Brakefluid

BRAKEFLUID

Brakefluid is the smallest fluid used in your vehicle but the most important. A gear and engine can fail and you can pack your car on the roadside. A brakefluid failure can result in loss of life and the vehicle. Use the best available and don’t compromise quality for little savings.

Brakefluid is made of glycols with different boiling points. The higher the boiling point of the brakefluid the better. When you are driving at high speed and you are forced to apply

emergency brakes, the brakes and the brakefluid will boil and evaporate. The vapor will form in the piping and will cause a “vapor lock” and the brakes will fail to apply.

In many cases the brake failure results in death of the driver. When the police come to check the vehicle and the vapor lock has collapsed the brakes will test OK so no one will ever know that brake failure was the cause of the accident.

It is important that a high boiling point brakefluid is used.

The USA Department of Transport came up with the following classification;

D.O.T. 3 is no longer allowed in Kenya. D.O.T. 4 and D.O.T. 5.1 gives you extra security due to high boiling point. Always be sure of the quality of the brakefluid as many brands in the market claim to be DOT 4 and yet they have lower boiling point than DOT 3.

Brakefluids are hygroscopic, that is to say, when exposed to a humid environment they will absorb water from the environment. As the water content increases, the boiling point reduces. This is why it is recommended that brakefluid must be changed every two years.

Another aspect of brakefluid you must always check is its compatibility with seal material. If it is not compatible the seals will swell and the fluid will start leaking. As it leaks out, the system sucks in air. This time the brakes will fail even at slow speed. If you constantly top-up brakefluid then the system is leaking and it is recommended you immediately visit the workshop and have the system overhaul and use better quality brakefluid. Brakefluid level should only come down when the pads are won out but as soon as they are replaced the level should come up to original level

Our brakefluid, Slusol Brake & Clutch Fluid DOT 5.1 Synthetic and Slusol Brake & Clutch Fluid DOT are made in U.K. filled under a nitrogen blanket to minimize water adsorption.