Brake Fluid

(jimr) · (jimr) **Join Date: Sep 2001** 06-09-2006, 12:52 PM

I was wondering if someone could tell me off the top of their head what brake fluid my 1999 Boatmate trailer takes?

Is it DOT 3?

(jarrod) · (jarrod) **Join Date: May 2003** 06-09-2006, 1:17 PM

Doesn't DOT3 meet and exceed the standards of all lower grades? Meaning that you can put DOT 3 in anything?

I could be wrong but I thought that was the case.

(jimr) · (jimr) **Join Date: Sep 2001** 06-09-2006, 1:26 PM

I really have no idea. I thought I hear once that you really should not mixed different kinds.

Anyone???

bocephus 06-09-2006, 1:55 PM

NO! DONT MIX BREAK FLUIDS UP! USE WHATEVER IT SAYS TO USE!

I had a '99 Dodge Ram Pickup, I took it in for a brake job and all was well. After about 8 hours the truck would not move! Turns out the guy at the garage put the wrong brake fluid in it and the new fluid and the old fluid had chemical reaction and swelled all the O-Ring seals in the entire system. The entire system had to be rebuilt! We are talking new wheel cylinders, new master cylinder, rebuilding the calipers, and the lines had to be all disconnected and blown out. So don't mix you fluids!

(jzd) · (jzd) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 06-09-2006, 2:35 PM

Use dot 3

dabs 06-11-2006, 7:02 PM

DOT 3

walt 06-11-2006, 7:31 PM

The dot # was recently explained to me like this.

The higher the dot number the higher the boiling point is but there is a price to pay for that. The higher Dot fluids absorb water faster and need to be changed more frequently. As far as mixing them I have no idea if that's a problem.

(jimr) · (jimr) **Join Date: Sep 2001** 06-12-2006, 7:57 AM

Well, I bought some STP DOT 3 this weekend and topped off the brake fluid. We'll see if the wheels fall off this little red wagon next weekend when I take the boat out for a week long boating/camping trip.

(95sn) · (95sn) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 06-12-2006, 1:54 PM

Dot 5 wont melt your trailer paint.