Brake fluid question

This is just my personal opinion.......

BAD BAD BAD thing to do!... These guys at the quickie-lube don't know shit about cars. Here are just a few concerns. How long has the can been open? Does it have moisture in it? Is it the right type of fluid? Brake fluid doesn't evaporate in normal use. Where did it go? If you have a leak you need to know about it, NOT refill the master brake unit! If you are low on fluid, you are probably low on brakes too.(thin pads) If you do refill it, your going to hate the mess when you replace the pads. When you press the pistons back into the caliper, it will overflow the fluid all over the place. What oil did they REALLY put in your engine?( they love to use Pennzoil) Did they crossthread your filter or oil drain plug? Did they even get the CORRECT filter? What else did they f*ck up while under there?

Do yourself a BIG favor, STAY OUT OF JIFFY-BOOB and other quickie lube places! If you can't do it yourself (or don't want to) find a decent mechanic.Most mechanics are certified, these oil jockies are not. I have heard too many horror stories about these places..... It's just my personal opinion (I am entitled to it) that "Jiffy Lube" is a bad joke, a terrible risk and not a good deal at any price. Add "Oilstop" to the list as well.

It depends...if the level is regularly dropping despite being topped off, you've got a leak, and that needs to be found & fixed---not just topped off.

If the level drops to lower end of the 'good' range, due to pad wear, it's ok to top it off-- but this wouldn't be a "routine" task for anyone putting reasonable mileage on the car.

If your car is in need of topping off the master cyl often, the first thing I'd do is find out WHY. This is not normal.

Mickey

Count me in with the others on two counts: fluid should not normally be added - it is an indication of other conditions within the brake hydraulics... and stay away from the quickie lube places. Your regular mechanic is a much better deal. He'd even know when the brake fluid level was suggesting the pads are worn.

Mike

Add to your comments, having the jiffy boob cut a hole in the under engine cover to gain access to the oil filter rather than remove the cover.

I hope they paid for it.

What do you do when you do your own checks if the reservoir is low? It doesn't hurt to top it up providing the same grade of fluid is used. Least that's what I've been doing for years if required.

If the fluid is low, it's time to check the brakes. There should be zero leakage and the level will not drop below minimum as long as there is some lining left on the pads/shoes. If you add fluid you are ignoring the only advance warning of "service needed" you will get. The next warning will cost you.

Mike

When you press the pistons back into the caliper, it will

Hi,

Agreed, this is the biggest problem w/ keeping the cylinder topped up, ASSUMING it's simply being topped up occasionally, not being REFILLED frequently (which probably indicates a leak as others have noted.)

Another Pennzoil basher, eh?

While I don't use Pennzoil personally, several of my cars HAVE been maintained on Pennzoil prior to my getting them. One of them, in nearly "like new" condition, had 214k miles when it came to me.

I'll issue you the same challenge I have others who toss this trash talk about: show me some ACTUAL scientific test data that shows your engine will be damaged by using Pennzoil!

Otherwise, I'd agree one should probably avoid quickie lube places like the plague--not for the products they use, but for the people doing the work. But, then again, nobody's perfect. My Camry had the oil pan changed because of a stripped drain hole. Damaged by the certified Toyota mechanics, who did EVERY oil change before I got it! With Pennzoil...

Rick

I've heard the theory, but never encountered anybody who has experienced the symptom of the pedal softening on long braking runs. I've had drum brakes fade, but the pedal never got soft as we would expect if it was releasing steam.

Testing the fluid in the reservoir wouldn't help, either. The question is one of fluid conditions in the system. Doesn't it make more sense to just change the fluid on a schedule if one is concerned?

Mike

Well, the brake fluid should be topped off, the question is why is it going down so quickly, unless they are only topping it off just a bit for the hell of it. It's okay if the brake fluid is getting down to the lower mark. Also, it's the brake fluid's job to remove water from the braking system, so you should have the system flushed periodically. Some say every year, but IMHO that's probably overkill unless you race the thing.

I'll go along with some of the others in the group who don't like quickie lube places. A mechanic may charge a few more bucks, but they should be going over the whole car while the oil is draining. Every oil change is a great time to check brake wear and suspension problems, and the perfect time to check for torn CV boots. A jiffy lube "technician," can't possibly know every quirk in every car ever made.

Funny, when I take my car to get the tires changed over for the winter and summer the tire place always tell me I need new brakes. My regular mechanic tells me my brakes are fine. Always get a second opinion when anybody at the tire place tells you something or the jiffy lube place tells you something.

Sheldon: It all depends on the tire place. My tire place is locally owned, I pay the owner not some teenager. The mechanics changing the tires are all about 40 years old. One time the guy told me I needed brakes, boy he was right, they were just about to cut the rotor. The tab that drags the rotor to screach, warning it is time for brakes. Well that tab broke off I never heard the warning screach. The caliper on the otherside was not working right because that side was not as worn.

added - it is an indication of other conditions within the brake hydraulics...

How's that?

The part that you add brake fluid to is simply a reservoir. Anything above the "Min" mark is _spare_ fluid. Since there's no outside air exchange, very little air gets into the reservoir. You're probably introducing more air (and possibly moisture) by opening it. There's also usually a plastic float that sits on the surface of the fluid, sealing it from the air in the reservoir.

The fluid level does not affect moisture intrusion (which is mostly through the rubber hoses) or pressure, it only indicates how much is left in the reservoir.

Removing the reservoir cap always carries the risk of introducing grit into the system and should be avoided when possible - especially by quickie-lube places where you can be sure they either don't even try to clean the area or just wipe it with a rag... dirty rag or clean, doesn't matter to them.

There is no valid reason for topping it up, and doing so will mask developing problems. If you ever have to add fluid, it's time for a brake inspection.

Mike

You're lucky. A friend of mine used to manage a Jiffy Lube. He got a commission for talking anybody into anything beyond a plain oil change. And you're right. I don't mean to put down "every" quickie lube place or tire place. I do know that when I get my Subie tires balanced at the local tire place the check is a drive from the garage bay to the parking lot. When I take my other car to my mechanic to have the tires changed or balanced they run the car up to about 100 to test the tire balance. I've never had to get a rebalance there.

Shouldn't be other than maybe a tiny bit when the pads wear.

Brake fluid should come from a clean hermetically sealed bottle/can. A sealed and tightly capped container might be OK for about 1-2 weeks if you need to top off after the fluid has been bled. Most mechanics I've heard say it might introduce atmospheric moisture every time you uncap the reservoir. The system isn't perfectly tight, but it does a decent job of keeping out air and moisture.

Typical DOT3/4/5.1 will absorb moisture from the air. I've heard of a demonstration where "dry" DOT 4 brake fluid was poured right up to the edge of a shot glass - I think it was at the Road Atlanta racetrack. After about 20 minutes in the humid air, the fluid had expanded from absorbing moisture and was coming out over the edge.

I never top up my Outback. By the time the fluid gets to the low mark, it's time for a brake job and fluid change and bleed.