Is the brake fluid reservoir leaking? (photo inside)

[DarkVeil]

There is brake fluid and some debris on the external lip of the brake fluid reservoir.

This is on a 987 Cayman, I had the brake fluid changed a few weeks ago as part of routine maintenance. Is the reservoir leaking? How would the debris get there?

[Adam Kindness]

my initial feeling is fluid spill during change, and the 'debris' is just stuff that's accumulated in the pooled fluid

Dry it, spray some brake cleaner on it, wipe it dry again - keep an eye on it

also check the cap is on tight

[G-996]

I would recommend also checking if the brake fluid reservoir has been overfilled (it’s a bit difficult to see from that photo angle). If it is over the “max” mark on the side, it could be leaking past the cap if expands when hot. If it is overfilled, open the cap and suck out some excess fluid using a syringe.

[DarkVeil]

Adam Kindness said:

my initial feeling is fluid spill during change, and the 'debris' is just stuff that's accumulated in the pooled fluid

Dry it, spray some brake cleaner on it, wipe it dry again - keep an eye on it

also check the cap is on tight

Thank you very much for your advice.

I checked again and the cap was on tightly but could still be turned just a fraction more.

I didn't think any dirt would accumulate there because on a 987 the reservoir is located within the front luggage compartment sealed area (not sure about other cars).

[DarkVeil]

G-996 said:

I would recommend also checking if the brake fluid reservoir has been overfilled (it’s a bit difficult to see from that photo angle). If it is over the “max” mark on the side, it could be leaking past the cap if expands when hot. If it is overfilled, open the cap and suck out some excess fluid using a syringe.

It appears to be just very marginally above the maximum marker.

[IREvans]

DarkVeil said:

There is brake fluid and some debris on the external lip of the brake fluid reservoir.

This is on a 987 Cayman, I had the brake fluid changed a few weeks ago as part of routine maintenance. Is the reservoir leaking? How would the debris get there?

I would speculate that when the brake pads were last changed, whoever pushed the caliper pistons back caused the reservoir to overflow leaving that residue on the lip of the reservoir. A little sloppy for them not to clean it up.

Give it a good clean with some brake cleaner, and keep an eye on it over the next few weeks.

Even though the bulkhead compartment is fairly well sealed, some fine dust will always get into that area, and combine with the spilt fluid leaving a sludge on the reservoir. Nothing to be concerned about.

[ttdan]

There’s a lip on the reservoir for a reason. Most will leak a bit here when brakes used in anger a lot, ie on a track. You need to look under the servo for paint damage too. Quite common.