BRAKE FLUID WARNING

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 1:27 pm

[b][size=150]
***PLEASE READ WHOLE TOPIC - IMPORTANT INFO ON PAGES 2 & 3***[/size]
[/b]
If anyones doin their brakes themselves or having them done, please make sure you/your garage/mechanic use [b]ONLY DOT3 [/b]brake fluid.

DOT 3 has a lower boiling point than DOT 4, but contains much less baric acid.

Its this acid that destroys Mazda brake seals!!!!!!!

[b]You have been warned!!!!![/b]

Also check whats in there now, if some grease monkey has added DOT 4 you could be in a world of hurt, literally!!!!!

Thanks to John @ J.S.Leek Mazda, Sutton Coldfield for the information[/b]

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 1:29 pm

Most excellent!
All hail Andy and John @ J.S.Leek Mazda!

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 1:31 pm

how can i tell whats in there at the moment.

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 1:40 pm

Sorry, how dumb am i, you can't tell, if in doubt tho, get it replaced

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 1:43 pm

Cheers Andy

I remember you mentioning that before.

Mark

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 1:45 pm

Very good bit of info.

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 1:50 pm

I'm hoping the brakehose shop will come up with a braided brake hose set for my 323F 1.8 with rear disks. If they do, I'll do a total brake overhaul - replace all the seals, all the hoses and all the fluid. Thanks for the DOT3 warning ...

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 5:58 pm

Thats odd

alot of the local motor factors are saying that they can't get dot 3 any more and that dot 4 is an upgrade from dot 3....

Ive got mostly dot 3 and some dot 4 in mine at the moment

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 7:20 pm

I thought that dot 3 was now out dated by dot 4. It has less moistue retention properties, or so I thought.

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 10:30 pm

Can't strees this enough guys, DO NOT LET ANY MUPPET MECHANIC TELL YOU DOT 4 IS OKAY TO USE, find another place to get your car done, if they don't know this, they shouldn't be working on tricycles, nevermind cars, ir you have had DOT 4 added, take your car back and get them to replace the fluid, if they take the piss, call your local Mazda dealer, whose parts/service dept will tell you the facts, then tell the tosser you will call Trading Standards, Watchdog, 5 Live, RoSPa, etc AND the other 750 of us! and don't let them charge you either!!!!!!

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 10:33 pm

[quote="andym323"] MUPPET MECHANIC [/quote]

hmmm... that would be me :oops:

**Posted:** Wed May 11, 2005 10:52 pm

LMAO , never mind dude, its easy done, you'd be surprised how much crap i've heard from so called 'experts' over the years, being on here should save you all the pain of learning the hard way like i did

**Posted:** Thu May 12, 2005 8:37 am

If you look on the you brake fluid reservoir, it says 'ONLY USE DOT 3 FLUID'.

Mark

**Posted:** Thu May 12, 2005 10:23 pm

Which makes you wonder about the reialbility of some mechanics eh

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 8:52 am

[quote="Mark.T"]If you look on the you brake fluid reservoir, it says 'ONLY USE DOT 3 FLUID'.

Mark[/quote]

So it does ... Better flush my brakes soon !

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 9:29 am

lol, is that an oops Smotter???

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 9:51 am

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 10:41 am

lol, nevermind eh, least we all know now

:):):)

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 12:29 pm

"Always read directions on bottle"

:lol:

Mark

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 2:44 pm

If all else fails ..... read the instructions !!! :oops:

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 4:13 pm

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 4:15 pm

Come on Smotter are you a Man or a woman .... checks behind for females watching ... Men never read instructions .. if you do you are showing too much feminine side

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 4:23 pm

Exactly Dan, thats why it took me a couple of weeks and two new topics to find out the diagnostic port has a diagram under the lid:oops::oops::oops::oops::wink:

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 8:44 pm

[quote="andym323"]Exactly Dan, thats why it took me a couple of weeks and two new topics to find out the diagnostic port has a diagram under the lid:oops::oops::oops::oops::wink:[/quote]

Winky !!!

:wink:

**Posted:** Fri May 13, 2005 10:25 pm

Nobody else who posted on the topics noticed either ](*,)

**Posted:** Sat May 14, 2005 3:28 am

Dammit,i just checked the remaining brake fluid container from when i last flushed the fluid and replaced it and its DOT 4

I have also been told by brake speciallists that you should have you brake fluid replaced upto 3 times a year so it wont corrode the master cylinder seal

I think ill be ringing mazda here in Aus to see what they say about this brake fluid issue :wink:

**Posted:** Wed May 18, 2005 5:40 pm

dAMMIT! I've got DOT 4 as well.......

better get that seen to soon.

**Posted:** Wed May 18, 2005 7:22 pm

Well chaps, got my caliper, got my hoses, and today i found the DOT3, only one shop i my area sells it and i celaned him out tried 6 shops in all, inc a mazda dealer!!!!

**Posted:** Wed May 18, 2005 11:28 pm

I think the info regarding DOT3 is inacurate, I'm pretty sure Mazda sent a TSB out saying DOT4 is OK to use in BA's. There is one for MX-5's saying after a certain VIN number DOT4 is OK. I'll have a check

**Posted:** Thu May 19, 2005 1:32 am

Big that up mate

makes sense that an update would have been made at some point, gonna use the DOT3 for now as i've got it, plus, mine is a very early BA so i probably has old stylee seals

BRAKE FLUID WARNING

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