Replacing brake fluid: What you should know

Replacing brake fluid? Many drivers prefer to have this done in the workshop. No wonder, because if they try to do it themselves and make a mistake, it can mean the failure of the entire braking system. Even you, the professional, must adhere to the specifications of each vehicle manufacturer – and you must always have the right product at hand.

Replacing the fluid often doesn’t cost you too much time in the workshop, but it’s still a very responsible task – so it’s all the more important that you always comply with the individual vehicle manufacturer’s specifications.

The class is decisive: Be prepared for all DOT specifications

As you well know: The manufacturer indicates the DOT class a vehicle requires for brake fluids on the cover of the expansion reservoir. These standards define the minimum requirements for brake fluids and specify different viscosities, dry and wet boiling points and other requirements:

• Vehicles with electronic braking systems such as ABS or ESP generally require low-viscosity brake fluids like DOT 4 Class 6 or DOT 5.1 variants,
• while DOT 3 brake fluids are compulsory for many Asian manufacturers’ vehicles and other older models.

So not all DOT classes are suitable for all vehicles, and not all of them can be mixed together, so you must always be prepared to encounter any specifications in your workshop.

One for (almost) all: The ATE Super DOT 5.1 as a workshop standard

The new ATE Super DOT 5.1 premium brake fluid makes things easier for you – because it’s compatible with brake fluids of the DOT 3 and DOT 4 classes, it can be used for almost all vehicles with the appropriate approval (the only exception: vehicles in which DOT 3 must be used). More and more leading car manufacturers are also using DOT 5.1 brake fluid as original equipment – so with the ATE Super DOT 5.1, you have a brake fluid that even manufacturers are using as standard.

ESP, ABS and FAS: What must a brake fluid do?

And what about more modern vehicles with alternative drive systems or driver assistance systems? The most important things first: Although electric and hybrid vehicles have no special requirements for brake fluids from a purely technical point of view, the fluid specified by the vehicle manufacturer should nevertheless be used in these vehicles. In the case of electric vehicles, these are often liquids with a high wet boiling point. The reason for this is the relatively heavy vehicle weight, which means a high peak load on the braking system – so the brake fluid must be able to withstand higher temperatures to ensure efficient braking performance. The development of new recuperation technologies has also ensured that the braking system is used less frequently but more intensively in emergency situations.