I recently switched from DOT 3 to DOT 4 brake fluid in 2005 Civic. I've had no issues with the DOT 3 fluid except when we take trips to this one particular mountain and when coming down the mountain. After getting up near 10,000 ft and driving down to about 2000 ft about sea level, tapping the brakes around the corners and every now and then to slow up, resulted in brake fade where my brakes are pretty much useless or reduced capability. I ended up usually putting the car in low gear and rev up real high going down the mountain since the brakes typically fail near the bottom of the mountain.

Now that I have a higher boiling point fluid I plan on trying the car again on the mountain and see if it works better. Has anyone had similar experiences such as this?

 

It sounds like it's not an issue with fluid boiling, sounds like the pads and rotors have overheated and you have a mechanical fade. The brakes may be dragging causing excess heat. The rotors may be too thin not holding enough heat. Might be the a pad material defect, they aren't designed to work at whatever temp you reached.

 

Thanks.

I am using the stock rotors and Akebono ceramic brake pads. The rear brake pads are drums. Maybe having drums in the rear is part of the problem as I read drums can't handle heat.

 

8k is a big drop in elevation, that would smoke a lot of brakes.

I have run into this a time or two in the blue ridge mountains which is much less elevation change maybe make 4k max, it is easy to cook the brakes going down hill for an extended period of time

 

I had the same experience coming down from Mt. Pisgah in NC. If finally took 300mm rotors and NSX calipers to get the brakes where I wanted them.

 

ATE 200 and an upgrade to the 10.2" fronts and I havent run into the issue the last few trips,even with a trip to deals gap and run across the tail of the dragon

 

I didn't have a problem at the tail of the dragon, but it was the ride from the Parkway down to Brevard that really heated the brakes. Even with 282mm rotors from an Odyssey.

 

Yeah you can do it on that drive, on 276, you should try going down 215 towards rosman from the parkway

Ps I went to Brevard College and lived up there for 5 years after, so many cool drives in that area

 

I have been down that drive to Rosman a lot. When I want to get out and hike some I go to Black Balsam. And there is a drive from Caesar's Head to Hwy.11 that people would sometimes use very late at night for sporting purposes.

I know that area well, Especially Brevard and Asheville. It's one of the few areas around here that lets me see just how good my brakes and suspension are.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one having the issue.

Actually it is less impressive than I originally mentioned and about 9900 feet at the upper parking lot and circles or zig zags down to 5300ft above sea level at the town of Baker, NV at base of the mountain (Great Basin National Park). I've experienced the issue even going from the lower campground at about 7500ft to 5300 ft. I'm gonna adjust my rear drums and test it out in a week or so.