

While doing your routine maintenance, be sure to check the color of your brake fluid to see if it needs replacement. When that happens, brake fluid will leak out and the braking system will begin to fail. but over a long period of time, it could cause the rubber seals in the master cylinder and calipers to deteriorate. Obviously we want to avoid this problem so a brake fluid flush is in order.ĭark brake fluid will not cause any long term or extensive damage in general. Under normal braking conditions this isn't too big of a deal, but if you are doing some extreme braking then you might find that your brakes aren't working like they used to and you may even suffer from brake fade. When brake fluid color change, it means that it has been collecting grime and debris from the braking system and it might even have absorbed some water. If your brake fluid appears dark brown to black in color, then you need to have it flushed out and new brake fluid put in. What to Do If Your Brake Fluid Color is Dark Anything from dark brown to black is a bad brake fluid color. As the fluid is used it gets darker and darker, much like motor oil. This occurs when the brake fluid absorbs water from the. You can see that it is very dark and almost looks like used motor oil. Brake fluid colour is usually clear or light amber but can also have a dark yellow tint pigmentation. The color of the strip is then compared to a chart to determine the. Most likely this fluid has not been changed for at least five years or more. DOT 3 brake fluid, which has long been used in most domestic cars and light trucks. The image below is a great example of what your brake fluid should NOT look like. It should still be somewhat clear when you look into the brake While you can't expect that it will remain this color for five years, Whether it is DOT 3, 4 or 5, all brake fluid is pretty much the sameĬolor. DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5 brake fluids share the same color and will turn.

The temperature at which the fluid boils. You may find brake fluid under your car near the wheel well in case of a leak. When you buy a new bottle of brake fluid, it looks almost clear with aīit of yellow tint to it. DOT 5 fluid is NOT mixable with DOT 3, DOT 4, Super DOT 4 or DOT 5.1 fluids. What Color is Brake Fluid Supposed to Be? Let's take a look at what it looks like when it is bad. The next time you are changing your brake pads or just doing a general check of your fluids, be sure to pay attention to your brake fluid. Luckily it's not as complicated as some people make it sound. It's one of those things that seems to differ depending on who you talk to (and what they are selling!). Brake fluid color can be a confusing topic.
