Brake Fluid Help ASAP PLZ

[December]

Hello... i need to change my brake fluid asap... i think it's nearly empty...

I bought some DOT4 Castrol Brake Fluid from the supermarket today and i need advice on how to change it.

What should i watch out for ? Do i need to empty the old fluid and put in the new one; or simply add the new one over the old etc... ?

Help me Please asap >_<

 

[ibizacupra]

DO NOT EMPTY OLD FLUID OUT.

pressure bleed or vacuum bleed only.
If in doubt get it done professioanlly by the above methods only.

 

[December]

what is pressure bleed and vacuum bleed ?

 

[olaf]

Im guessing if you dont know you need to go to a garage!

Brakes arent something you want to mess with.

 

[December]

if i do.. im going to get sooo ripped off >_<;

 

[ibizacupra]

if i do.. im going to get sooo ripped off >_<;

possibly if you dont know any good trustworthy garages
alternatively you risk getting air into your brake system, which on leon/golf's is notorious, resulting in soft, longer pedal, and in some circumstances without pressure bleed or vacuum bleed (blow it out, suck it out) the pedal up-down method risks rolling the master cylinder seals resulting in very poor to no brakes at all (been there, done that on a mk4 golf and it is not fun at all replacing a master cylinder)

DIY (do it yourself) pressure bleed kits here run off the cars tyre, pressurising the resevoir.
Gunsens is a make.. maybe they do a similar kit where you are?

 

[December]

i'm so lost >_<; i need to find a good garage where i wont be ripped off >_<; but how do i do that?

 

[LeedsLeon]

Urm... Might be a struggle in North Romania. I can't think of any off the top of my head...

If your brakes feel fine and the fluid in the reservoir is the same, just top it up.

If the brakes are spongy, then you need to find a garage.

 

[andycupra]

im more worried about your comment saying its nearly empty. you saying you have a leak?

 

[December]

sorry andy.. Correction... its not nearly empty its just a little below the "MIN" indicator. I thought it was nearly empty because of the "spongy" feel i got today when braking...

I immediately thought there must be something wrong with the fluid... but there's no reason for the brakes to start behaving erratically all of a sudden.
Now i'm worried there might be something else wrong with the brakes... and i'll take the car in to a garage as soon as i can.

I'll take in the fluid i bought today and have them put it in.

It's strange... the brakes felt like they were going in too deep... normally after i pinch the brakes ~1/2cm the car stars braking slowly. But today i felt like my foot was going in about 4cm before i felt the car slowing down and after pushing a little bit more it would brake too much... There was no intermediate stage.

I hope its not the ABS or anything; that would be very costly >_<;... The ABS checks out ok on my dashboard when i start the engine but there might aswell be something wrong with it regardless.

 

[ibizacupra]

if the fluid level has dropped, this could be your low pads (front & rear)
if fluid is old, and pads are thin/worn out, then they will overheat much faster... old fluid can have abosrbed moisture, which lowers its boiling boint massively. this when hot can give you a "long" pedal.

get it checked m8.
its your brakes after all

 

[December]

hmmm the pads are almost new... no more than 7000km on them... ~ 12 months

But the fluid was low when i bought the car as i recall.

 

[ibizacupra]

milage is no guarantee of pad wear