Filter
Top Products
Brakes
Brake Fluid
The brake master
cylinder reservoir is
filled with DOT-3 brake
fluid. See Engine
Compartment Overview
on page 264 for the
location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid
level in the reservoir 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 hydraulic system. If it is, you should
have the brake hydraulic system fixed, since a leak
means that sooner or later the brakes will not
work well.
So, it is not a good idea to top off the brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid will not correct a leak. If
you add fluid when the linings are worn, there will
be too much fluid when you get new brake
linings. Add or remove brake fluid, as necessary,
only when work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has 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.
When the brake fluid falls to a low level, the
BRAKE FLUID message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) displays. See DIC Warnings and
Messages on page 182.
284