<VV> Dexron in brake system ??

[Paul Rollins]

At 12:39 PM 2/26/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2006 08:24:09 -0500
>From: "Gary Swiatowy" <mopar at jbcs2.net>
>Subject: <VV> Re:  Dexron in brake system ??
>To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
>
>OK, there has been much discussion about Dextron in the brake system.
>Years ago when I worked in a garage, and did state motor vehicle
>inspections. I cannot tell you how many cars we failed as part of the
>inspection was checking the level of the brake fluid, and when removing the
>cap found the cap seal was destroyed due to either motor oil or transmission
>fluid being put into the system.
>We would inform the car owner that the entire brake system had to have
>master cylinder and wheel cylinders (or calipers) replaced or rebuilt, and
>front and rear hoses replaced.
>We would have customers deny putting oil in there, have them claim it was
>somone else, and a few admitting just topping the cylinder off. so we
>wouldn't charge them for doing so.
>
>And we had even found over the years leaky wheel cylinders and swollen hoses
>due to someone saving a few pennies.
>
>DOT specifies certain fluids in the brake system, they do it for a reason,
>http://www.carcarecouncil.org/Brakes/brake_fluid.shtml
>
>If you use something other than what you should, I would be willing to bet
>that in the event of an accident investigation you would be found liable.
>
>Gary Swiatowy


 From mid-1969 on, in the US (earlier in more-advanced countries), Citroen 
used a mineral oil in it's ultra-sophisticated, central hydraulic system. 
This high-pressure system not only operated the suspension system, power 
steering, automatic clutch (in Citromatic cars), but also the braking 
system. Because of the limited availability of the specialized, 
mineral-based hydraulic fluid for these systems, many owners now use 
Dexron. From their experiences, it works well. Of course, the system was 
designed from the start for mineral-oil based hydraulic fluid, but it seems 
odd that no other car manufacturers tried this approach, earlier (For all I 
know, some may be using it now). One of the great features of the 
mineral-oil fluid is that it is not hygroscopic (doesn't absorb water), so 
it tends NOT to rust the braking-system components. Seems like a good 
feature to me. Also, the lubricity is very high.

Glycol-based hydraulic fluid seems so crude to still be used in 
automobiles. I realize that it has fairly-constant viscosity over a wide 
temperature range, but so do fluids like ATF (Dexron).

Paul