GM DOT 4 Brake Fluid?
04-05-2010, 11:33 AM
#1
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St. Jude Donor '13
GM DOT 4 Brake Fluid?
I'd like to flush the brake fluid on my Z51 car, will have the dealer do it so they can use the Tech 2 to exercise the ABS and get all the old fluid out.
The Owner Manual and reservoir cap both say DOT 3 fluid. GM also makes a DOT 4, #88958860, which is labeled "Brake and Clutch Fluid."
Normally, any DOT 4 should be usable in a DOT 3 system, but that part about "... Clutch Fluid" has me wondering. Using a GM product should keep the warranty gods happy, but what do you think?
The Owner Manual and reservoir cap both say DOT 3 fluid. GM also makes a DOT 4, #88958860, which is labeled "Brake and Clutch Fluid."
Normally, any DOT 4 should be usable in a DOT 3 system, but that part about "... Clutch Fluid" has me wondering. Using a GM product should keep the warranty gods happy, but what do you think?
04-05-2010, 11:50 AM
#3
Chevrolet uses DOT 3 in the Corvette brake system because it meets all their requirements -- especially the part about cost. They use DOT 4 in the clutch system because of the heat that system is exposed to.
DOT 4 and DOT 3 are compatible. I would be surprised if you had warrantee issues using DOT 4 in the brake system -- especially if done by the dealer with the GM product and procedure, but stranger things have happened. I doubt you will be able to find anyone who can, with authority, state that you will have no warrantee issues using DOT 4 in your brake system, but the same could be said of flushing the system with DOT 3.
DOT 4 and DOT 3 are compatible. I would be surprised if you had warrantee issues using DOT 4 in the brake system -- especially if done by the dealer with the GM product and procedure, but stranger things have happened. I doubt you will be able to find anyone who can, with authority, state that you will have no warrantee issues using DOT 4 in your brake system, but the same could be said of flushing the system with DOT 3.
04-05-2010, 12:46 PM
#4
Race Director
Chevrolet uses DOT 3 in the Corvette brake system because it meets all their requirements -- especially the part about cost. They use DOT 4 in the clutch system because of the heat that system is exposed to.
DOT 4 and DOT 3 are compatible. I would be surprised if you had warrantee issues using DOT 4 in the brake system -- especially if done by the dealer with the GM product and procedure, but stranger things have happened. I doubt you will be able to find anyone who can, with authority, state that you will have no warrantee issues using DOT 4 in your brake system, but the same could be said of flushing the system with DOT 3.
DOT 4 and DOT 3 are compatible. I would be surprised if you had warrantee issues using DOT 4 in the brake system -- especially if done by the dealer with the GM product and procedure, but stranger things have happened. I doubt you will be able to find anyone who can, with authority, state that you will have no warrantee issues using DOT 4 in your brake system, but the same could be said of flushing the system with DOT 3.
I would use the DOT 4 so that you only have to buy one fluid instead of two for both clutch and brakes.
04-05-2010, 01:36 PM
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St. Jude Donor '13
The dealer will use GM DOT 3 unless I specify differently, so anything that goes wrong with GM DOT 4 could be on my back- including warranty repairs. Besides, I don't want to mess up my car.
If the GM DOT 4 didn't say "Brake and CLUTCH Fluid", I wouldn't be wondering as much.
If the GM DOT 4 didn't say "Brake and CLUTCH Fluid", I wouldn't be wondering as much.
Last edited by Gearhead Jim; 04-05-2010 at 01:40 PM.
04-05-2010, 01:51 PM
#6
Team Owner
If the dealer is going to do it, just let them use what they want. When I do my own, I put DOT 4 (and not GM DOT 4) in everything, because as said above, I don't want to buy two different brake fluids, and GM doesn't manufacture brake fluid anyway, so no need to pay much more money for it.
04-05-2010, 04:16 PM
#7
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DOT 4 brake fluid isn't going to cause any warranty issues with your brakes. It will not eat the caliper seals, the hoses or the brake lines and will not hurt the BPMV. Plenty of people have been dumping DOT 4 into GM brake systems for years and have never had an issue. The remaining parts of the brake system are all wear items and on your nickel anyway.
I wouldn't worry about it. If you look in your owner's manual you will see where it says to use DOT 4 Super Brake Fluid for the clutch fluid. Even though it says clutch on the container it is still brake fluid.
Bill
Bill
Last edited by Bill Dearborn; 04-05-2010 at 04:28 PM.
04-05-2010, 07:11 PM
#8
Former Vendor
DOT 4 brake fluid isn't going to cause any warranty issues with your brakes. It will not eat the caliper seals, the hoses or the brake lines and will not hurt the BPMV. Plenty of people have been dumping DOT 4 into GM brake systems for years and have never had an issue. The remaining parts of the brake system are all wear items and on your nickel anyway.
I wouldn't worry about it. If you look in your owner's manual you will see where it says to use DOT 4 Super Brake Fluid for the clutch fluid. Even though it says clutch on the container it is still brake fluid.
Bill
I wouldn't worry about it. If you look in your owner's manual you will see where it says to use DOT 4 Super Brake Fluid for the clutch fluid. Even though it says clutch on the container it is still brake fluid.
Bill
