Brake fluid

[cropsprayer]

Probably a numpty question but can anyone tell me if it will be a problem mixing different brands of DOT 4 brake fluid please?

Basically the 'good book' tells me to use Carlube but I can't seem to find it anywhere so wanted to use Castrol DOT 4 synthetic instead

[rev-erend]

I'm not the worlds biggest expert but firstly if it's for your T350 - I would ask your dealer.

If I were you - I would use DOT 5.1 as it's far superior - you might need to bleed the entire system for this upgrade though.. ask your dealer about this..

(do not confuse this with DOT 5.0 ..).

[z_chromozone]

There should not be a problem with different brands, or even mixing different grades, so long as you only ever expect the performance of the worst grade. Just avaoid the 5.0 silicon stuff at all costs.

Z

[cropsprayer]

Thanks guys.......I only need to top it up so will just use some Catrol DOT 4 then.

will changing the whole lot to 5.1 make that much difference then for normal road use?

[rev-erend]

cropsprayer said:

will changing the whole lot to 5.1 make that much difference then for normal road use?

Not much .. but it's not very expensive now - so I always go for the best stuff rather than 2nd best.

It will just have more resistance to brake fad when you have to repeatedly break very hard..

[cropsprayer]

OK thanks

[johno]

z_chromozone said:

Just avaoid the 5.0 silicon stuff at all costs. Z

Why ??

I really enjoy asking this question as I can not get a reasonable answer other than rumour or conjecture. .... I ran this is the Griffith for 18months, 20k miles and 4 track days with no issues .... In fact where with Dot 5.1 I had to change after every trackday, with this I didn't. No issues with the seals, nothing, nada !!

Have just gone back to Dot5.1 as the new upgraded is going to create more heat and AP recommend it instead of Dot 5 silicone. Plus the the numpties who did my car assured me they had added in the particular brand and grade of Dot 5 I use as the label on the reservoir states, and actually when I checked they hadn't. So I switched back as my local motorfactors had some in, I had the new brakes etc .... otherwise I wouldn't have.

In fact silicone makes the most sense for the majority of TVR owners on here as they don't use their car all the time and brake fluid degrades with dissolved water, where as silicone doesn't.

My experience, says that in the right car, looked after correctly there is no issue.