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02-28-2011 10:07 PM #1
- Location
- Sundance Mesa, NM, United States
Member No: 4328
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Brake fluid tester? Any of you ever use one? (m)
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03-01-2011 12:50 AM #2
- Location
- Ooltewah, TN, United States
Member No: 119706
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- Jan 2005
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I haven't, but it sounds like a great idea. The
only thing is if you measure the moisture percentage in the reservoir and it shows ok, what about the fluid in the lines and the caliper. That part might have more moisture in it. Either way, cool tool.
1998 BMW 540i 6 speed
Arctic silver, M sport suspension (euro delivery), prod. date 05/98, non VANOS
Staggered 18" style 32 OEM wheels
3.15 open differential
Remus exhaust
AFE CAI with improved heat shield
Z3 shifter
VDO oil pressure and temperature gauges in place of headlight/fog switches
Powder coated valve covers-satin black
CDV delete
Debadged
AEA DRL module (aftermarket daytime running lights)
1997 BMW 528iA
Alpine white, premium package, prod. date 04/97, single VANOS
Staggered 17" style 32 OEM wheels
Debadged
AEA DRL module
Custom made sun blinds for rear seating area
2000 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner, AKA "The Work Horse"
Garage aids:
Direct Lift Pro Park 8
Campbell Hausfeld 28 gallon oil lubricated air compressor
Newair ACP-1400H portable air conditioner and heater
Auto Enginuity scan tool with BMW enhanced option
Actron 9135 scan tool-for quick readouts
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03-01-2011 06:19 AM #3
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03-01-2011 01:26 PM #4
(shaking head back and forth)
haaaaaaaaaa
K-Bud ([email protected])
Baltimore, MD
Join the BMW E39 / 5 Series Group here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=347966936053
99' BMW E39 540iA Sp. (Prod. 11/98)
Titanium Silver/Black
06' Range Rover HSE (Prod. 6/22/05)
Giverny Green/Aspen-Aspen-Ivory
04' Lexus GX470 (Prod. 10/03)
Ash Blue Mica/Dark Gray
Roadfly Member #71563 est. 06/03
BMWCCA Member #312125 est. 04/03
****Disclaimer: Down the page alot farther after all the absurd amount of pictures & vids I've posted of my current rides you'll find the "mods" for my BMW****
Da Boy's Ride
Mods to Date:
DINAN Stage II, DINAN Tranny SW, DINAN Fr. Strut Bar, RevHigh CAI w/ PC'd Gunmetal Metallic Pipe, Breyton Fr. Lip Spoiler, Fr. Lip RaceMesh Grill 5/8" PC'd Black, Hella Celis Clear Rears, Clear Fronts, Clear Sides, 19" RDSport S4's w/ Gunmetal Metallic PC'd Centers 19x9 et18 Fr. & 19x10 et20 Rr., Toyo T1R's 245/35 Fr. & 275/30 Rr., Eisenmann Sport Quad Exhaust w/Resonator Removed, McGard Wheel Locks, Rolled Rr. Fenders, ///M5 Rr. Wheel Liners, H&R Sp. Springs, Koni Adj. Sp. Struts, Energy Suspension Polyurethane Bushings, ///M5 Fr. Brakes w/ SS Lines, Brembo Rr. Brakes w/SS Lines, Axxis Deluxe Brake Pads, ///M5 Fr. & Rr. Swaybars, ///M5 Kidney Grills, ///M5 Brushed Gauge Rings, 2.25" Magnaflow High Flow Cats, ///M-Tech Rr. Bumper, ///M5 Trunk Lip Spoiler, ///M5 Style Side Mirrors ,DDE Xenon Match Angel Eyes, Xenon Match H7 Fog Bulbs, AC Schnitzer Alum. Pedals, Denso Iridium Plugs, In-Dash Business CD Player, Blk. Metallic Int. Trim, Brushed Alum. & Blk. Lthr. Shift Selector Knob, 35% Window Tint, Homelink UGDO, Trunk Storage Bin, Carbon Fiber Roundels, Black ///M Logo Oil Cap, Fr. Plate Delete, Black BMW Rr. Tag Holder, & Debadged
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03-01-2011 01:41 PM #5
Actually, the brake system is totally sealed from
the atmospher. The vent hole in the top of the M/C cap is to allow the rubber seal in the lid expand as the fluid is moved out of the resevior into the brake system. If the system was left open to the atmospher, it would absorb moisture out of the air at an incredible rate and we would not have brakes for long due to corrosion. Unfortunately, moisture does find its' way into the system everytime you open the lid to check the level.Fritracer
Cincinnati, OH
2000 540ia Sport Package 9/99 Silver/Black
1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 420 stroker w/6 Pak 430 HP,
510 lbft torque
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03-01-2011 02:10 PM #6
- Location
- Sundance Mesa, NM, United States
Member No: 4328
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K-Bud..if U don't start driving the 540 I'm giving
"Drive It Like You Stole It, A Sickness for Quickness"
The Bottle Rocket "King of Spray" 2 Stage Nitrous Oxide
Dare to be different and stand out among the crowd of me-to-cars!
No guts, no glory! Tire smoke, not traction control!
Zionsville all aluminum radiator to replace the 3 leak prone Nissens Radiators!
NOS Progressive 2 Stage Controller with port injection
Snow's Performance Methanol/Water Injection
Dinan downloads, VAC Under Drive Pulleys
Dinan Carbon Fiber CAI
Dinan Front Strut Bar
Electric Cooling Fan w/PWM controller
NGK Iridium Plugs
DDE Enhanced Angel Eyes, Smoked Lenses
Koni FSD's/H&R Springs, BAV Brass Caliper Bushings
Eisenmann Race Exhaust (from H8-Rain's car)
///M5 3.15 LSD
///M5 Sway Bars, Front & Rear
Energy Suspension Polyurethane Sway Bar Bushings
///M5 Gauge Cluster Rings ///M5 Lip Spoiler
///M5 Mirrors and Switches
Leather Z weighted shift knob (thanks H8-Rain)
Rogue “Octane” Short Shift kit w/WSR
Rogue Tranny Mounts
StopTech Brake Lines Front & Rear
Axxis Deluxe Plus pads Front & Rear
Staggered M Parallel 66, Xenons
Modified CDV, UGDO
Euro Storage Tray (thanks Zombywolf)
Redline in Diff and Tranny
Passport 8500 X50, Escort ZR3 Laser Jammer
G-Tech/Competition Pro Data Logger
Auto Enginuity OBD-II Scan Tool
25% Tint, X-Pel, LoJack
PIAA Driving Lights
35W Xenon backup bulbs
BMW CCA Member Boston Chapter
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03-01-2011 06:16 PM #7
None of my BMW's have such a rubber seal......
As I recall what you're describing was common on Ford and GM cars that had the cast iron reservoir built in to the MC. The corrugated rubber seal would follow the fluid level as it dropped as brakes wore. BMW reservoirs have to breathe to avoid creating a vacuum.
Paul S
BMW CCA 69606
'01 530iM Sport Premium
'00 528iM Sport Premium
'00 528iTM Sport Premium
'98 M3/4
'90 535iA
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03-02-2011 12:19 AM #8
O no way are we taking it now that gas is $8/litre
Or whatever measurement they use over there across the pond :)
K-Bud ([email protected])
Baltimore, MD
Join the BMW E39 / 5 Series Group here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=347966936053
99' BMW E39 540iA Sp. (Prod. 11/98)
Titanium Silver/Black
06' Range Rover HSE (Prod. 6/22/05)
Giverny Green/Aspen-Aspen-Ivory
04' Lexus GX470 (Prod. 10/03)
Ash Blue Mica/Dark Gray
Roadfly Member #71563 est. 06/03
BMWCCA Member #312125 est. 04/03
****Disclaimer: Down the page alot farther after all the absurd amount of pictures & vids I've posted of my current rides you'll find the "mods" for my BMW****
Da Boy's Ride
Mods to Date:
DINAN Stage II, DINAN Tranny SW, DINAN Fr. Strut Bar, RevHigh CAI w/ PC'd Gunmetal Metallic Pipe, Breyton Fr. Lip Spoiler, Fr. Lip RaceMesh Grill 5/8" PC'd Black, Hella Celis Clear Rears, Clear Fronts, Clear Sides, 19" RDSport S4's w/ Gunmetal Metallic PC'd Centers 19x9 et18 Fr. & 19x10 et20 Rr., Toyo T1R's 245/35 Fr. & 275/30 Rr., Eisenmann Sport Quad Exhaust w/Resonator Removed, McGard Wheel Locks, Rolled Rr. Fenders, ///M5 Rr. Wheel Liners, H&R Sp. Springs, Koni Adj. Sp. Struts, Energy Suspension Polyurethane Bushings, ///M5 Fr. Brakes w/ SS Lines, Brembo Rr. Brakes w/SS Lines, Axxis Deluxe Brake Pads, ///M5 Fr. & Rr. Swaybars, ///M5 Kidney Grills, ///M5 Brushed Gauge Rings, 2.25" Magnaflow High Flow Cats, ///M-Tech Rr. Bumper, ///M5 Trunk Lip Spoiler, ///M5 Style Side Mirrors ,DDE Xenon Match Angel Eyes, Xenon Match H7 Fog Bulbs, AC Schnitzer Alum. Pedals, Denso Iridium Plugs, In-Dash Business CD Player, Blk. Metallic Int. Trim, Brushed Alum. & Blk. Lthr. Shift Selector Knob, 35% Window Tint, Homelink UGDO, Trunk Storage Bin, Carbon Fiber Roundels, Black ///M Logo Oil Cap, Fr. Plate Delete, Black BMW Rr. Tag Holder, & Debadged
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03-02-2011 07:27 AM #9
- Location
- Sundance Mesa, NM, United States
Member No: 4328
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- Oct 2000
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My cap does have an inner rubber washer, however(m
That doesn't block the 2 vent holes for the cap. The hole are visible on the outside of the cap under where the connector housing meets the side of the cap.
I found that Summit Racing also sells this brake fluid tester for $25.
I should have it in a few days. My fluid is ~2 years old and ready to be changed. I'll check what's in the resevoir and what comes out of the calipers to see if there is any real difference.
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03-02-2011 01:39 PM #10
If you are changing fluids 1 to 2 X a year, Why
be concerned about it. I can see it's usefullness in possib;y testing ABS problems related to stuck components or maybe coroded pistons in the cALIPERS. I have only changed the Brake fluid 4 times in over 400,000 miles in the old VAN and only 2 times in the 540 and can never tel any difference.
Am I missing something here?
Michael
00 540 sport 6 spd 153K
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03-02-2011 04:57 PM #11
- Location
- San Jose, CA, United States
Member No: 21320
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- Dec 2001
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In The Olden Days, we NEVER changed brake >>
fluid. The only time it was replaced was when one or more cylinders began leaking, probably due to not changing the fluid, and the system was rebuilt, requirirng bleeding out the air.
Ed in San Jose. BMW CCA member since 1987 (Nr. 62319). Golden Gate Chapter. '97 540i 6 speed. Build Date 3/97. Aspensilber over Aubergine leather.
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03-02-2011 06:43 PM #12
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03-02-2011 07:43 PM #13
+1
This is similar to running chemical tests on your motor oil to see if you are changing it often enough. Such tests satisfy intellectual curiosity, but once you look at the results, you may never feel the need to do it again.
Of course, if you have a caliper seize up, as we did recently at 195k miles on our '98 E36, you do get that guilty feeling that you haven't been flushing the brake system frequently enough.
'03 525i Sapphire Blu/Grey, SP, Nav
'02 325it Orient Blu./Grey, SP, Nav
'98 323is Arctic Sil./Blk, SP
'95 M3 Cosmos Blk./Blk
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03-03-2011 01:00 PM #14
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