Brake Fluid Change (How Much Fluid)

[Chimpabollics]

Hi folks,

About do do a full brake fluid change.

Guessing somewhere between 1 & 2 Litres but can someone tell be exactly how much fluid I need?

Thanks, Dave.

[carsy]

Probably nearer one litre. I know the reservouir holds about half a litre. I`d just buy 1.5 or 2 to be on the safe side. Its not the dearest of things.

My second new master cylinder in as many weeks is going back on, on Monday. If you could have waited until then i could have told you exactly, assuming this one works ok.

[Chimpabollics]

carsy said:

Probably nearer one litre. I know the reservouir holds about half a litre. I`d just buy 1.5 or 2 to be on the safe side. Its not the dearest of things.

My second new master cylinder in as many weeks is going back on, on Monday. If you could have waited until then i could have told you exactly, assuming this one works ok.

Hi Carsy, many thanks.

I can wait till Monday as I'm doing my fluid change on Wednesday.

Grateful if you let me know how much fluid the whole system takes.

Good luck with the cylinder.

Dave.

[Bassfiend]

Chimpabollics said:

Hi Carsy, many thanks.

I can wait till Monday as I'm doing my fluid change on Wednesday.

Grateful if you let me know how much fluid the whole system takes.

Good luck with the cylinder.

Dave.

Drained and refilled mine (changed flexi hoses and front calipers too) when I got her two years ago - definitely two 1 litre bottles (and a carefully watched Gunsons Ezibleed or you'll end up blowing air into the system while you're doing the rear calipers) to do the job properly.

I reckon the system itself takes just over a litreusing the standard calipers. Try to flush as much of the old stuff out of the reservior first to minimise the mixing of old and new fluid (and remember that it'll mix in the caliper piston too) so flush plenty through...

Phil

[carsy]

Chimpabollics said:

Hi Carsy, many thanks.

I can wait till Monday as I'm doing my fluid change on Wednesday.

Grateful if you let me know how much fluid the whole system takes.

Good luck with the cylinder.

Dave.

Dave, Firstly the second master cylinder has been a success.

Anyway as for how much the whole system holds, i have tried to keep an eye on things to try and work it out for you but as my system wasnt completely empty i cant be 100%.

Basically my system had new fluid in it which was only a month or two old. Upon deciding to change the master cylinder i drained the reservouir by opening a front and rear bleed nipple and pumped the pedal until it was empty and also until not much more fluid came out of the nipples. To re fill the new reserviour takes not far off half a litre. I then bled as normal. Looking at the quantity of fluid i started with and used, and what i was left with after the bleeding process i would say the whole system holds just less than a litre. Hope that helps you.

Ian.

[Chimpabollics]

carsy said:

Dave, Firstly the second master cylinder has been a success.

Anyway as for how much the whole system holds, i have tried to keep an eye on things to try and work it out for you but as my system wasnt completely empty i cant be 100%.

Basically my system had new fluid in it which was only a month or two old. Upon deciding to change the master cylinder i drained the reservouir by opening a front and rear bleed nipple and pumped the pedal until it was empty and also until not much more fluid came out of the nipples. To re fill the new reserviour takes not far off half a litre. I then bled as normal. Looking at the quantity of fluid i started with and used, and what i was left with after the bleeding process i would say the whole system holds just less than a litre. Hope that helps you.

Ian.

Hi Ian,

Firstly that's great news, it sounds like the master cylinder was one of those really annoying jobs for you that has finally ended in success, congratulations

Thanks for measuring the fluid as best you could, I think to be on the safe side I will buy in two litres of ATE Super Blue.

The blue colour ensures I can be 100% sure I have flushed the whole system.

Cheers, Dave.

[haircutmike]

Dave, I've been using Halfords "Racing " brake fluid for the last 3 years, changing it annually, great stuff, absolutely no fade or problems at all, even after a hot summers T/D.

http://reviews.halfords.com/4028/622019/reviews.ht...

[BliarOut]

GSF do the ATE ridiculously cheaply Got it in the Griff and the E39 now

[Chimpabollics]

Thanks chaps,

I'm sure the Halfords Dot 5.1 is good stuff Peter but I still like the idea of the ATE Super Blue for the full change.

A litre from Euro Car Parts is £14.52, GSF sell a litre for £13.92.

A small saving but worth having, well found Rob.

[BliarOut]

ATE also do a gold for the next change

[Chimpabollics]

Just to close this off, last week I did a full fluid change with ATE Super Blue.

The Super Blue is great stuff when doing a complete fluid change, the blue colour makes seeing the new stuff coming through fool proof.

The pedal is now back to being nice and hard like it should be.

How much fluid did I need?

Well I was very generous with flushing the system through with the new fluid and I still only needed 1 litre.

The un-opened second litre was returned for a refund

[haircutmike]

When I change mine yearly, I use as little as half a litre.

[BliarOut]

haircutmike said:

When I change mine yearly, I use as little as half a litre.

Try the blue, you'll use about a litre

[Chimpabollics]

BliarOut said:

haircutmike said:

When I change mine yearly, I use as little as half a litre.

Try the blue, you'll use about a litre

Thanks Rob, another fantastic saving tip

Very happy with my Chimpabollics blue rinse method though

Just enough left over to do my hair.