brake fluid mistake

[planet_keeper]

so i was doing my pads on saturday and i ended up bleeding off a lot of brake fluid. i had to drive the car today so i decided i would put some fluid in there just to tide it over till a store opens up again on monday that carries motul. well, the only stuff i had laying around was dot5 and i only just remembered that dot 5 is supposed to mess your brake system up if your car isn't designed for it. i'm not really sure why, i just remember its bad. is this something i should be outside right now flushing my system for and then try to get a ride tomarrow to pick the fluid up or is this something my car can live with until tomarrow?

[AutostradaVR4]

DOT5 should not be mixed with DOT3 or 4...i believe because they will react and do bad things.

EDIT: found the site. Its on the brake upgrade guide on stealth316.

DOT5 DISADVANTAGES:
- DOES NOT mix with DOT3, DOT4, DOT5.1
- Water may "puddle" in the system
- Careful bleeding required
- Slightly compressible near its boiling pt.
- Very expensive, hard to find
ADVANTAGES:
- Does not attack paint
- Does not absorb water

still, doesnt say why exactly they dont mix...

[talskinyguy]

Originally Posted by BlinkRA182

DOT5 should not be mixed with DOT3 or 4...i believe because they will react and do bad things.

EDIT: found the site. Its on the brake upgrade guide on stealth316.

DOT5 DISADVANTAGES:
- DOES NOT mix with DOT3, DOT4, DOT5.1
- Water may "puddle" in the system
- Careful bleeding required
- Slightly compressible near its boiling pt.
- Very expensive, hard to find

ADVANTAGES:
- Does not attack paint
- Does not absorb water

still, doesnt say why exactly they dont mix...

Yes it does, I just bolded it for you.

[Linebckr49]

so now you'll have to bleed the ENTIRE system, and put DOT3/4 in. now i'm not sure if one can tell the difference between DOT 5 and DOT 3/4 physically or chemically. what i'm saying is if you just start pouring DOT 3/4 and bleeding, i don't know if you'll be able to detect when the DOT 5 starts coming out, adn when it stops.

you may just have to take it to a shop and have the pressurize the system to pump/suck the brake fluid out. i really dunno what you should do.

[talskinyguy]

If you get something that is a different color than the fluid thats in there just pump until you see the new color. Its not too hard.

[AutostradaVR4]

no man, water puddling in the system is not a result of mixing dot5 with 3/4, its a disadvantage of using dot5, because like it says in the advantages, it does not absorb water...causing it to "puddle"

its written sort of diceptively, but those reasons are simply disadvantages and advantages of using DOT5. the "water may puddle" thing has its own bullet, so i believe it is a completely seperate disadvantage from the "does not mix with..."

[AutostradaVR4]

did a little research. DOT5 is a silicone-based brake fluid, where as DOT 3, 4, and 5.1 are PAG (Ploly Alkalyne Glycol) Brake fluids.

DOT5 prettymuch sucks from everything ive found. While it doesnt absorb water or eat paint, it puddles in the system, which can cause rust. Also, it is more compressible than PAG fluids, causing a spongy petal feel. ALSO, for cars with ABS, its a poor lubricant compared with PAG's and can cause premature ABS failure.

for anyone who want to read more, here ya go.

http://www.millersoils.net/pdf_downl...rake_fluid.pdf

[Linebckr49]

Originally Posted by BlinkRA182

n but those reasons are simply disadvantages and advantages of using DOT5. the "water may puddle" thing has its own bullet, so i believe it is a completely seperate disadvantage from the "does not mix with..."

still, i would flush out the DOT 5 fluid simply b/c its not compatible with DOT3/4. that's reason enough for me.

[AutostradaVR4]

^i agree. I would even do a full system flush to make sure theres none left in there to cause contamination.

[planet_keeper]

yeah, i'll just flush it out. on an irritating note, i can't find anywhere that caries motul rbf600. i think i might just have to get it from the shop that put it in there in the first place when i had my car inspected. i love that stuff, best brake fluid i've ever used.

[AutostradaVR4]

got mine for $11 for a 1/2 litre online. dont remember the specific site, but found it by googling