Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic brake and hydraulic clutch applications in vehicles. It is responsible for transferring force into pressure and amplifying braking force. Simply stated, when you apply your foot to the brake pedal, brake fluid transfers this force into pressure to the front and rear brakes and stops the vehicle. It works because liquids are incompressible. The main requirements for brake fluids are high operation temperatures, good low-temperature and viscosity-temperature properties, physical and chemical stability, protection of metals from corrosion, inactivity concerning mechanical rubber articles, and lubricating effect
In this article, let us discuss how to remove excess brake fluid from reservoir. So let us dive in!
Table of Contents
How to Check A Vehicle’s Brake Fluid?
To check the level of the brake fluid, you can do the following:
1. Clean the Top of the Reservoir Carefully
A small amount of dirt falling into the fluid can cause the internal seals of the master cylinder to fail. Your brakes will begin to lose effectiveness and ultimately fail.
2. Open the Top of your Brake Fluid Reservoir
If you have the kind with a little plastic reservoir on top, just unscrew the cap of the reservoir. If you have a metal master cylinder that contains the reservoir, use a screwdriver to pry the retaining clamp off the top.
Don’t leave the master cylinder uncovered or an open can of brake fluid sitting around for too long. Brake fluid soaks up moisture to keep it from settling in the hydraulic components and corroding them. If moist air gets to brake fluid for as little as 15 minutes, the fluid is ruined. So don’t dawdle, and keep the can tightly closed until you’re ready to use it.
3. Look to See Where the Fluid Level Lies
Make sure that the brake fluid level is within half an inch or so of the cap.
If the level isn’t high enough, add the proper brake fluid for your vehicle. If the brake fluid reservoir is empty when you check it, you may have to bleed the brake system.
4. Check the Colour of your Brake Fluid
Because brake fluid deteriorates with use, it should be replaced by a mechanic if it’s dark in colour.
How Does The Brake Fluid Works?
Most cars use a hydraulic braking system. When you press the brake pedal, this pressure sends brake fluid into your callipers, which press the pads into the rotors. As you apply more pressure, the pads and rotors will generate more friction and the car will come to a stop more quickly.
Without brake fluid, you won’t be able to stop. You should change your brake fluid from time to time because it goes bad over time. It can absorb moisture, which can prevent your brakes from working properly. Bad brake fluid can cause your brake system to malfunction, which can be deadly. Ultimately, maintaining your brake fluid is crucial for safe driving.
Fresh brake fluid has a boiling point that is a higher temperature than would be produced while braking. However, water has a much lower boiling point and can boil from the temperatures produced during braking.
Moisture that has been absorbed by the brake fluid can boil, releasing gas. With this gas in your braking system, pressing the brake will simply compress the gas, instead of pushing the brake fluid to your rotors. Essentially, boiling brake fluid may lead to you hitting the brake and the pedal simply going to the floor without slowing the vehicle. This is why regularly replacing your brake fluid is important.
How to Remove Excess Brake Fluid From Reservoir?
Follow the below steps to remove brake fluid from your vehicle.
- You could dip a clean paper towel or shop towel and let it soak up a few ounces of the fluid so that you will at least have some air in there. Excessive or hard braking can cause brake fluid to overheat, so you need some room to allow for expansion. At least take it back to where the indicator showed it was at the correct FULL level.
- Another way you can do to remove the excess brake fluid is to take out the car to any nearby garage or mechanic and they will remove the excess brake fluid, this could cost you some money but it can be considered as an option. The paper towel is probably the easiest, it will wick up quite a bit and also no need to remove the screen.
What Does Overfilling The Brake Fluid Reservoir Lead To?
- If you are very much fortune, it will just leak out past the cap when the fluid heats up and expands while braking and you will have a mess to clean up. Brake fluid, especially Dot 3 fluid will remove paint if not cleaned off soon.
- Elsewhere the fluid cannot leak out, the fluid will expand and with nowhere else to go it will begin applying pressure to all the brake calliper pistons causing the brakes to drag.
- In the worst-case scenario where the fluid cannot leak out and instead begins applying the brakes as stated above, the brakes may eventually bring you to a full stop and lock up until they cool down or the pads will burn up, rotors will warp and you will have an expen$ive repair on your hands.
- The fill level is no longer visible. It could be read as too full or too low.
- Brake fluid, like most liquids, expands in volume with the temperature rise. If the reservoir is filled, the fluid will expand due to high engine compartment temperature and leak out the small vent hole in the cap. If the vent hole gets plugged, the plastic brake reservoir can potentially rupture.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to remove excess brake fluid from reservoir, one can easily remove the excess brake fluid. Also to prevent any mishappening the brake fluid should be checked at regular intervals of time.
If you have doubts with any of the steps described in the article above, let us know in the comments below, we will get back you soon.
Cheers!