Brakes
Brake Fluid
The brake master
cylinder and, on manual
transaxle vehicles,
the clutch hydraulic
system use the same
reservoir. The reservoir
is filled with DOT-3
brake fluid.
See Engine Compartment Overview on page 284
for the location of the reservoir.
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 and/or clutch hydraulic system.
If it is, you should have the brake and/or clutch
system fixed, since a leak means that sooner
or later the brakes and/or clutch will not work well,
or will not work at all.
So, it is not a good idea to top off the brake/clutch
fluid. Adding fluid will not correct a leak. If you add
fluid when the brake linings are worn, you will have
too much fluid when you get new brake linings. You
should add or remove fluid, as necessary, only
when work is done on the brake/clutch hydraulic
system.
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has 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 and/or clutch
hydraulic system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low level, the brake
warning light will come on. See Brake System
Warning Light on page 167.
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