What's your favorite brake fluid?

I need a DOT3 brake fluid for the street, autocross, and light HPDE duty. What do you guys recommend?

Anything fresh.

I used to keep ATE Type 200 and Blue on the shelf. Now that the American people are too stupid to know that the blue is brake fluid, I only have the Type 200. I usually try to find a friend that needs a fluid flush when I'm ready to do mine so that the can gets used in one go.

Wilwood EXP 600 Plus

It's reasonably priced, available at some big box auto stores (IIRC Autozone or O'really) and works as well as any thing else that isn't silicone. 626F dry, 417F wet.

Motul RBF600

mistanfo wrote: I used to keep ATE Type 200 and Blue on the shelf. Now that the American people are too stupid to know that the blue is brake fluid, I only have the Type 200. I usually try to find a friend that needs a fluid flush when I'm ready to do mine so that the can gets used in one go.

this … and I have 2 cases of Blue

and for track work I'd recommend DOT 4 (the highest wet boiling point temp you can afford)

oh.. and stay away from DOT 5 …

I've had great luck with ATE Blue also. Reasonably priced and performance is good.

Valvoline DoT4 in the brakes, DoT5 in the clutch.

chknhwk wrote: I've had great luck with ATE Blue also. Reasonably priced and performance is good.

... and not available in the US anymore IIRC.

To be honest I have at one time or another used all of the brake fluids listed by others who posted before me and all worked as intended. I even used a generic brand of brake fluid and if I changed it often it worked fine on my light race car that I had at the time. The bottom line is, just go with the advise of the first person to reply to your question and you'll be OK!

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Wilwood EXP 600 Plus

Wilwood is good stuff. I've used the regular 575 for years. Cheap and easy to find. Also comes in small containers, so you don't need to crack open and contaminate a whole liter just to top off the reservoir with 100mL.

I've tried some supposedly higher-end fluids, including Amsoil Series 600, Castrol SRF, and Prospeed RS683. Can't honestly say they were substantially better than a $7 bottle of Wilwood. Maybe it's my imagination, but Castrol SRF seemed to offer better pedal feel and Prospeed seemed to last forever. How much of that is just placebo effect I couldn't say.

DaveEstey wrote: Motul RBF600

mistanfo wrote: ATE Type 200 and Blue

I've had bad experiences with both of these. Ate Typ200/Superblue is the only brake fluid I've consistently boiled on the track. And that blue dye stains everything. I hate it. As for Motul RBF600, it seems to promote corrosion in the calipers/lines far more quickly than any other fluid. You've got to flush it constantly. Not worth the effort IMNSHO.

BoxheadTim wrote:

chknhwk wrote: I've had great luck with ATE Blue also. Reasonably priced and performance is good.

... and not available in the US anymore IIRC.

depends on who you ask … like I said, I have 2 cases … more than I'll ever use, since I swap back and forth between it and the amber (reasonably priced )

ATE Type 200 (anymore) in all the "regular" cars. Motul 600 in the M3 and the Radical.

I use ATE Blue just because it makes people crazy when you post a picture of it online these days. I could put up a picture of a nuclear-powered brake booster and the first comment would be about the blue fluid.

I switch between super blue and the ATE 200 (essentially the same stuff) so it's easy to see new fluid when you flush the brakes.

jimbbski wrote: To be honest I have at one time or another used all of the brake fluids listed by others who posted before me and all worked as intended. I even used a generic brand of brake fluid and if I changed it often it worked fine on my light race car that I had at the time. The bottom line is, just go with the advise of the first person to reply to your question and you'll be OK!

This is more the truth than most realize. I have 1st hand witnessed Valvoline DOT4 off the shelf fluid, fresh out the bottle get cooked in one 30 minute session. And the next 30 minute session the ATE Super Blue/Type 200 held up perfectly. Great info for full on race cars with OEM brake systmes that are being pushed beyond their intended use. But what do I run in everything I own, except my 73 Celica track car???? Wynn Brake fluid because I get it for practically free at work. I change my fluid at least every two years, but more often once or twice a year. I've never had any issues with cooking, boiling, seized calipers, bad masters, or the like. (That's 14 years of the same cars and well over 300,000 miles.)

Just keep it fresh, keep it clean. DOT4 can be used in DOT3 systems. DOT3 should not be run in DOT4 systems, not that it won't work, but that according to the manufacturer the DOT4 is required to maintain factory performance. Pretty much as often as you have to replace brake fluid, just run DOT4. The only difference is the standards that the fluids are required to meet. DOT4 has higher standards than DOT3

Valvoline Dot 3 in everything except the BMW, because it calls for Dot 4. The fluid gets changed when the pads do.

Had excellent luck with the Valvoline brake fluid here as well.

I've used ATE blue (which is the same as the amber fluid) in motorcycles and track cars. I suspect if people are having a problem with it they likely aren't using proper track pads.

Uhhhh, brake fluid.

I have really never had to use anything more then the normal stuff on the shelf at the parts store. I just keep it clean and dry.

If it's for the street, anything fresh...really once a brake fluid doesn't boil too easily I'm fine with it. If you have that problem move up to DOT4 or DOT5.1

Toyman01 wrote: Valvoline Dot 3 in everything except the BMW, because it calls for Dot 4. The fluid gets changed when the pads do.

if I did that with the CRX it would get changed after each track weekend … usually I flush the entire system once a yr.

when I change pads, I crack the bleeder valve as I squeeze the piston back. this allows the "used" fluid to leave the system … since I don't think I've been boiling the fluid, what I figure I've done is gotten rid of the fluid that has had the most abuse ….

wbjones wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: Valvoline Dot 3 in everything except the BMW, because it calls for Dot 4. The fluid gets changed when the pads do.

if I did that with the CRX it would get changed after each track weekend … usually I flush the entire system once a yr. when I change pads, I crack the bleeder valve as I squeeze the piston back. this allows the "used" fluid to leave the system … since I don't think I've been boiling the fluid, what I figure I've done is gotten rid of the fluid that has had the most abuse ….

We run the same thing in the Civic at Lemons. We bleed Saturday night and have never had a problem with heat. The Civic is slow enough to not need a lot of braking. Even the pads will last 2 races.

wbjones wrote:

BoxheadTim wrote:

chknhwk wrote: I've had great luck with ATE Blue also. Reasonably priced and performance is good.

... and not available in the US anymore IIRC.

depends on who you ask … like I said, I have 2 cases … more than I'll ever use, since I swap back and forth between it and the amber (reasonably priced )

I think its back, just without the "DOT-4" markings......

I prefer ATE or Motul myself.

Anything with out water in it. When I was racing it got changed once a month using a Gunson Ez-Bleed I got 20+ years ago from SeVen Ent