Wednesday, November 24, 2010

What happens if the wrong fluid was put in where the brake fluid goes? What is the fix for that?

We have an 81 impala and when the brake pedal is pressed, the brakes are tight. Someone said it might be the incorrect fluid was put into the brake fluid. We just got the car four months ago and this just startd. We have only had the pcv valve replaced and an oil change done, both by Jiffy Lube.

How much would that cost to fix?What happens if the wrong fluid was put in where the brake fluid goes? What is the fix for that?
If by tight you mean that you have to apply more force than usual for the brakes to work you may be describing a bad brake booster. That would not be a fluid related issue. The checks for that are really simple. If you find the master and booster there will be a vacuum hose on the booster (a really big black one) that is attatched to a valve that makes an L. Carefully pull that out by the valve and put your finger over the hose and have a helper see if the brakes get harder to push. If they do than the booster is ok. If you hear an air sound when pushing the brake the booster is probably bad. As for weather or not the wrong fluid is in the Master cylinder that is simple to detect. find the master cylinderr and take the lid off. get a cup of regular tap water. put a few drops of the fluid in the master into the water. If the fluid sinks into and dissappears into the water it is brake fluid. If you see stuff floating on the top of the water you have a big problem. do not just bleed the brakes as if there is oil in the master that will just push it through the rest of the system and make the situation worse.. I would say that whoever has been servicing and put the wrong fluid in your master should man-up and cover repairs.What happens if the wrong fluid was put in where the brake fluid goes? What is the fix for that?
bleed your brakes, you ought to be able to do this with the help of someone to pump the brakes, or a brake shop can do it. it shouldnt cost too muchWhat happens if the wrong fluid was put in where the brake fluid goes? What is the fix for that?
Depends on what you mean by tight. I doubt it is a fluid problem. Check your brake pads ... if they are worn down and the steel backplate is grinding against the rotor then the brakes grab badly when you press the pedal down. To replace the rotors and pads will cost you about $400 .... about $140 if you do it yourself.What happens if the wrong fluid was put in where the brake fluid goes? What is the fix for that?
if you are describing that the brake pedal is hard after the pcv change i would be looking at that....What happens if the wrong fluid was put in where the brake fluid goes? What is the fix for that?
The calipers may be shot,or go ahead and bleed all the fluid out and use Dot 3 fluid to replace it.What happens if the wrong fluid was put in where the brake fluid goes? What is the fix for that?
tsh-66 is correct in what he says but what he is trying to inform you on how to test for incorrect fluid in the master cylinder is to remove some fluid out of the cylinder (a cooking baster can be used)., put some of this removed fluid to a cup (jar or dish) of water as required. If the fluid is incorrect and the system needs to be bleed, remove all the old fluid from the master cylinder first and fill with new fresh DOT 3 and bleed each wheel cylinder until the fluid runs clean. Any questions, e-mail me.