Date: 16 Mar 1998 18:55:25 GMT From: alumapronopsamraccess.com (Alumapro) Subject: Re: silicon brake fluid
In article <geostar-ya023680001503981948530001nopsam.accesshub.net>, geostarnopsamsshub.net says... > >I'm thinking of putting in silicon brake fluid because it doesn't absorb >water like glycol fluid. Are there any negatives? > Everyone seems to be overlooking one very important difference of silicone-based vs glycol-based: lubrication. I've used DOT 5 fluids in numerous cars for that reason ALONE! I don't like to replace/rebuild expensive calipers and master cylinders on my cars. My SAAB, VW Scirroco, and Honda Accord all went years with no fluid changes (except of course the DOT 5 change) and no problems. I simply bleed in the new fluid until it came out clean (no new lines!) in the brake and clutch systems. My VW went 130K miles/15 years, the SAAB went 140K/8 years, the Accord is still running fine on the DOT 5. Sure the pedal may be a bit mushier, but it's so subtle you can't tell the difference after a few miles. The stuff IS compatible with DOT 3 and DOT 4, so I don't see the problems that everyone else is noting. BTW, I did have a brake light switch go bad on the VW. But since it was one of those shitty pressure types that can't really handle the application anyway, I put in a new switch AND a relay to handle the load. Never had a problem after that. Matthew Honnert