Any DOT4 fluid is fine if you are not tracking the car....
Get that SOB bleed....the fluid is spent...
You are lucky it did not make the seals in the caliper gummy and let them leak, or worse yet corrode , then tear the sesls... Or have the abs/DSC/asc pump fail...
Keep it bleed every 2 years...things can get $$ if you don't...
I had the Stop Tech pads I did get a little fade but my complaint was the lack of initial bit. I changed to Akebono pads and they are great.
Now the other thing. I found that my brake lines were deteriorating. I didn't notice it until I flush the fluid. I had a thin dark stream in the fluid while bleeding. I changed the to the Stop Tech breaded steel lines and bled the system again. The dark stream was gone. My car only has 39k mi but it is 10 years old.
You may not have to go with the breaded steel lines. But new lines could be a good idea. That and a fluid flush.
I just did this - fluid, SS lines. Highly recommend one of these Motive bleeders when flushing fluid. Super easy. So easy I felt like brake flushing all my cars. Like a brake flushing party man.
Thanks guys. I was thinking flush and lines myself but I wanted to see others opinions. I never had the system open therefore I never bled it and as far as I know, everything is original, so the lines/fluid/everything is now 12 years old and 146k on it. there's no shame for it.
While I never used my car on the dragon....
I can say the akebonoo's were good as long as they were used hard REGULARLY....
I went about 2000 miles of very gentle braking due to tons of snow....and they felt like crap when the roads cleared till I basically burnt them in again.....
My guess is while they are dustless, light use might reduce their bite....so if you regularly use them hard, they stop good and are dustless!!
How old is your brake fluid? Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time which lowers the fluids boiling point. This can lead to all sorts of fun! Replace your fluid, bed the pads in again & I think you'll be good to go.
I doubt it is your rubber brake lines, but getting a set of SS ones on might not be a bad idea. Now is the time since you are going to change the fluid.
Start with a good fluid flush, and double-check your installation (make sure the pads are moving in the carriers). If you still are having problems, I would switch to the Hawk HPS pads. I'd have to respectfully disagree with the Akebono suggestion: I've found them to perform poorly with soft bite.
Your brake system is not sealed so it doesn't mater if you've never opened it. Moisture gets in. Besides lowering the boiling point the moisture gravitates to the lowest part of the system, the calipers. So beside boiling the fluid you can rust the pistons in the calipers.
I've used ATE & StopTech fluid. If you are not tracking ATE should be fine. Lots of good fluids out there.
On further inspection the rear calipers have been replaced. The fronts appear to have not been. This coming week I will get the old out and in with the new. So no silicone fluid?
I installed Stoptech drilled and slotted rotors, pads, and SS lines last fall. Flushed and bled the system before taking it out and bedding the pads and rotors. No problems with fade since then. I used a Motive Products Power Bleeder and Pentosin DOT4.
Like x 5
