There are also different types of brake fluid.
If you are feeling rich then Castrol SRF is recommended as a fully synthetic
fluid which is not silicone based.
The importance of changing fluid regularly (I would suggest every 12 months)
cannot be overstated. Brake fluid is hygroscopic and will absorb water whether
the car is used or not. Regular changes of fluid from a new sealed can will
protect
the system from corrosion as well as preventing brake fade.
Remember that just bleeding new fluid through the system may not be adequate
and it may be necessary to remove the pistons from the disc calipers to
properly
remove the old fluid from them.
Regular maintenance of your braking system is just as important as regular
engine
oil changes but unfortunately more difficult to do. Brake systems degrade
gradually
and often unnoticed and compensated for by the driver until things get
really bad.
John Dowson
At 06:22 AM 5/5/99 +0000, Egil Kvaleberg wrote:
>
>On 3 May 1999, Chris DeStaffany wrote:
>
>> That may be true for the first few stops, but what about brake fade. You
>> spend a day going up and down some pretty big hills and those brake things
>> get really hot and don't work so pretty good anymore.
>
>No, not at all.
>
>You should use your gears to reduce and hold speeds on down-hills, not the
>brakes. As long as the brakes get reasonable time to cool between uses,
>they will be OK.
>
>If brakes are applied constantly, they will overheat and fade, no matter
>how large they are.
>
>In addition to proper driving techniques, the most important limiting
>factor re. brake fade is definitely brake fluid boiling point. Even a
>little bit of humidity in it will reduce the boiling point dramatically.
>Change it every two years, at the very least. That will buy you more
>fading resistance than any increase in brake size.
>
>(Silicone fluids may get away with longer intervals, but they have a
>lower boiling point to start with).
>
>Egil
>who thinks he knows a thing or two about "pretty big hills".
>--
>Email: egil@kvaleberg.no Voice: +47 22523641, 92022780 Fax: +47 22525899
>Mail: Egil Kvaleberg, Husebybakken 14A, 0379 Oslo, Norway
>Home: http://www.kvaleberg.no/
>
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