

To wash it it’s better to use a washing detergent, but this is an emergency so grab any soap you have around. Wash The Fluid OffĬlean whatever is left in the car as soon as you can. Press the towel where the fluid is and blot it up. This will only make the fluid spread the brake fluid around and expand the affected area. Use a paper towel or a towel to soak up as much fluid as you can. Now you know how important it is to act fast. If you have a newer car, your paint has a higher quality so simply wiping the fluid off is enough to prevent any harm. 30 minutes: stripes can be seen from a distance paint damage is clear.10 minutes: visible stains the clear coat is possibly ruined.The clear coat can get compromised there. Here’s a small guide on how long it takes for it to cause damage: However, if you leave the brake fluid sit on the paint it can cause a lot of harm. We have good news for you, brake fluid can be cleaned right away. It can get as severe as showing the metal of the vehicle. There can be severe damage to your car as the glycol eats through the paint. It can leave vertical marks or stripes all over the car as it goes down. If you leave brake fluids sitting on the paint it will start to break down the layer of coating in your car. The reaction of glycol in your car’s paint functions like a very aggressive solvent. It has molecules that make brake fluids effective at messing up your coating. You must be thinking, doesn’t my car need it? Why would it harm it? The answer is because there are chemicals in the brake fluid. You might not know how brake fluid can harm your car. Here’s all you need to know and do if you get brake fluid on car paint. It can be a difficult DIY task to do and if you do something wrong you could hurt your car’s shiny finish. If you’re planning on doing a fluid change yourself, you need to be prepared to clean it all up. But accidental spills happen and they can be problematic for the paint job. Plus, you don't have to do any major disassemble of the braking system to switch over to it (as long as your braking system doesn't call for DOT5 or it wasn't previously converted over to DOT5).Brake fluid checks are supposed to be done regularly by car owners to keep their cars running well.

It will work with antilock braking systems, just like DOT3/4. DOT5.1 has the same Wet/Dry boiling point specification as DOT5 as well. This makes them compatible, unlike DOT5 (which is silicone based). DOT5 is also specified for some Harley Davidson motorcycles (though I understand they have stopped specifying it for their later models).Īdditionally I have seen references to DOT5.1?Īs alluded to previously, DOT5.1 is Glycol Ether/Borate Ester based just like DOT3/4. If you live in the Yukon Territories (Canada) or Norther Alaska (US), you may have an argument for using DOT5. It is used exclusively by the US Military for this reason. DOT 5 has a service temperature range of -55☌ (-67☏) to 55☌ (131☏).

#Will dot 3 brake fluid damage paint plus#
What are the applications and benefits to DOT5 brake fluid?Īs vini_i stated, DOT5 doesn't absorb water like DOT3/4/5.1, so that is a major plus factor for it. With DOT5.1 available, there really aren't huge benefits for moving to DOT5. This question is very subjective, but for the most part, no. This makes it very important to get all of the water out of the system when using DOT5.Īre the benefits that huge where I would be motivated to do this? If that pool or puddle of water just happens to be in your caliper (or winds up there), it can flash over to steam if the environment gets hot enough, which can cause you all kinds of issues (back flow of brake fluid out of the system complete loss of braking). If you do not fully clean your braking system with solvents while switching over, the DOT5 will be contaminated and will not function as expected.Īlso, if there is water left in the system during the switch over, the water will pool or "puddle" within the braking system which can cause corrosion. If you want to remove this part of your braking system when doing the change over, then you'd be okay. One of the major disadvantages of DOT5 is it doesn't work with anti-lock braking systems. With the advent of DOT5.1, you probably would not want to switch over. Why would I want to change over to DOT5 if that much work is involved? For everyone's edification, here are the dry/wet boiling point specifications for the different brake fluids: Dry boiling point Wet boiling point
