Honda Break Fluid
My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be
replaced every 3 years. Furthermore, it states that ONLY Dot 3 Heavy Duty Honda break fluid must be used. The manual states that the use of other break fluids apart from Honda's will result in system corrosion. My mechanic tells me that I should not bother about only using Honda break fluid, and that he is using Dot 4 in his shop. He says that what the owner's manual says about only using Honda break fluid is nonsense. Should I believe him and use his Dot 4 fluid? |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
worried user wrote: > > My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be > replaced every 3 years. Furthermore, it states that ONLY Dot 3 Heavy > Duty Honda break fluid must be used. The manual states that the use of > other break fluids apart from Honda's will result in system corrosion. > My mechanic tells me that I should not bother about only using Honda > break fluid, and that he is using Dot 4 in his shop. He says that what > the owner's manual says about only using Honda break fluid is nonsense. > Should I believe him and use his Dot 4 fluid? DOT 4 has a higher boiling point and is superior to DOT 3. DOT specs are universal across brands... JT |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
worried user wrote: > > My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be > replaced every 3 years. Furthermore, it states that ONLY Dot 3 Heavy > Duty Honda break fluid must be used. The manual states that the use of > other break fluids apart from Honda's will result in system corrosion. > My mechanic tells me that I should not bother about only using Honda > break fluid, and that he is using Dot 4 in his shop. He says that what > the owner's manual says about only using Honda break fluid is nonsense. > Should I believe him and use his Dot 4 fluid? DOT 4 has a higher boiling point and is superior to DOT 3. DOT specs are universal across brands... JT |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
worried user wrote: > > My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be > replaced every 3 years. Furthermore, it states that ONLY Dot 3 Heavy > Duty Honda break fluid must be used. The manual states that the use of > other break fluids apart from Honda's will result in system corrosion. > My mechanic tells me that I should not bother about only using Honda > break fluid, and that he is using Dot 4 in his shop. He says that what > the owner's manual says about only using Honda break fluid is nonsense. > Should I believe him and use his Dot 4 fluid? DOT 4 has a higher boiling point and is superior to DOT 3. DOT specs are universal across brands... JT |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
Right! But, is the manual right if you use other fulids it results in
system corrosion? |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
Right! But, is the manual right if you use other fulids it results in
system corrosion? |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
Right! But, is the manual right if you use other fulids it results in
system corrosion? |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
In article <1148174652.848880.112850@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>,
"worried user" <mnahvi@gmail.com> wrote: > My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be > replaced every 3 years. Hondas don't have break fluid. American cars do--they break every couple of weeks. |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
In article <1148174652.848880.112850@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>,
"worried user" <mnahvi@gmail.com> wrote: > My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be > replaced every 3 years. Hondas don't have break fluid. American cars do--they break every couple of weeks. |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
In article <1148174652.848880.112850@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>,
"worried user" <mnahvi@gmail.com> wrote: > My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be > replaced every 3 years. Hondas don't have break fluid. American cars do--they break every couple of weeks. |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
"worried user" <mnahvi@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1148174652.848880.112850@j73g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com... > My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be > replaced every 3 years. Furthermore, it states that ONLY Dot 3 Heavy > Duty Honda break fluid must be used. The manual states that the use of > other break fluids apart from Honda's will result in system corrosion. > My mechanic tells me that I should not bother about only using Honda > break fluid, and that he is using Dot 4 in his shop. He says that what > the owner's manual says about only using Honda break fluid is nonsense. > Should I believe him and use his Dot 4 fluid? > Stick with Honda brake fluid. I don't know for sure about Honda brakes, but the risks of not using Honda fluid when the owner's manual calls for it are unacceptable. When I had a Lotus in the early 70s I bought a parts man's story that any DOT 3 brake fluid would work, and it did... for a while. One morning I went out to drive and when I stepped on the brakes the pedal went straight to the floor. The DOT 3 had destroyed the secondary seal in the master cylinder (which had the bad fluid on both sides) so the warning light never came on, then destroyed the primary seal (which had bad fluid on only one side.) When I tried to rebuild the master cylinder I found it had pitted inside and was scrap. Sound like fun to you? Anyway, if I had used Girling fluid as I should have I would have been spared. The DOT spec is a minimum performance spec and has nothing to do with special properties that may be required. You will be money ahead to pay for the Honda fluid if the manual calls for that. Mike |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
"worried user" <mnahvi@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1148174652.848880.112850@j73g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com... > My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be > replaced every 3 years. Furthermore, it states that ONLY Dot 3 Heavy > Duty Honda break fluid must be used. The manual states that the use of > other break fluids apart from Honda's will result in system corrosion. > My mechanic tells me that I should not bother about only using Honda > break fluid, and that he is using Dot 4 in his shop. He says that what > the owner's manual says about only using Honda break fluid is nonsense. > Should I believe him and use his Dot 4 fluid? > Stick with Honda brake fluid. I don't know for sure about Honda brakes, but the risks of not using Honda fluid when the owner's manual calls for it are unacceptable. When I had a Lotus in the early 70s I bought a parts man's story that any DOT 3 brake fluid would work, and it did... for a while. One morning I went out to drive and when I stepped on the brakes the pedal went straight to the floor. The DOT 3 had destroyed the secondary seal in the master cylinder (which had the bad fluid on both sides) so the warning light never came on, then destroyed the primary seal (which had bad fluid on only one side.) When I tried to rebuild the master cylinder I found it had pitted inside and was scrap. Sound like fun to you? Anyway, if I had used Girling fluid as I should have I would have been spared. The DOT spec is a minimum performance spec and has nothing to do with special properties that may be required. You will be money ahead to pay for the Honda fluid if the manual calls for that. Mike |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
"worried user" <mnahvi@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1148174652.848880.112850@j73g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com... > My Honda Civic 2002 owner's manual states that the break fluid MUST be > replaced every 3 years. Furthermore, it states that ONLY Dot 3 Heavy > Duty Honda break fluid must be used. The manual states that the use of > other break fluids apart from Honda's will result in system corrosion. > My mechanic tells me that I should not bother about only using Honda > break fluid, and that he is using Dot 4 in his shop. He says that what > the owner's manual says about only using Honda break fluid is nonsense. > Should I believe him and use his Dot 4 fluid? > Stick with Honda brake fluid. I don't know for sure about Honda brakes, but the risks of not using Honda fluid when the owner's manual calls for it are unacceptable. When I had a Lotus in the early 70s I bought a parts man's story that any DOT 3 brake fluid would work, and it did... for a while. One morning I went out to drive and when I stepped on the brakes the pedal went straight to the floor. The DOT 3 had destroyed the secondary seal in the master cylinder (which had the bad fluid on both sides) so the warning light never came on, then destroyed the primary seal (which had bad fluid on only one side.) When I tried to rebuild the master cylinder I found it had pitted inside and was scrap. Sound like fun to you? Anyway, if I had used Girling fluid as I should have I would have been spared. The DOT spec is a minimum performance spec and has nothing to do with special properties that may be required. You will be money ahead to pay for the Honda fluid if the manual calls for that. Mike |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
worried user wrote: > > Right! But, is the manual right if you use other fulids it results in > system corrosion? All conventional (DOT 3/4) brake fluids are hydroscopic. All will absorb moisture and eventually corrode brake systems. Flushing (by bleeding) the system every two to four years will take care of this issue. DOT 5 brake fluids are silicon based and do not absorb moisture. However, other issues must be addressed when using these fluids. HINT: Dealership service is a big profit operation, much more so than the sale of the original vehicle. Sorta like the ink jet printers where the real profit is made on replacement cartridges when the original printer was sold for little or no profit... JT (Dealers are generally NOT your friend..) |
Re: Honda Break Fluid
worried user wrote: > > Right! But, is the manual right if you use other fulids it results in > system corrosion? All conventional (DOT 3/4) brake fluids are hydroscopic. All will absorb moisture and eventually corrode brake systems. Flushing (by bleeding) the system every two to four years will take care of this issue. DOT 5 brake fluids are silicon based and do not absorb moisture. However, other issues must be addressed when using these fluids. HINT: Dealership service is a big profit operation, much more so than the sale of the original vehicle. Sorta like the ink jet printers where the real profit is made on replacement cartridges when the original printer was sold for little or no profit... JT (Dealers are generally NOT your friend..) |
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