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Fluid Cylinder Cap

Checking Your Brake Fluid

There are many elements which make a car what it is. The moving parts of a car are one thing, but it also relies on the non-moving parts and the fluids that keep the parts moving. In a lot of ways you could, perhaps, compare a car to a human body. Without the parts and fluids working as they are supposed to, it all fails and things do not run as you would wish them to. Among the important fluids in a car is the brake fluid. Without brake fluid, the brakes of your car will not work – that is the fact reduced to its most basic level. There are technical reasons why they will not, but the important fact is that without brakes you will find it hard to stop your car in time. 

Therefore, having no brake fluid will be dangerous, and potentially fatal. It is important, then, to keep an eye on the brake fluid level in your car. All of the fluids in your car can be checked at the same time, but in this case we will pay special attention to the brake fluid. Firstly, to find the brake fluid it is necessary to look for your car’s brake master cylinder. In most cars you can find the brake master cylinder in the engine compartment somewhere near the driver’s position. The easiest way to find it is to have a look inside at the brake pedal; the master cylinder is in a direct line forward from there. It is small, metallic and rectangular and if you look inside you will see a plastic canister. 

You may well note that the rubber cap of the cylinder reads something along the lines of what brake fluid to use. If this is present on the cap that you can see, you have found the brake master cylinder. On newer cars the reservoir tends to be translucent, and you can check the fluid level from looking at it. If the fluid is beneath the “full line”, top it up to that level. On older (made before 1980) cars you will find that the canister is usually made from metal and the top is held on by a metal clamp. Either way, as the print on the cap of the reservoir will have made you aware, you need to use Department of Transportation 3 or 4 brake fluid. Fill the reservoir to the “full line” and if the reservoir is in two parts you must fill both. 

It is important to remember that brake fluid is highly toxic, and if you get any on your hands you must wash them extremely thoroughly. Make sure that it stays clear of your eyes, and try not to spill any on the floor or your car’s paintwork. It is hazardous to pretty much anything it touches. If the cylinder has run on empty, then you need to bleed the brakes to ensure that there is a ready supply of fluid when the brakes need it. It is essential that you do this before you drive the car again, as the consequences otherwise could be fatal.

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