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Brakes
Brake Master Cylinder
Your brake master cylinder
is
here. It is filled with
DOT-3
brake fluid.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in your master cylinder
might
go
down. The first is that the brake fluid goes down to an acceptable
level during normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in, the
fluid level goes back up. The other reason is that fluid
is
leaking out of the
brake system.
If
it is, you should have your brake system fixed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes won’t work well, or won’t work at
all.
So,
it isn’t
a
good idea to “top
off’
your brake fluid. Adding brake fluid
won’t correct a leak.
If
you add fluid when your linings are worn, then
you’ll have too much fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or
remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work
is
done
on
the
brake
hydraulic system.
A
CAUTION:
If
you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on the engine. The
fluid will burn
if
the engine is hot enough. You or others could
be burned, and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake fluid
only
when
work
is
done
on
the brake hydraulic
system.
Refer
to
the Maintenance Schedule
to
determine when to check your brake
fluid. See “Periodic Maintenance Inspections” in the Index.
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