Brakes
Brake
Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here. It is filled
with
DOT-3
brake fluid.
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 system.
If
it
is,
you
should have your brake
system fixed,
since
a
leak means that sooner or later
your
brakes won’t
work
well, or won’t work at
all.
So,
it
isn’t a good idea to “top
off’
your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak.
If
you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
If
you have 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 your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See “Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.
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