Date:         Tue, 20 Apr 2004 16:51:34 -0700
Reply-To:     Don in Phoenix <02BuellS3T@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don in Phoenix <02BuellS3T@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Brake Fluid Dot 3 & 4?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill H." <starfinder88@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tue 20 April 2004 16:19
Subject: Brake Fluid Dot 3 & 4?


> Was having a mechanic take a look at my brake master cylinder/clutch
master
> cylinder area for a leak I'm having (couldn't find it myself). He found a
> slow leak in the clutch master, topped of the system with Dot 3 and bleed
out
> the lines to keep me going until the new part shows up. My question is
with
> the brake/clutch fluid. I think the system may have had Dot 4 in the lines
> and although the books say Dot 3 or 4 would be ok, it doesn't say anything
> about mixing them. Would adding Dot 3 on top of what may be Dot4 be a
> problem? Thanks in advance.
>
> Bill H.
> 88 Silver GL
> Pittsburgh

Bill,

DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 can be mixed, as they are made from the same base.  DOT 5
is a synthetic base, and should NOT be mixed with any of the others.

The only downside to mixing DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 is that you can lower the
boiling point of the fluid to near the lowest of the mix, in your case DOT
3.  As the system says that it will accept DOT 3, this should not be a
problem.  It's pretty much a non-issue in your case.

Don in Phoenix, AZ