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Hello Everyone,
I am driving a Suzuki Swift Sport 2007 (ZC31S), but i am facing this constant dirty brake fluid issue that till date i am unable to solve. Have purchase this car 2nd hand about 6 months ago, and i think i have done more than 6-7 complete brake fluid flush with bleeding tools and 1 liter of brake fluid (properly done by mechanics).
Till date i have changed:
Mini 6 Pot Big Brake Kit (Brought in and rebrand by my local workshop, Made in Taiwan)
Stainless Steel Brake Hose (Project Mu)
Original Suzuki Clutch Pump Master + Slave
Original Suzuki Master Brake Cylinder
*Note all items above are brand newAs you can see i have pretty much changed everything, except the lines and ABS pump. My mechanic have put in a brake fluid tester in my 1 month old brake fluid and the tester is showing critical condition and need immediate change.
I have this white flake substance in the fluid, and i have googled and understand that this is the cause of water / moisture in the system. Also confirmed in the above brake tester.
I have no leak in my system. Fluid do not drop over time, i am really puzzle and lost on what to do next. I have absolutely no clue how moisture get in when there is no leak in the system?
Can any kind soul / eric / mechanic help me out here 🙁 My local mechanic are pretty much out of ideas too..
Thank you everyone for reading!
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Kindly take a look at the attachments to see my 2 months old brake fluid. Its a bit greenish (water contamination?) in color and accompanied with white flake / substance.
But after i changed my Master Brake Cylinder, Clutch Master / Slave pump, i am still seeing yellowish brake fluid color but accompanied with white flake. *Note the with flake / substance will increase over time 🙁
are you getting any check lights or codes? how long did the car sit before you purchased it? There is definitely a moisture issue.
Maybe you could run abs motor for bleeding it. Sometimes there is factory way of doing it designed for when system is originally filled.
Another possibility may be that abs motor is bad and contamination is parts from it. But if this is the cause then running the motor will probably break it and you will know it.
[quote=”bustedbolts” post=88988]are you getting any check lights or codes? how long did the car sit before you purchased it? There is definitely a moisture issue.[/quote]
Hi there 🙂
Erm no check light / brake light / ABS light tho. Car only sit in the dealer for a couple of days. Any places i can look for to check where moisture can enter the system?
ABS are also tested working by mechanic too.
Also my car did have a frontal collision before tho, subframe, radiator, bonnet, 1 * headlight have been replaced and restored tho. Chassis are in good shape and lazer checked too.
From all you have said it sounds like your trouble is in the Abs pump or Canister. With out actually having the car here it is hard to say but this would be my best guess.
[quote=”valde” post=88989]Maybe you could run abs motor for bleeding it. Sometimes there is factory way of doing it designed for when system is originally filled.
Another possibility may be that abs motor is bad and contamination is parts from it. But if this is the cause then running the motor will probably break it and you will know it.[/quote]
Hmm i read that for my car i have to go back to the authorized dealer (Suzuki) to get them to activate the abs motor using their OBD computer.
Unforturnately my car was directly imported from Japan and i am unable to go back to my local authorized dealer.
Btw any other way to activate the ABS so i can flush it?
On the side note the mechanic did activate the abs by doing an e-brake (to test whether its working), nothing weird came out on Master Brake Cylinder tho.
Kindly take a look at attach to see what weird stuff came out from my Master Cylinder 🙁 *Note this happened on my previous pump, hence the reason why i replace my Master pump and clutch pump completely.
http://www.diagnostic-world.com/pages/Launch_2013_Diagnostic_Code_Reader this is a link where you can get the tool to check and reset your abs codes.
[quote=”bustedbolts” post=88994]www.diagnostic-world.com/pages/Launch_2013_Diagnostic_Code_Reader this is a link where you can get the tool to check and reset your abs codes.[/quote]
Hmm i got no ABS light up tho. Sorry if i made any mistake in my previous post.
Honestly, it doesn’t look that bad to me. You could use litmus paper to check it’s acidity. I think there’s also testers that will show you the fluids boiling point. That said, it’s going to get dirty over time no matter what you do. Be sure that you’re not elevating your expectations in this situation. If you’re really concerned, check the boiling point, if it’s in spec it really doesn’t matter what the color of the fluid is.
Keep us posted.
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=89101]Honestly, it doesn’t look that bad to me. You could use litmus paper to check it’s acidity. I think there’s also testers that will show you the fluids boiling point. That said, it’s going to get dirty over time no matter what you do. Be sure that you’re not elevating your expectations in this situation. If you’re really concerned, check the boiling point, if it’s in spec it really doesn’t matter what the color of the fluid is.
Keep us posted.[/quote]
Litmus Paper is a great Idea …. I should have thought of that. Good call Eric.
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=89101]Honestly, it doesn’t look that bad to me. You could use litmus paper to check it’s acidity. I think there’s also testers that will show you the fluids boiling point. That said, it’s going to get dirty over time no matter what you do. Be sure that you’re not elevating your expectations in this situation. If you’re really concerned, check the boiling point, if it’s in spec it really doesn’t matter what the color of the fluid is.
Keep us posted.[/quote]
Hi Eric 🙂
Hmm i am actually pretty worried about the moisture in the system that would eat my seals / steel lines / caliper. Like college man have said, it may already been eating up my lines 🙁
Another thing i am worried is the water / moisture in the system will create air in my brake system and affect the safety?
Sorry if i ask, pretty new in mechanical / chem stuff 😛 But what should i look out for if there is acid in the brake system?
Also can i trouble you guys to clear some of my doubts below, whether it is true?:
1/ ABS pump will have some left over fluid even doing a full flush, Only way is to activate the ABS motor using computer and flush it out together with the rest of the fluid.
2/ Brake fluid in caliper / SSBH do not flow back to Master Cylinder? If that’s the case i can isolate lines / SSBH / caliper issue? And work on those in engine bay (ABS, Master Cylinder, Clutch Pump)?
Thanks everyone for the advice 🙂
It could something as simple as the lid on the reservoir not sealing. If the lid does not seal air is being pulled in or pushed out every time you use the brakes. Another possibility is that you have very porous brake hoses. Fluid doesn’t leak out but moisture from the air leaks in.
I bleed my brakes every 30K as part of routine maintenance. I was doing it this time at 90K when I realized I had never done the hydraulic clutch. To my pleasant surprise the first fluid that came out looked as good as the fluid I was adding. In other cars the fluid gets nasty and dirty like you describe. So, there has to be some difference in the parts used in the braking system. This makes me think hoses.
[quote=”barneyb” post=89268]It could something as simple as the lid on the reservoir not sealing. If the lid does not seal air is being pulled in or pushed out every time you use the brakes. Another possibility is that you have very porous brake hoses. Fluid doesn’t leak out but moisture from the air leaks in.[/quote]
I see i see, My previous cap are snug tight tho. This brand new cap are very very tight and require some effort to remove.
Hmm got some question, since i am using a Teflon SSBH i can say i am good on the brake portion? But as for the rubber hose connected between my master cylinder and clutch pump are 7 years old, can it be an issue?
Just some info that my mechanic said this to me, when he pull the fluid from the caliper everything seems clean. He mention the only parts are dirty are in the master cylinder, but he also pointed out that since he is using a pressure bleeder, the dirt could have diluted into the fluid and hence you can’t see any dirt.
*Note: My car are using a shared brake fluid cylinder for clutch and brake
Ordinarily, brake hoses will last the life of the car. Ordinarily, if the brakes are bled on a dry day and the fluid comes out of an previously unopened container you should be good to go. Maybe your mechanic is right, his equipment is the problem. Maybe it is time to watch one of Eric’s videos and start doing your own brake maintenance.
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