The Different Types Of Brake Fluids Explained

There is no point in driving fast unless you can’t stop in time, true story. Brakes are one of the important things to drive the car hassle-free. And, taking good care of the brakes is a part of keeping them healthy. To do exactly that brake oil is among the consumables that should be checked regularly. So, let’s look at the types of brake fluids available in the market. But before that let’s look at what are the major components involved in the Braking system of a car.

Brake Assembly Components

Now diving straight into the detail the major components of a braking system include:

1. Brake Booster
2. Master Cylinder
3. Brake Lines
4. Brake Fluid
5. Disc Brakes
6. Drum Brakes

Everyone knows the process of brake application starts with pressing the brake pedal. This Brake paddle is connected with the master cylinder.

• In this master cylinder rests the working fluid which is also the brake fluid. As the piston in the master cylinder is pressed, the pressure inside the brake lines increases.
• This increase in pressure compresses the piston in the disc brakes and operates the cylinder in the drum brakes.
• This is how brakes are applied in a vehicle. Still, to know the work in a little detail, CLICK HERE.

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Now with that clear, let’s dive into how to extract the most life out of your vehicle’s braking system. To being with, There are 2 main serviceable parts in a braking system, brake pads or brake shoes and brake fluid. And it is the working fluid or the brake fluid that is generally ignored. So, the focus of today’s article will be the brake fluid.

Brake Fluid and Its Working

Most vehicle owners do remember to change the engine oil regularly. But rarely people notice that there also exists a Brake fluid that needs to be changed after a certain interval.

• Well, this is one of the essential components of your car because without it you’ll not be able to stop your car. Meaning, there is an accident waiting to happen.
• Nowadays almost all the cars come equipt with hydraulic brakes. And this hydraulic system requires a working system to build pressure.
• But with use, it breaks down or loses its capacity to pressurise the system. This results in the brakes becoming less effective. Hence, a car owner should never forget to keep a track of the brake oil.

Now the question comes when should you get it changed?

When to Change the Brake Fluid?

Although the complete brake assembly is sealed, there are various factors that impact the life of the brake oil.

• At times a component in the braking system of the car or vehicle gets damaged. This results in either water or air seeping through.
• This hampers the pressure inside the system and also contaminates the fluid. This encourages changing the brake fluid.
• If the damage is more, the brake fluid can leak from the damaged area.
• This is where a thorough inspection can come in handy. And you should get your car inspected. So to make things a little easy, we recommend you download the GoMechanic app and let the experts handle the problem.
• The brake oil should be replaced after every 40,000kms to 45,000kms.
• At times brake bleeding has not been done properly, so we recommend not to push the car just after an oil change.
• Get a thorough feel of the brakes and let the paddle settle first.

With all these points clear let’s look at what are the variety of brake fluids available.

Types of Brake Fluids Offered 

In the market, there are majorly 3 types of Brake oils, DOT3, DOT4, DOT5 and DOT5.1

1. DOT 3
   

   The most common brake oil in the market is glycol-based DOT3. This brake fluid has been there in the market since forever. Despite being old it still is used considerably because of its price to performance ratio. Speaking of which, the boiling point of brand new DOT3 brake oil is around 205-degree celsius. On the other hand if the old is degraded it can withstand temperatures of just 140-degree celsius. Not changing the brake oil can lead to overheating of the oil. That’ll hamper the brake bite of the vehicle. Click Here to buy, it will be delivered to your doorstep.

2. DOT 4
   

   Moving on to a slightly expensive alternative the DOT4. Well, this too has a glycol-based brake oil but has a different composition. Because of the different composition DOT4, brake oil can withstand temperatures of up to 230-degree celsius. Moreover, just by adding some additives, we can also reduce the moisture built up inside the system. Also, these are best suited for cars equipped with ABS and TC. Well, DOT3 and DOT4 brake oils have some key point in common however GoMechanic spares do not recommend doing so. You can also buy the DOT4 brake fluid by Clicking Here. GoMechanic Spares will deliver it to your place.

3. DOT 5
   

   One of the brake fluid that does not come cheap is the DOT5. The best part about the DOT5 brake oil is that it is silicone-based. Because of its chemical composition, the DOT5 brake fluid can easily sustain temperatures nearing 260-degree celsius. Another plus is that this brake fluid does not absorb water like the glycol-based brake fluids. But the DOT5 oil does come with a fair bit of problems. Additionally, foam (lather) formation is a little easy on this brake oil. And these foam bubbles are a lot harder to bleed than air. GoMechanic Spares is delighted to inform you that we’ll be bringing our range of DOT5 brake fluid in the near future. This is best suited for cars that sit for long.

4. DOT 5.1

   The brake fluid in the list that has can sustain the highest temperature is the DOT 5.1. Well, DOT 5.1 brake fluid use borate ester with glycol ether blended. Because of the complex composition, it can withstand temperatures as high as 260-degree celsius. Also, the DOT 5.1 brake oil shares some of its properties with DOT 3 and DOT 4. The most prominent being that this also is hygroscopic. Meaning this can also absorb moisture.

With GoMechanic Spares we bet you don’t have to go anywhere else. It surely is a one-stop solution for all the car spares. GoMechanic Spares offers all the major types of brake oil, from DOT3 and DOT4. Also, soon there will also be the highest grade brake oils i.e DOT 5 and DOT 5.1 on offer. So, stay pinned.

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