ray356•2d ago

TIL the hard way that cheap brake fluid can ruin your master cylinder

I learned this lesson about two months ago working on a buddy's 2005 Honda Civic in my driveway. He brought over a bottle of generic brake fluid he grabbed at a discount auto parts store for like 8 bucks. I figured brake fluid is brake fluid, right? After we finished the bleed and he drove it for a week, the pedal started going soft. Turned out the fluid had a lower boiling point and absorbed moisture way faster than the good stuff, causing internal corrosion in the master cylinder. I ended up having to replace the whole thing for 120 bucks and another afternoon of work. It saved him maybe 15 bucks upfront and cost way more in parts and time. Has anyone else run into trouble with off brand hydraulic fluids like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

williams.sage2d ago

Discount auto parts store for like 8 bucks" lmao yeah that's a classic mistake, I did the same thing with my truck.

spencer9812d ago

Did you at least get it to work for a little while before it quit on you? I tried the same thing with a windshield wiper motor and had to replace it again three months later.

murray.jana17h ago

My buddy bought one from there and it caught fire on the highway, @spencer981.