Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

D

DinosaurEyes

Member
 Edinburgh
I'm going to get brake fluid and pads etc changed on my 2010 E89 35IS.

1. Any recommendations for brake fluids? This is my current choice. Motul RBF 600

2. How much fluid should I buy for a full flush? 1 litre?

3. Any brakes discs or pads recommendations? I've never bought new brakes before so have no clue on brands and so on, so any recommendations / personal opinions on the topic are welcome. Not sure I even need discs, but interested to know your thoughts.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for not reading the manuak, but I like getting up to date thoughts from the community. :)
 
Any DOT5.1 fluid will be good. It has a higher boiling point than DOT4. Don't use DOT5 though - it's not compatible.

For brakes - have you ever suffered brake fade on your current setup? Your answer will make a difference to my recommendation.
 
If dot 4 is factory standard, why isnt dot 5 compatible?

I was going to refresh mine in the spring and Ive got 2 bottles of dot 5 in the garage!
 
jabber said:
Dot 5 is silicone based and must not be mixed with other fluids
Click to expand...

Indeed. Plenty of people have made that expensive mistake in the past... which it sounds like we might have just saved you from :thumbsup: . DOT 5.1 is the right one to use if you want an upgrade from DOT 4..
 
Phew.....
Not as bad as thought.....just went out to the garage to check.....mines actually 5.1 so not the disaster it might have been....
 
ph001 said:
Any DOT5.1 fluid will be good. It has a higher boiling point than DOT4.
Click to expand...

Not always true, some DOT4 have higher BPs than DOT5.1 the rating also includes a viscosity limit too, so if you want the highest BPs available don't confine yourself to DOT5.1.

That's assuming that DOT4 is an approvied fluid for the E89.
 
ph001 said:
Any DOT5.1 fluid will be good. It has a higher boiling point than DOT4. Don't use DOT5 though - it's not compatible.

For brakes - have you ever suffered brake fade on your current setup? Your answer will make a difference to my recommendation.
Click to expand...

Nope no brake fade.

My mum just poured washer fluid into her brake fluid reservoir last night and it reminded me i need to get mine looked at, they are just soon to be due a service according to the in car info.
 
Gaffa22 said:
Yes just suck the fluid out with a turkey baster and re fill with brake fluid
Click to expand...

I would say have it changed from the calliper nipples - theres no telling how far down the pipes its gone!
 
I'd still empty the res first. And yes a full fluid change would be best.
But if the car hadn't been driven would the fluid move round the system at all ?
 
Gaffa22 said:
I'd still empty the res first. And yes a full fluid change would be best.
But if the car hadn't been driven would the fluid move round the system at all ?
Click to expand...

Theoretically, as long as the brake pedal hasn't been touched at all, then no - BUT washer fluid is a lot thinner than brake fluid, so it COULD simply be pulled through the brake fluid by gravity, and the vibrations caused by towing.. If it was actually "towed" rather than recovered, I assume the brakes will have been used?

I wouldn't risk it, as it could cause corrosion inside the ABS actuators & master cyl, and as the boiling point will be circa 100 degrees, then if there is any in there and it boils, the pedal will just go to the floor when you need it most.

Mike
 
Had Millers recently put into my 35i https://www.millersoils-shop.co.uk/universal-brake-fluid-dot-4 but i can't imagine there would be any noticeably difference from a user perspective with any dot4 :?
 
I used 5.1, one litre was sufficient. Drain the reservoir using an old inkjet syringe. Bleed the rears first.
Strange the front nearside bleed nipple was solid. Can't understand why it wasn't rejected on assembly at the factory.
Unless it's used to reverse fill the system?
Someone mentioned the abs doesn't flush properly, but i have had no problems.
 
The water will have gone to the bottom of the reservoir and as the system inlet is at the lowest point it most certainly is in the system and will ultimately get to the very business end !

To observe, put some brake fluid in a glass jar an add a teaspoon of water/ screenwash and see how quickly it drops to the bottom :thumbsup:
 
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