i dove the car about 40 miles before i realized what i had done cant it still b flushed
I put gas treatment in my brake fluid while trying to fill it up and drove it 40 miles or so whay can b done
My car has an automatic transmission.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Use a turkey baster (or other source of suction) to remove as much of the fluid as possible from the top of the reservoir (or remove reservoir and master cylinder and turn upside down). The gas treatment may be lighter than the brake fluid, and not miscible, so if you can empty the reservoir from the top, that will help. If you are able to extract it all (and it depends on how much you added), you can then flush the brake lines thoroughly. If too much of the gas treatment got distributed throughout the system, the rubber seals could swell up and both hinder braking and cause the individual wheel cylinders to fail to retract. If you want these steps performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a brake fluid flush and the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
What Happens to Brake Fluid over Time? Like oil, brake fluid loses its effectiveness over time. The fluid can absorb moisture, which can lead to corrosion in your hydraulics system and other problems that make your brakes less effective, decreasing your ability to stop in critical driving situations.
DOT Brake Fluid
Castrol recommends that DOT fluid in previously opened containers should be discarded after 12 months.
Consequences Of Not Changing The Fluid
Allow the water to build up and remain in the vehicle, and internal corrosion may damage the master cylinder, calipers, brake lines, and other components. Replacing those will take a significant chunk of your money while changing the fluid costs just $100 or less.
YOU SHOULD REPLACE BRAKE FLUID EVERY FEW YEARS
And the best way to find out how often to change brake fluid is to follow your manufacturer`s recommendations. Some manufacturers say you should replace your brake fluid every two years. Others recommend every three years, or every 45,000 miles.
You can`t do a complete brake fluid flush yourself, but you can do the next best thing—a fluid swap. This procedure won`t replace all the old fluid with fresh, but you`ll introduce enough new fluid to make a difference.
Brake flushing flush or fluid exchange completely removes any old fluid from the brake system. Your technician typically uses a pressurized flushing machine that attaches to the brake fluid reservoir and forcefully pumps fluid into the system until any escaping fluid is completely clean.
Yes, brake fluid can evaporate. It should be negligible unless there is a problem with the brake system. Since brake fluid is supposed to be volatile, it shouldn`t evaporate as quickly as other fluids. Therefore, if you observe a decrease in brake fluid, you should check the brake system leaks or worn brake pads.
How Long Does Brake Fluid Last? In ideal conditions, an unopened bottle of brake fluid lasts about two years. It`s best to use a new bottle of brake fluid every time you need it because the fluid attracts moisture as soon as it is opened.
If brake fluid becomes too full of moisture, problems can arise when the fluid becomes hot under braking, with the moisture turning to vapour inside the brake lines. This leads to a soft, spongy brake pedal feel, and will stop your car braking as well as it should.
Brake fluid lives in a sealed system and can survive for years, but moisture from the surrounding air can work its way in through hoses and other parts of the brake system.
As a preventative measure to help prevent brake failure, we recommend changing your brake fluid every 40,000 km or every two years.
This is referred to as the “wet” boiling point, as around 3% water is considered the safe limit for brake fluid, and it should be replaced if the water content gets any higher. If the boiling point of the fluid becomes too low, it may boil inside your brake calipers under hard braking.
Rinse Well
The final step is to flush the area with a lot of water. This will neutralize the brake fluid and stop any corrosion.
Brake fluid comes in a variety of ratings and specifications depending on the type of car you drive. These fluids can`t mix, and the old brake fluid needs to be completely drained before adding the new liquid.
A simple method to accomplish this without bleeding is to suck most of the fluid out of the master cylinder with a pump or kitchen meat basting utensil. Make sure you don`t expose the circuit to air when taking the fluid out. Then refill with fresh fluid.
On average, you will need a brake fluid flush every 2 years or 30,000 miles. Routine maintenance also heavily depends on your driving patterns. For example, if you tend to drive shorter routes with frequent braking, you may need more frequent brake fluid flushes.
Every hydraulic brake system should be bled and refilled with fresh fluid to remove moisture. A simple method to accomplish this without bleeding is to suck most of the fluid out of the master cylinder with a pump or kitchen meat basting utensil.
The brakes feel soft and spongy.
If it feels soft or spongy when you step on the brake pedal, that`s a sign that the brake fluid is low or has gotten old. If you need to press the brake pedal to the floor before stopping, get a brake check as soon as possible.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
i dove the car about 40 miles before i realized what i had done cant it still b flushed
ANSWER : Use a turkey baster (or other source of suction) to remove as much of the fluid as possible from the top of the reservoir (or remove reservoir and master cylinder and turn upside down). The gas treatment may be lighter than the brake fluid, and not miscible, so if you can empty the reservoir from the top, that will help. If you are able to extract it all (and it depends on how much you added), you can then flush the brake lines thoroughly. If too much of the gas treatment got distributed throughout the system, the rubber seals could swell up and both hinder braking and cause the individual wheel cylinders to fail to retract. If you want these steps performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a brake fluid flush and the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
My car needs a service b for 40000 miles but I don’t have enough money to do it all at once what should I get done first?
ANSWER : Service A and B both require an oil change and that is very important. The B service also includes a number of body and chassis checks. At 40K miles, it’s not uncommon to need brake work, so you need to be sure to have the brakes inspected. You can look up the maintenance to decide what you want to do one step at a time. Meanwhile, Your Mechanic can send a technician right to you to change your oil and give you some advice about the other maintenance tasks.
My heat in my car stopped working two days ago and now my car is overheating. I put antifreeze in my car and it’s still overheating 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
ANSWER : Hi there – you may have 2 related events here, a coolant leak, and a problem with the heater system. The current issue may be air inside the cooling system, which can cause overheating, and a lack of heater function. The lack of heater function could have 5 causes: the engine is not getting up to correct temperature (center of the gauge) due to a malfunctioning thermostat, the heater control valve is not letting hot coolant into the heater core, there is a restriction in the heater system that is preventing adequate hot coolant flow through the heater core, the heater fan is not working to transfer heat from the heater core to warm air for the passenger compartment, or the air blend doors inside the heater are not working properly to route warm air to the desired vents. I would recommend a heater system inspection](https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/heater-is-not-working-inspection) by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.
Should I buy this car for $1700
ANSWER : Prior to buying any car, drive the car around and listen for any noises. Then do an inspection on the vehicle to make sure that it is safe to drive. All cars will need maintenance, but if the car was kept up, then the maintenance should be to a minimum.
think i put wrong oil in car went few miles lose power car dies oil in spark plugs still starts low oil blinking light before die.
ANSWER : Hello. If you put too thick of an oil in the car, then you may have damaged the engine bearings but this should not have caused oil to get in to the spark plugs unless the oil got into the intake of the engine or one of the pistons rings broke. If you ran it without oil and then tried to put oil in thinking it would be okay after that, then you were not that lucky and broke or damaged all of the rings on the pistons. If you would like to have this looked over, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the stalling issue and go over all of the relevant systems for a better diagnosis.
My car is Renault megane 2003 model manual, my problem is the car stooped it self in the road light & it cant start now.
ANSWER : Hello and thanks for contacting YourMechanic. There are 3 things that could cause the symptoms that you are currently experiencing. One is the ignition coils getting too hot and failing.
The second is the trigger to the ignition coils could be cutting out. The camshaft and crankshaft sensors are what control the trigger to the ignition coils. If one of the sensors are not responding correctly, then the trigger may get dropped by the computer. The computer would shut down the engine to prevent any problems.
The third problem that could effect this issue is a faulty neutral safety switch on the clutch. Check the harness and wires to the switch on the clutch and see if they are clean and free from corrosion. Make sure that the switch is not binding up or sticking. I recommend replacing the neutral safety switch, then retesting. If the system continues, then replace the crankshaft and camshaft sensors. If the symptoms are still present, then the computer is locking the trigger out and shutting off the engine. Then you would need to flash or replace the computer. If you would like to have an expert scope this out in person, a qualified professional from YourMechanic can diagnose the stalling issue and let you know exactly what needs repair.
Why does my car lose power at 20 miles an hour and 60 miles an hour and my check engine light goes on and off
ANSWER : Hello. It sounds like you may have a sensor issue going on with your car. Most of the time when something like this occurs it is caused by a throttle position sensor that is not working properly. It can also be caused by worn out fuel system or ignition system parts but it is most commonly a sensor. I will usually install my scan tool and drive the vehicle while monitoring what the sensors are doing. This would tell me if there is a sensor issue going on. If the sensors are reading correctly then I inspect the ignition system and also test the fuel pressure. If you are looking to have this loss of power checked, consider having a YourMechanic certified technician come to your home or office to diagnose why it is losing power.
Power steering loss, no belts are turning but the car is running fine. I also have a soft pedal. Whats wrong with my car?
ANSWER : I have only seen this situation once in my 30+ years and it turned out to be a broken crankshaft pulley. Belts are driven by the engine. The crankshaft pulley spins the belts, which in turn spin the air conditioner compressor, power steering and water pumps, and the alternator. The vehicle should be towed to your local repair shop and not driven. Without the water pump spinning to circulate the coolant, the engine will quickly overheat and result in more extensive damage.
