I have a 98 maxima gxe, and am going to replace the rear calipers and hoses, as one of the calipers has frozen up, only a couple years after i spent about $700 getting them replaced. I figure this time i will bite the bullet, since i am so poor and do it myself. Whats do you all suggest as a favorite brake fluid to use in the 4th gen max? btw it doesnt have ABS.
Thanks.

 

Valvoline Synpower DOT 3/4 is a favorite here, available at all car part stores for $5.

 

A lot of people like Motul brake fluid. That is probably what I will use when I bleed mine for the first time.

 

For the money, you can't beat it! No need for special orders and waiting days for it to arrive, just go to Autozone or your local parts store and pick it up.

It's dry and wet boiling point characteristics are right up there with the more expensive stuff.

 

can't go wrong w/ OEM

 

I went to the local cycle shop and got a couple of bottles of motul 600. Was $16.50 a bottle , oh well.

 

I use ATE SuperBlue (and gold) when I flush my brakes (every year. Yes I create a ton of diamonds. LOL)

 

DO NOT PUT THAT STUFF IN YOUR MAXIMA!!!!!!
WARNING!
DANGER!
PELIGRO!!!
ALTO!

Dot 6 fluid is NOT COMPATIBLE WITH Dot 3 and Dot 4 Fluids that come stock in your CAR!!!!!!!
Take it back and Buy the Motul 5.1 -- it IS compatible with the Dot3/4 stuff!

Seriously.....DON'T DO IT!!!!

--shame on that shop for selling it to you!!!!

gr

 

It's probably too late.

 

Yeah - he's already got it in his sig....

I've heard stories of guys getting this stuff together and it's like tapioca pudding in the res and lines~!

Bad ju-ju man.....

Dot 6 is TOTALLY overkill for the street. That stuff is straight-up full synthetic RACING fluid.
Whatever jackass sold him that stuff should be shot.

gr

 

It says on the bottle motul 600 but is rated as a dot 4 fluid?

 

Is this what you have??? Says DOT 4 on the website and on the bottle.

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pro...?Product=MT600

 

Yep thats the stuff, is it bad?

 

Just as info:
I use MOtul 5.1 in my motorcycle.
It clearly states on the front of the bottle:
"Compatible with DOT3, DOT4, NOT 5.0"

My mistake on the 600 being incompatible with DOT3/4. :stfu:
I thought 600 was 6.0.

I AM going to use the 5.1 to replace my clutch fluid next week, just because I have it onhand.
Otherwise, I'd go to Autozone and get some regular stuff.
gr

 

Is it ever recommended to drain all of the brake fluid out to replace it? Or is it always ok to just add to what is already in the lines and reservior? Is there any problems mixing different brands, or DOT 3 with DOT 4?

If it should be drained, any recommendations on intervals?

Thanks.

 

Brake fluid absorbs moisture (not sure about silicone based though); the more moisture in it, the lower the boiling point. You don't want your brake fluid boiling when you need it to work. Flush the system every 2-3 years.

 

you should never drain the system.. you should suck all the old fluid you can out of the reservoir, refill with fresh fluid, THEN bleed the system until you have fresh, clean fluid coming out of each caliper.
For a street car, this should be done every few years. generally costs about $85 at a shop.
for a track car, this should be done at minumum every year and bleed the brakes every few months. (Generally I'll bleed mine after every track event or when I'm changing pads at the track)..
But for street cars you don't need to do all the work.

For fluids.. street cars and light duty track cars, you can't beat Valvoline Synpower. for all-out track cars, you might need to step up to something a bit tougher, but I still have yet to have problems with the Synpower or ATE blue/yellow in my cars, and they both have very similar boiling points. all quality fluids.

For a Maxima- especially a street-driven one, Motul and Castrol RBF stuff are completely unnecessary and an absoloute waste of money. you will get zero incremental improvement over using a regular dot 3/4 fluid, so you're literally wasting money. it's like putting 100 octane race gas in the car to drive in stop and go traffic to work.

 

Good Post Matt~!

Agreed - anything other than off-the-shelf brake fluid is total overkill for most street applications.
I broke-down and paid the stealer to flush my brakes after 5 years:~
Cost me $120 + they hosed me on the brake fluid ($30).
You have been warned.

I'm 99% certain that ALL brake fluid IS hydroscopic....absorbs water.
I flush my bikes' brakes and clutch EVERY year minimum, and use Motul 5.1 - but then again....it's a bike, and it's Italian!

gr

 

I have yet to bleed my brakes. Need to do it in the spring.

 

Hygroscopic

Back to the topic, i've used the ATE Super Blue and now have the Valvoline Supersynth. For the price and ready availability, i'm liking the Valvoline more. The ATE was also good, but it is a tad bit pricier and usually only specialty shops carry them.

 

...I KNEW THat...!!!

 

Dot 3 and 4 are hydroscopic but dot 5 is not. This is why dot 5 is for race applications only because it should be flushed after every use/race. If you keep dot 5 in for too long it will seporate like oil and water causing unsafe boiling temps.

However it's spelled?