What is brake fluid and what is it made out of?
Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic brake systems in automobiles. It's the pressure that allows your caliper to push your brake pads into your rotors to slow down your vehicle. Brake fluid is mainly made out of glycol-ether based, mineral oil and silicone-based (DOT 5) fluids.
Common signs of bad brake fluid
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Slipping of the brakes
When your brake fluid goes bad, you could feel that the brakes are 'slipping' or not responding properly. This could be quiet alarming and extremely dangerous. You always want consistent pressure in your brakes to allow you maximal stopping capacity when driving.
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Pedal Pressing to the floor
When you get air in the brake lines, your brake fluid isn't consistent throughout the system. This will cause you to feel the need to push the brake pedal all the way to the floor. You should get this flushed out immediately as it could cause a serious accident. This could also mean you need to get a full diagnostic on your brake system to make sure there isn't any leaks or faulty parts. Common issues include cracked master cylinders, faulty lines and bad brake calipers.
How to check for bad fluid
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Try to look into the brake fluid chamber
If you see your brake fluid is a dark color like black or brown, your fluid has become contaminated and is in need of a brake fluid flush.
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Have an expert diagnose it
It could be hard to locate and access if your brake fluid is bad if you haven't done it before. Brakes To You offers diagnoses and brake flushes as a part of our brake services. Click here to get a quote.