How to Refill Brake Fluid
Park the vehicle on a level surface and turn off the engine., Locate the brake fluid reservoir under the hood., Clean off the top and the cap before opening up the brake fluid reservoir to examine the fluid level., Proceed if the fluid is low or...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Park the vehicle on a level surface and turn off the engine.
Before proceeding, make sure that the vehicle is in park with the parking brake activated.
Though the risk of a free-rolling vehicle is almost insignificant for this procedure, it's better to be safe than sorry.
For manual transmission vehicles, put the car in first gear and apply the parking brake. -
Step 2: Locate the brake fluid reservoir under the hood.
After turning off the vehicle, pop the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir.
This is usually small, pale in color (with a dark-colored cap) and mounted in the top driver's side corner of the engine bay.
The brake fluid reservoir is attached to the brake master cylinder — from the outside, this looks like a small metal block or tube near the back of the engine.
Note that most brake fluid reservoirs will have instructions printed on top of the cap.
When it comes to refilling your brake fluid, defer to these instructions.
This article is written for generalized cases and may not be perfectly accurate for every vehicle, but your manufacturer's instructions should be accurate for yours. , Ensure that additional fluid is needed before proceeding — most brake fluid reservoirs should have marked "minimum" and "maximum" lines.
Some newer vehicles are built so that the brake fluid level can be monitored while the reservoir remains sealed.
In this case, you only need to read the fluid level marks on the outside of the tank. , If the brake fluid is lower than the indicated "min" or "add" line, it's time to add additional fluid.
You may also want to have your brakes checked — a drop in brake fluid level can be a sign of problems with the brake system as a whole, like worn pads.Another detail to look for is the color of the fluid.
When brake fluid is fresh, it's clear with a yellowish tint.
With use, brake fluid can gradually grow darker as it accumulates impurities.
If your brake fluid is brown or black, simply adding new fluid is not enough — you'll need to drain the old fluid and replace it.This is a good sign that it is time to have the brake fluid system flushed, you should add fluid as needed to bring the system up to the full level.
If there's enough brake fluid in the reservoir and it's not discolored, you may not need to do anything unless your vehicle is scheduled for maintenance.
In this case, simply record the date of your inspection for future reference. -
Step 3: Clean off the top and the cap before opening up the brake fluid reservoir to examine the fluid level.
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Step 4: Proceed if the fluid is low or discolored.
Detailed Guide
Before proceeding, make sure that the vehicle is in park with the parking brake activated.
Though the risk of a free-rolling vehicle is almost insignificant for this procedure, it's better to be safe than sorry.
For manual transmission vehicles, put the car in first gear and apply the parking brake.
After turning off the vehicle, pop the hood and locate the brake fluid reservoir.
This is usually small, pale in color (with a dark-colored cap) and mounted in the top driver's side corner of the engine bay.
The brake fluid reservoir is attached to the brake master cylinder — from the outside, this looks like a small metal block or tube near the back of the engine.
Note that most brake fluid reservoirs will have instructions printed on top of the cap.
When it comes to refilling your brake fluid, defer to these instructions.
This article is written for generalized cases and may not be perfectly accurate for every vehicle, but your manufacturer's instructions should be accurate for yours. , Ensure that additional fluid is needed before proceeding — most brake fluid reservoirs should have marked "minimum" and "maximum" lines.
Some newer vehicles are built so that the brake fluid level can be monitored while the reservoir remains sealed.
In this case, you only need to read the fluid level marks on the outside of the tank. , If the brake fluid is lower than the indicated "min" or "add" line, it's time to add additional fluid.
You may also want to have your brakes checked — a drop in brake fluid level can be a sign of problems with the brake system as a whole, like worn pads.Another detail to look for is the color of the fluid.
When brake fluid is fresh, it's clear with a yellowish tint.
With use, brake fluid can gradually grow darker as it accumulates impurities.
If your brake fluid is brown or black, simply adding new fluid is not enough — you'll need to drain the old fluid and replace it.This is a good sign that it is time to have the brake fluid system flushed, you should add fluid as needed to bring the system up to the full level.
If there's enough brake fluid in the reservoir and it's not discolored, you may not need to do anything unless your vehicle is scheduled for maintenance.
In this case, simply record the date of your inspection for future reference.
About the Author
Natalie Gutierrez
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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