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brake fluid as coolant? (car question)

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Stalk
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Joined: 26 Dec 2005
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PostPosted: 09:47 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: brake fluid as coolant? (car question) Reply with quote

Young Stalk had his brake fluid run low due to lax maintenance and explained to me that he had put 600 ml of fluid in and the light was still on. Pulled all the wheels of for him and found no leaks. Asked him where he put the fluid and he points at the coolant expansion bottle. He feels suitably stupid.
Question is, can I expect any adverse reaction from that amount of brake fluid in the coolant?

Cheers,
Stalk
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Fisty
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PostPosted: 10:21 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

To be safe I would drain and flush the coolant, then refill.
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CaNsA
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PostPosted: 10:22 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Re: brake fluid as coolant? (car question) Reply with quote

Stalk wrote:
Young Stalk had his brake fluid run low


Unless you have a leak, the amount of brake fluid will remain the same.

When it gets "low" it is time for new pads.
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stonesie
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PostPosted: 11:23 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fisty wrote:
To be safe I would drain and flush the coolant, the
n refill.


This, brake fluid is nasty and I don't know what it will do to the rubber parts of the cooling system so draining and flushing it is what I would do.
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Aff
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PostPosted: 11:58 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wont do any good for the seals. I would get it out and give it a good flush.

Has it gone all milky? 600ml is quite a lot.
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G
The Voice of Reason



Joined: 02 Feb 2002
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PostPosted: 12:09 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Re: brake fluid as coolant? (car question) Reply with quote

Has it actually been run since?

If not, it should be limited to the expansion bottle. At this time of year, depending on the engine and use, quite possible the expansion bottle won't be used anyway.
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Llama-Farmer
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PostPosted: 12:37 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Re: brake fluid as coolant? (car question) Reply with quote

CaNsA wrote:
Stalk wrote:
Young Stalk had his brake fluid run low


Unless you have a leak, the amount of brake fluid will remain the same.

When it gets "low" it is time for new pads.


It should be designed that with new pads/shoes all round the level is at the max, and doesn't drop below min before the pads and shoes are at their minimum thickness.



stonesie wrote:
Fisty wrote:
To be safe I would drain and flush the coolant, the
n refill.


This, brake fluid is nasty and I don't know what it will do to the rubber parts of the cooling system so draining and flushing it is what I would do.



Yeah brake fluid is very nasty, assuming it is DOT 4?

I'd turkey-baste it all out the expansion tank first, then drain the rest of the coolant and flush with water before replacing the coolant.

Coolant should ideally be replaced every few years anyway. Long life OAT coolant should last around 5 years. Assuming the engine isn't consuming it.
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SQL
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PostPosted: 13:00 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are brake seals not rubber Thinking drain it and replace it with de-ionized water/coolant/antifreeze
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Ste
Not Work Safe



Joined: 01 Sep 2002
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PostPosted: 13:42 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Re: brake fluid as coolant? (car question) Reply with quote

Llama-Farmer wrote:
It should be designed that with new pads/shoes all round the level is at the max, and doesn't drop below min before the pads and shoes are at their minimum thickness.

Have you considered getting a job in bike R&D?
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CaNsA
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PostPosted: 13:42 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Re: brake fluid as coolant? (car question) Reply with quote

Llama-Farmer wrote:
CaNsA wrote:
Unless you have a leak, the amount of brake fluid will remain the same.
When it gets "low" it is time for new pads.

It should be designed that with new pads/shoes all round the level is at the max, and doesn't drop below min before the pads and shoes are at their minimum thickness.


Is it not designed like that already...?
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stevo as b4
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PostPosted: 14:17 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Feck the brakes, and worry about your cooling system. You need to be warm in winter, and few people these days take care of their car's cooling system or do the specified interval coolant changes etc.

This is why there's a lot of people in winter, sat in car's cold with blocked heater matrix's air locks in the system, blocked rads, and corroded coolant pipework, leaks, and knackered water pumps.

I've seen some extreme pics of where engine waterways in head's and blocks have corroded away and crumbled/collapsed in extreme cases. You don't want the insides of your car's coolant system to look like an outboard motor that's been run in saltwater for 10years!
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Llama-Farmer
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PostPosted: 16:30 - 23 Nov 2014    Post subject: Re: brake fluid as coolant? (car question) Reply with quote

CaNsA wrote:

Is it not designed like that already...?


In most cases yes.

I have had to top fluid up on a couple of cars with half their pads left which had been at the max mark on new pads. They were both french cars.
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Robby
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PostPosted: 08:55 - 24 Nov 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Inside a cooling system you will find aluminium alloy, steel, and rubber operating over a wide range of temperatures.

Inside a braking system you will find aluminium alloy, steel, and rubber operating over a wide range of temperatures.

Brake fluid is not going to eat your engine. It may react with the coolant and turn into jelly.

Drain the coolant, refill with water, run up to temp. Drain again, refill with coolant, job done.
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Llama-Farmer
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PostPosted: 11:44 - 24 Nov 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

Robby wrote:
Inside a cooling system you will find aluminium alloy, steel, and rubber operating over a wide range of temperatures.

Inside a braking system you will find aluminium alloy, steel, and rubber operating over a wide range of temperatures.

Brake fluid is not going to eat your engine. It may react with the coolant and turn into jelly.

Drain the coolant, refill with water, run up to temp. Drain again, refill with coolant, job done.


Ah but the rubber seals in a braking system are brake-fluid-resistant.

Are the rubber seals and hoses in the cooling system brake-fluid-resistant?

Antifreeze/coolant isn't as nasty as brake fluid, yet the rubber hoses do turn to cack eventually, this may accelerate its cackiness.
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Tamsin
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PostPosted: 16:09 - 24 Nov 2014    Post subject: Reply with quote

I definately agree with LLama

its not even a particularly difficult job in most cars so why take the risk
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