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Brake Fluid question

6K views 33 replies 11 participants last post by  DSXMachina 
#1 ·
is there a special brake fluid to use in a 335I convertable
the dealer gave me a pint free last time I went in but I dont think one pint will flush the whole system, I was thinking about doing it this weekend. its a 2007 with 43,000 miles and I doubt is have been changed

Hondo
 
#8 ·
An outrage and a crime against mankind.

What, you haven't Googled an E93 Manual?

FINE.

I did it for you and it's right here on Bimmerfest.

I am very pleased to do this for you.....but there may come a day, it may be tomorrow or many years may pass....on that day, I will ask a favor in return, and you must do me this favor.

Never go against the family, hondo.
 
#11 ·
An outrage and a crime against mankind.

What, you haven't Googled an E93 Manual?

FINE.

I did it for you and it's right here on Bimmerfest.

I am very pleased to do this for you.....but there may come a day, it may be tomorrow or many years may pass....on that day, I will ask a favor in return, and you must do me this favor.

Never go against the family, hondo.
Lets hope the favor is never the favor later asked in "The Godfather"! A very sad payback.
 
#6 · (Edited)
You want to use a DOT4 brake fluid. Do NOT use DOT5, it is incompatible with your system unless scupulously flushed first. You could use DOT3 but DOT 4 gives you a higher boiling point which is very good given it's a 335.
Get at least two pints, you'll need them for a complete flush.
You can buy the stuff in quarts, that's cheaper and better in the long run as long as you keep the cap on tightly. BEFORE you start the job make sure you can loosen all your bleeder screws. You don't want to find out after starting the job you can't properly bleed because you've got a jammed bleeder. A little shot of penetrating oil on each one is always a good idea.
Buy any national brand as long as it says DOT4 on the label.
 
#28 · (Edited)
BEFORE you start the job make sure you can loosen all your bleeder screws. You don't want to find out after starting the job you can't properly bleed because you've got a jammed bleeder. A little shot of penetrating oil on each one is always a good idea.
Some very good advice! I'm sorry to say that I learned this the hard way. Fortunately, it wasn't my car!

A new, fellow BMW CCA member just moved here from Pennsylvania after he graduated this past spring. He brought with him the E36 M3 that his uncle from Indiana had given him for a graduation present (he first rode in his uncle's car when he was 8 and credits that ride for his interest in BMWs!). In September he wanted to do an oil change and brake fluid flush, but had never done this before and didn't have hardly any tools, so I offered my garage and equipment and he brought the car over. I haven't worked on a Midwest car in over 25 years and I'd never worked on a car this old. The car had a lot of rust on the under body components. This was a learning experience for him so I did the right rear brake which went fine. He started on the left rear brake and couldn't get the bleeder screw loose and next thing I knew he broke it off! A call to a local German car dismantler located a used left rear caliper so we made a mad dash to the other side of San Diego County during rush hour to get there before they closed. We squirted the front bleeder screws with Liquid Wrench and had no problem with those. To add to his learning experience he not only learned how to change the oil and flush the brake fluid, he also learned how to replace a caliper in the process!
 
#7 ·
ATE TYP200 is what I use.
comes in steel quart containers.
about 16 bucks
 
#10 · (Edited)
You can't do better. Boiling point well over 500F. I use it and alternate with the same stuff with a blue tint, called Super Blue I think. That way you know for sure when all the old fluid is out -by the color change. Very easy for those who flush before each track session and don't usually deal with discolored ( dark amber) brake fluid.

Pentosin is another reliable brand if only the very best will do. Also available in steel quarts. And gallons.

EDIT: Good call Cal, that's the stuff. Super Blue it is. Didn't see your post until after I put up mine.
 
#13 ·
Some complain that Super Blue ATE stains your reservoir. I just pressure bled my 335 E93 using Valvoline DOT 4 and the Super Blue didn't stain anything. You can see the color change to the honey color and the Bav Auto pressure bleeder worked excellent...
Very easy DIY...
 
#16 ·
well on Sat I flushed the brake system, purchased the brake fluid from BMW only 4 dollars a pint, so not too bad, took me about 1 hour and only 3 pints to fully flush, I have a mighty vac that pulls a vacuum and sucks the fluid out from each caliper. first thing I did was suck all the fluid from the master cylinder and then fill it up with new and then start at the right rear wheel, then left rear, right front and left front. they was a definate difference in color. Next maybe the power steering fluid

Hondo
 
#17 ·
Although I'm sure this got most of your fluid out, this is not the full procedure to bleed these cars. You need to use bmw software (There may be an alternative that I'm not aware of) To run the bleeding procedure. Basically what this does is cycle the fluid in the DSC control unit.
 
#20 ·
I believe the dsc computer module is attached to the abs pump itself. Anyways, so I don't become one of those guys that spreads false info, ill upload pics from the bentley manual. And hondo, I wouldn't worry about not doing this, I seriously doubt the dealer does it, hell, I'll be surprised if they don't just use a pump to just replace the fluid in the reservoir. Your procedure is more then enough imo.
 
#22 ·
thanks for the posting with the manual. I suck out all the old fluid in the master Cylinder first and replace it with new prior to start of bleeding all the wheels because I want to get ALL the old fluid out of the system. so by getting the old fluid out of the MC first and replacing with new it takes less time to purge the lines and Calipers

Hondo
 
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