90 loyale FWD auto. sedan

 

I opened the bottle of brake fluid I bought and it was amber in color instead of the clear I was expecting.

 

In looking closer at the bottle I found that the label said it was "DOT 3 for ABS disc and drum brakes". Since I don't have ABS, is this going to be a problem ? Or do I need to get another bottle of brake fluid ?

Edited September 3, 201213 yr by Dee2

If it's DOT 3, it's....DOT 3. Should be fine. As to the amber color, was this a brand new bottle?

Yes, a brand new bottle of Oreilly's (Very light amber color).

Yes, a brand new bottle of Oreilly's (Very light amber color).

 

I've used that stuff before, yeah it does have a very light tint. I haven't had a catastrophic failure yet, so im calling it safe.

I don't think napa brake fluid is clear, either. I think it's a very light amber.

It's silly they say ABS, disc, and drum on there. DOT 3 is a specification. Car manufactures build all their brake parts to work with that spec.

 

What if my car has only disc brakes, but it says drum. Will it still work...?

 

 

Anyway, be careful that the bottle stays sealed. Brake fluid is HIGHLY hydroscopic, meaning it'll absorb water as it's favourite pass time. If you leave a bottle uncapped overnight, throw it out.

I also called Oreilly's and they also said "DOT 3 is DOT 3" . So, I used it. Cleaned out the reservoir, put in new, bled all 4 wheels.

 

Don't know why they put the extra declarations on the bottle. I will keep it closed, but in fact I will unlikely use the remainder for a very long time.

 

Thanks for the feedback !

Funny you should mention catastrophic failure because brake fluid is what the certified Subaru mechanic rubs on the CV boots so that they both tear themselves apart at almost exactly the same time. Takes about 30 days to come apart, as I recall. And when they replace both of your front CV axles, something else will come apart in another 30 days.