Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 07:24:39 -0500
Reply-To: EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
Subject: Re: Help: the VW morons spilled brake fluid on my electrical
wiring...
In-Reply-To: <19991222224857.12028.qmail@nwcst290.netaddress.usa.net>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
The best thing you can do, is spray the entire area with a small
spray bottle of water. This will get into all areas, will dilute
the brake fluid and evaporate. Unless you soak things it should
not hurt anything.
Eric 86-VW4x4
vw4x4@fyi.net 72-240z
Pittsburgh, PA USA 1936-Chrysler
On Wed, 22 Dec 1999, d t wrote:
> Hello Volks,
>
> The heading says it all: during a clutch pedal pump replacement, lots of brake
> fluid spilled onto the floor mats (and underneath to the body).
> Worse yet, the guy that refilled the resevoir was careless enough (and despite
> my warnings!) not to use a funnel, and pored a hefty amount around the
> resevoire opening, resulting in fluid spilling onto the underlying wiring,
> fusebox, car alarm (hidden in there), metal parts, etc (which reminds me why I
> like to fix anything I can before I resort to go to the garage...).
> I remembered that the service manual warned about heavy paint corrosion if
> this fluid touches the car body (which it also did). That also demonstrates
> the double standard of these dealerships: they claim ISO9000 (blah blah
> blah...) compliance and VW stringent standards while in practice the mechanic
> assigned to the job doesn't give a ^*%^*% about those standards if no one's
> watching (he also let the bleader screw collect sand and didn't bother
> cleaning it before screwing it back in. I'm sure that sand would cause hell
> inside that tight hidraulic pump). Frustrating thing was that he was the chief
> mechanic! he should know to read the manual...
> I was also worried about electrical problems due to wire and contact corrosion
> in the fuse/relay box after several months this fluid had time to do it's
> thing, while the VW dealership would take no responsibility then.
> I thus demanded that he clean up his mess, which he didn't take very seriously
> except for poring some water on the floor (saying water neutralizes the brake
> fuid). He also claimed the brake fluid wouldn't harm anything under the
> dashboard.
> Not taking this for an answer, I talked with his superviser who justified me
> and suggested to take some counter measures. The problem was that he didn't
> know which measures were necessary...
> In the end, we removed the dashboard, and indeed wiring was soaked and fluid
> puddles were present in metal parts. I soaked up the puddles and then they did
> the "magic treatment": sprayed everything with carburator cleaner (oil/grease
> remover) and then with a silicon lubricant (oil back again). I also found lots
> of fluid UNDER the carpet still there, waiting to eat up the paint.
> Actually, since they claimed water would neutralize the fluid, I was thinking
> about a "steam shower" and drying it up, but was worried of the water's effect
> on the electronic circuits.
> So here are my questions:
>
> 1. How damaging is the brake fluid to wiring, contacts, relays, fuses, circuit
> boards, etc. (short and long term).
> 2. Did they give the problem the proper treatment (I thought a proper
> treatment would be to wash up everything with a fast drying fluid such as
> alchohol, white gasoline, etc.)?
> 3. Shouldn't they have placed a soaking rag/paper towel underneath (on the
> floor) to avoid floor paint damage?
> 4. What would you do in my situation?
> 5. Am I just sounding a false alarm?...:-)
>
> Thank's for any suggestions.
>
> cheers,
> Amnon
>
> Cheers,
> T-man
>
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