Brake fluid moisture content tester

[Pete Lewis]

I followed Dougs clues in a post to get a tester form fleabay its never arrived and is about to be refunded so a simple search showed many are available from places like

Amazon and i purchased one delivered next day for £17 ish    this is to use on local  club nights or whatever , whenever needed 

there are pocket ones for less than £5  all well worth having so you know the water content of your reservoirs 

these all  do Dot3  Dot4   Dot5.1  easy to use and good stocking filler 

 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

24 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

  this is to use on local  club nights or whatever , whenever needed 

I read that completely wrong and thought it said "this is to use in local night clubs or whatever"... thought it could maybe check if your drink's been spiked.

Interesting bit of kit though.

[Mjit]

Can't say I see the point in brake fluid moisture testers.  If you can't remember the last time you change the fluid, it's time to change it.

With a bottle of DOT4 under £5 that should see you through 3 changes for less than the cost of the tester, and at a full change every 3 years that's 9 years of ownership - at which point the tester will either have broken/been lost/you'll have forgotten you bought one

[Pete Lewis]

I agree  but trouble is whilst many of us understand the problems many just have no idea , its just a way of proving the point . and

its  something to occupy drinking time and banter evenings 

Pete

 

[dougbgt6]

My brother bought one this year and tested his 1999 Vauxhall. It used to be our dad's car and the fluid has not changed since new. Tester said mid range, which is just about OK. He then tested his wife's 2 year old Vauxhall and it said STOP! Which is change VERY soon. The tester has settings for DOT 3, 4 and 5.1, but the results make me wonder about long lasting quality of new and older versions of the DOT fluid.

I've silicone in the Triumph so tester unnecessary, but no silicone in the modern, it's not good with ABS, so I'm going to get one if only to scare my daughters in their rust heaps.

Doug

[Colin Lindsay]

19 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

My brother bought one this year and tested his 1999 Vauxhall. It used to be our dad's car and the fluid has not changed since new. Tester said mid range, which is just about OK. He then tested his wife's 2 year old Vauxhall and it said STOP! Which is change VERY soon. The tester has settings for DOT 3, 4 and 5.1, but the results make me wonder about long lasting quality of new and older versions of the DOT fluid.

 

Or the quality of the instrument ie how accurate it is. I agree with Mjit, that in our club cars we change brake fluid quite often, and even with an unknown ie a new purchase I'll change the fluid as one of the first maintenance jobs.

With moderns it's a different story; I've never done a complete change in my Mundano, although when I replaced the brake discs earlier in the year I bled the fronts. I'd guess, as Doug states, that modern fluid is nowhere near as long lasting as the older stuff, which is strange given that very very few drivers touch their own cars these days, or even suspect they might have to change the fluid periodically

I don't think I'll need to buy one of the testers, although if you could use it as a taser by reversing the battery I'd buy one for the cat. 

[NonMember]

34 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

. I agree with Mjit, that in our club cars we change brake fluid quite often, and even with an unknown ie a new purchase I'll change the fluid as one of the first maintenance jobs. 

My first car was a Mk1 Vitesse. When I'd owned it for a month or so, I drove to my then-local TSSC meet in Basingstoke. On the way back, driving enthusiastically along a curvy road, I dabbed the brakes for a bend and my foot went straight to the floor with no effect. For the rest of the journey the brakes needed pumping to get any result. The next morning, it was absolutely fine.

These days I use Silicon and change the fluid on all new (classic) purchases.

[dougbgt6]

36 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

in our club cars we change brake fluid quite often,

Do we? It's only in recent years East Berks and Thames areas have become aware of the 2 year rule and I suspect that some who have 3/4 or 5.1 don't bother.

Doug

[Chris A]

In the little handbook for my 13/60 where it gives details of service intervals it only mentions toping up the level not changing the fluid (unless I've missedit somewhere), so back in the day did owners change brake fluid regularly or not?

[Colin Lindsay]

39 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

Do we? It's only in recent years East Berks and Thames areas have become aware of the 2 year rule and I suspect that some who have 3/4 or 5.1 don't bother.

Doug

Never knew there was a rule. I usually do it once a year pre-show season, if I have a car on the road, to expel air or moisture that may have built up whilst off-road, and usually more often as things like rear axles fall off the car.  Our club - hence the term 'in OUR club' meaning the local area - has a few yearly garage days where we do trunnion oiling, fluid changes, greasing etc. so it 's usually every year - two at most - for local members. The TR I bought in September won't go near the road without at the very least new hoses, pads and shoes and a fluid change. I can't really blame a PO if the car won't stop for me... 

[Pete Lewis]

i reckon back in the days or 4/- a gallon  braking was less arduous speeds where lower . vaporising the moisture didnt happen you entered a roundaout at 40  not 70  driving was less aggressive  , brake fluid testing we carried out on unsold truck stock  certainly back in the 70s and 80s as an audit function and 

a two year old chassis could be silly  high water just down to reservoir  temperature change  breathing.   so it did happen back in the happy years 

how about blue tac the breather whe in winter storeage,,   but  dont forget to to remove it for driving !!!!!

Pete

 

[dougbgt6]

Yes Colin it's a rule, same as greasing the trunnions. I admire your area's industriousness, our area, we do a lot of intensive sitting and talking about doing things. 

Doug

[dave.vitesse]

There wasn't any laid down schedule for changing brake fluid back in the 1960's for cars. It was generally only changed when a major brake overhaul took place or it was considered to be "old".

In the 1950's Standard's stipulated trunnions should be greased. i.e. Mayflower, Standard 8/10 and TR2/3. Following an investigation into trunnion failure by the factory they changed to EP90 oil in 1959. Hence the confusion. The Courier did an article about it a number of years ago. The article was produced by the Standard Triumph engineer who did all the research work.

Talking about brake fluid or trunnions beats Brexit anytime! 

Dave

[Colin Lindsay]

4 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

Yes Colin it's a rule, same as greasing the trunnions.

Never knew that. Given enough time and a failed Brexit the EU will no doubt make it compulsory, although they'll probably make trunnions illegal too.

We do  a lot of sitting round and talking too but that's only on club nights. The other 29-odd days of the month are for garages.

 

[dougbgt6]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

and a failed Brexit

I live in hope Colin, otherwise I'm off to mother's house in Scotland where Ms Sturgeon will look after us. The border is 1/4 mile away so will be quite busy with check points and asylum seekers.

db

[Pete Lewis]

At least with brake  fluid we have some idea of whats going on

Pete

[Chris A]

2 hours ago, dave.vitesse said:

 

Talking about brake fluid or trunnions beats Brexit anytime! 

Dave

Going to the dentist is better than Brexit.

My main interest is centred on pension increases for retired Ex Brits in the EU and taxes on imports of Scotch and Irish Whisk(e)y

🍷

 

[poppyman]

I had an uncle who had the most bizarre fixation back in the day- he would drink brake fluid. Maybe back in those days it was less toxic than it is today, because he never expired of it, but we were always worried about him doing it.

I remember one time my dad told him that he was addicted and needed to cut it out, that it was bad for him.

My uncle replied “Nonsense, I can stop anytime.”

Christmas drink warning.........................

[Adrian]

Doug

i think I’d like to take my chances with the fish rather than the Ms Sturgeon. But can’t deny the beauty of Scotland 

[Colin Lindsay]

I love Scotland, but then I love England too, the wild bits or the olde-worlde parts like York or Lincoln; in fact anywhere I go to stay where I feel like a guest and the hotels and restaurants etc look after me. For that reason I like Europe too, and love meeting visitors to my own place, but the whole thing isn't about the people, it's the politics, which involves a disproportionate few.

[dougbgt6]

Pete,

So, now you've got the tester what's it say? Does it work?

Doug

[dave.vitesse]

You can used a multi meter on its highest resistance range. Water conducts, brake fluid shouldn't!.

But a tester is much easier to use and gives a clearer indication.

Dave

[68vitesse]

On 17/12/2018 at 20:11, Colin Lindsay said:

Never knew that. Given enough time and a failed Brexit the EU will no doubt make it compulsory, although they'll probably make trunnions illegal too.

We do  a lot of sitting round and talking too but that's only on club nights. The other 29-odd days of the month are for garages.

 

A failed Brexit would only reflect the wishes of self serving politicians and the E U not the majority that voted leave.

Regards

Paul

[Pete Lewis]

Mine shows as <1%  

Just done friends Stag and its amber warning 2.5%

If I spit on my finger its red alert  > 4% 

Its a nice hand held does dot 3  dot 4 dot 5.1  moisture has 6      %  levels  and a beeper

0.1      1%    1.5%     2.5     3     4+

Does need a pp3 9v battery

Pete

 

[Paul H]

Could you use the 2.5% rule to change brake fluid rather change every 2 years

Paul