I was going to post this in the CR-V area buuuuuuut.

Going off of my last airbag deployment test.
This is a car I worked on a while ago.
Guess what happens to a brake system if you don't use the propper brake fluid?
You spend $6,000 in brake parts!
I had a 2004 CR-V EX 4WD. Customer complained of the transmission slipping.
I go for a test drive and when I got to my turn around point I thought this guy must me nuts. So I head back to the shop and a vibration develops then it gets worse and worse untill I think I have a flat tire. I pull over and the tires are fine. So I continue and soon enough I can't get over 45MPH (on a 60MPH road). I limp back to the shop and smell burning brakes from all 4 wheels.
Come to find out this person does all of his own work. Probably topping off his fluid with power steering fluid or something. This caused every rubber part to swell in the entire system. In the end every brake system part that included rubber seals had to be replaced. Totaling over $6,000 dollars.

So what's the moral of the story?

 

Always use Dot 3 or higher for brake fluid

 

damn that sucks

 

a fool should not do even his own car maintenance.

 

lol wow...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Charri &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Always use Dot 3 or higher for brake fluid
</TD></TR></TABLE>I don't think you'll find any DOT 1 or 2 fluid. Anywhere.

DO NOT USE DOT 5 silicone fluid.

DOT 3 & 4 are ok, as well as DOT 5.1 which is also poly-glycol like 3 & 4.

 

Just curious, why not DOT 5?

 

Well it's kinda dangerous to say you can use a Dot-3 fluid or higher unless your sure it's compatible with your system. Sure it may work ok in some cars but others it may not (ex- ABS systems). So just to be on the safe side for your daily driver always use what the manufacturer reccomends.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by buzzboy8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just curious, why not DOT 5?</TD></TR></TABLE>I guess the silicone fluid isn't compatible with many of the rubber seals in the system.

Mostly, for water absorption. Water is completely soluable in poly-glycol brake fluid. So any moisture getting in there is completely absorbed by the fluid. It's supposed to work like that, so it only moderately degrades the boiling point.

Silicone brake fluid has a higher boiling point, but for a normal car that's misleading. With a silicone fluid, the water doesn't mix. So you get water collecting in a lump somewhere. It can freeze at 32 F or it can boil at 212 if it's in the caliper. It also provides a concentrated location for the brake lines to corrode from the inside. Not good.

DOT 5 maybe sometimes makes sense for a race car, when you always flush the system with fresh fluid every weekend, sometimes for every race.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by buzzboy8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just curious, why not DOT 5?</TD></TR></TABLE>

dot 5 is silicone which is not safe for abs, it's waterproof and use alot in boat trailer which need to be lower to the bay.
use it in your honda and the abs will hate you for it

 

Out of curiosity, did you find out what the person topped his brake fluid off with? And what was his reaction when told about the damage?

“Well, I’ve got some good news and bad news. The good news is that there’s nothing wrong with your transmission…”

 

I had the same problem, only it was the shop's fault. I had a normal tune up at this shop that i've been going to (i took it to the shop because i just didn't have the space/time to do it myself). They shop flushed my transmission fluid. I get the car back and it shakes violently in 2nd and only 2nd gear. I take it back, the guy goes for a test drive with me, and is stumped. Calls the transmission shop next door, and comes back and is like, "uhh...stupid hondas...require special transmission fluid...oops." I was about to flip ****! But i was 17 at the time, and the guy was about 4" talled and 200lbs heavier. Luckily when he flushed it after the third time with the right fluid, the problem was solved.

 

I cannot tell you how many similar situations I have run into. There is some truth to the saying that the customer is the enemy... they do things to their car, then it doesn't work right and they bring it to me, and try to hide what they did. I have seem customer's complain about srs lights after they had aftermarket leather seats installed... or they will wire is some alarm system and wonder why their battery dies. The most common thing I see.... and I don't understand how it happens, is COINS IN THE CD PLAYER!!! Somehow with little kids in the van/car.... they put coins in the cd player and it shorts things out. Sometimes the audio unit, sometimes the lighting or navi system. The the customer can't understand why it's not covered by warranty. Why??? Excuse me ma'am... Honda did not design the cd player to hold coins!!!!! Some customers just don't get it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Heat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Out of curiosity, did you find out what the person topped his brake fluid off with? And what was his reaction when told about the damage?

“Well, I’ve got some good news and bad news. The good news is that there’s nothing wrong with your transmission…”</TD></TR></TABLE>
The fluid in there had no smell so the best guess it was power steering. And when we told him about our "findings" he whined for a minute then he sucked up and payed for it. Didn't even bothor calling insurance. So that was his wordless confession.

 

the moral is ifyou stupid enough to put in the wrong liquid you shouldnt be allowed to drive lol

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by aram005 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the moral is ifyou stupid enough to put in the wrong liquid you shouldnt be allowed to drive lol </TD></TR></TABLE>

To his credit the guy did try to work on it himself. Someone like him is a hell of a lot better than someone who goes 50k miles without an oil change (I know a few of them) or don't change the timing belt. Granted those people don't know better as he probably did but the point is he tried.......and crashed and burned.

The second point I have is that had he not tried we couldn't laugh at him hahaha!

Third do you dealorship guys keep any sort of unofficial hall of shame or anything for your stupid customers? I'd love to hear more great stories like these!!!