Open the bonnet find the brake fluid reservoir. If you’re unsure where this is, refer to your vehicle manual. Still, though, it has the same temperature characteristics as the DOT 5. This means that it has a dry boiling point of about 500 degrees Fahrenheit and a wet boiling point of 356 degrees Fahrenheit. Which is a good improvement over the old designs such as the DOT 3 and 4. But what about the DOT 5 brake fluid, what are its pros and cons? Well, that’s what we are going to cover next. Pros & Cons Of Dot 5 Brake Fluid DOT3: DOT3 brake fluid has a dry boiling point of 205 degrees Celsius. The wet boiling point is 140 degrees Celsius.

Here you can see that silicone based DOT 5 is the odd one out and is not compatible with any other DOT brake fluid. By mixing DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 brake fluids, assuming it is fresh fluid, the worst thing that can happen is a drop in the boiling point of the whole fluid. Another thing to add is that all the types of fluids are rather the same by structure except the DOT 5 brake fluid. And later on in this article, we are going to explain why is this the case and how they differentiate. Types Of Brake Fluid? First, we are going to learn what is the DOT abbreviation and what it means. Then we will go through all of the different types of DOT fluids and then focus primarily on the DOT 5 brake fluid where we will list all the positives and negatives of running this fluid and why you should or should not run this brake fluid on your car. Then we will learn how to convert your brake fluid from DOT 3 To DOT 5 fluid on your car. So, if you want to learn more, please follow along. What Is DOT Brake Fluid? DOT 5 is mainly used for classic cars. Since they do not run ABS and it is a really good application for these types of vehicles. In addition to this, this type of fluid prevents rust in the brake lines and this makes it perfect for cars intended for long-term storage. So, if you have a classic motor, this is the right fluid for you. What Vehicles Use DOT 5 Brake FluidThe International Standards Organisation has published its standard ISO 4925, defining classes 3, 4, and 5, as well as class 5.1, class 6 [2] and class 7 [3] [4] reflecting progressively higher performance for brake fluids. SBF (silicone brake fluid) is non-hygroscopic, meaning it does not absorb water. Glycol based fluids are hygroscopic and absorb water which can lead to corrosion of metal components within the hydraulic system - this is why Glycol based fluids are recommended to be changed on a regular basis. SBF is also non-corrosive, so it will not degrade the metal or rubber components in the hydraulic system. It is compatible clutch and brake systems traditionally using glycol fluids. It can be used to replace glycol fluid in an existing system; ensure the glycol fluid is thoroughly drained, then refill and bleed the system with silicone fluid.

The second thing that you will want to do is to flush all the brake lines again with 100% denatured alcohol. But before you run the alcohol, you will have to remove all the rubber parts in the calipers and master cylinder. This is the case so the alcohol doesn’t harm these components. You should ideally refresh your car’s brake fluid every couple of years, regardless of how often the vehicle is used. The moisture that either becomes absorbed or collected in the hydraulic system needs to be removed. Refreshing the brake fluid is the best way to do this, and you can read our guide on how to change brake fluid here.

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DOT 5.1 is the highest rating for glycol-ether based brake fluid, and requires the minimum boiling point of fresh fluid to be 518 degrees Fahrenheit (270⁰C). Meanwhile, wet fluid rated at DOT 5.1 needs to have a minimum boiling point of 374 degrees Fahrenheit (190⁰C). Make sure to cover any areas DOT fluid could leak onto with a rag because it’s corrosive. Matthew Allen / Immediate Media Even though the DOT 5 brake fluids look a better option for your vehicle by looking at its numbers. But it’s most probably not the right type of an average vehicle because it’s designed for high-performance and military-grade vehicles. The different numbers in brake fluid represents the different ways that these brake fluids handle temperatures. The rating refers to the fluid’s boiling points when they are either wet or dry. Brake fluid with a higher boiling point will typically last longer than one with a lower boiling point.

Now let’s first discuss more on the pros side of things. What are the benefits that you will get if you are running this type of fluid on your car? Overall, using this type of brake fluid is not a good idea if you want to apply it on some heavy-duty applications because of its low boiling temperature. DOT 4 Brake Fluid ISO 4925:2020 - Road vehicles -- Specification of non-petroleum-base brake fluids for hydraulic systems". www.iso.org. This fluid has a dry boiling temperature of around 275 Degrees Celsius, which is higher than that of a racing fluid. Another advantage of DOT 5.1 is that it is convertible with rubber formulations. It is also congenial with DOT 3 and DOT 4. It is, therefore, easy to make an upgrade from the other DOT 3 and DOT 4.Your brake fluid transfers force from your foot when you hit the brake into pressure that’s transferred by the callipers into braking force. Basically, without the right amount of fluid - and the right quality- your brakes won’t work effectively. The same fluid is also used to operate the clutch too, which is why brake fluid and clutch fluid are interchangeable. The name of this brake fluid can be very confusing as it sounds like DOT5.1 is just slightly different then DOT5 brake fluid. However, DOT5.1 brake fluid has much more in common with DOT3 brake fluid and DOT4 brake fluid. It is also a glycol-based fluid like the other two but does have a similar boiling point to the silicone base DOT5 fluid.