hygroscopic, absorbs water, and that can make a mess of your lines and braking ability. To be a purist you should flush your brake system every couple of years.

Don '04 Baja '88 Carrera

Reply to
Don.

Can you mix them? How do you know which one is in there currently?

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
Yousuf Khan

you can't mix them, and try not to mix brands (use the same brand from change-to-change).

Reply to
X-Eliminator

Why are you adding brake fluid? The high / low level indicates the wear of the front (Rear?) brake pads. (When its full, the brake-pads are thick, as the pads wear the level drops, when you hit the 'add' mark, your brakes are almost worn out). Other than that, you have a leak in the system. If you 'Top off' the master cyl,just because its not at the full mark, next time you get your brakes done the fluid will rise in the master and spill out as the pistons are pushed back in.

Rob

Yousuf Khan wrote:

Reply to
Rob

Yes, you can mix DOT 3 & DOT 4 (see the label on the bottle). You can't mix either of these with DOT 5, which is silicone-based and completely incompatible.

Not all DOT 3 & 4 brakes fluids are created equal. Some are much better quality than others. DOT 3 & 4 simply set minimum standards that the fluids must meet. Things to look at on the label are the minimum wet boiling point temp (the higher the better). This is the temp at which brake fluid that has absorbed the maximum amount of water from the air begins to boil. You may also see a minimum dry boiling point temp, which is always higher than the wet b.p., and represents the temp at which fresh, unadulterated fluid begins to boil. Not nearly as useful a figure.

It's always best to flush out as much of the old fluid as possible by bleeding all four wheels in the proper sequence. If you don't know how, or if you have an ABS brake system which may be more difficult to work on, then leave it to a professional.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Bailin

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