I don't have access to any type of manual so I need some help here. How much brake fluid is needed for a brake system on a cavalier (00 coupe). Please help me out here!
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Two quarts give or take. Use DOT 3 or 4 only. Do NOT use DOT 5.
You can get synthetic DOT3 or DOT4 as well. That has nothing to do with it. Synthetic is fine. DOT5 is not.
DOT5 is silicone based and partially compressible. The system has to be designed to use DOT5 or it will cause problems.
Remember... it is not a progression. DOT5 is not better than DOT4. It is different.
DOT3 and DOT4 are compatable and can be mixed.
^ Right. Dot 3 and 4 are not the same thing. They can be mixed, and have very similar chemical properties. Like WW said, Dot 5 is not "better" than 4. Dot 3 and 4 are glycol polymer based. Dot 5 is silicon based.
Dot 5 will eat the rubber piston seals in your calipers, they'll leak, not work, problems. Dot 5 is also not hydrophilic, like oil it doesn't mix with water. So any moisture in the system (it's "open" after all*) will rust the internals, and will boil easily. That will cause anything from premature failure to pedal sponginess, to brake fade. Do anyone need any more reasons NOT to use Dot 5 in our cars??
*When I said "open system" I meant that the cap is not air/moisture tight. Dot 5 brake systems use air tight caps.
There is also a Dot 5.4 (or is it 5.2?) that is specially made not to eat the seals. It does have all the other problems associated with Dot 5 in our cars though. It should not be used.
If you put Dot 5 in your car. You really should flush the whole system, and refill it with Dot 3 or 4.
All of them -- Dot 3, 4 and 5 -- are synthetically produced. None are found laying around (like oil). So the ones that say "synthetic" are usually a higher quality (better chemical mix) than others. The Dot specifies minimum parameters for different things like boiling point, compress-ability, chemical re-activeness. Some brands just meet these minimums, other exceed them.
For what it's worth, I personally use Valvoline's Synthetic Dot 4 and like it, I've never had any problems with it, and it seems to preform on par with most "performance" brands.
I just got the valvoline with SS lines, carbonceramic pads, and new rotors. SHould be a blast. Thanks for the help.
I'll have a sig someday..............
