I am getting ready to hit 50k on my '08 SS and wanted to see how many folks have had their brake fluid flushed. I know the clutch uses the same fluid so I thought that 50k would a good time to flush the system and get fresh fluid in but I wanted to see if anyone else has done this or has thoughts?

I plan on putting in Amsoil Series 600 DOT4 fluid.

 

Good call. I just got my girlfriends 06 (automatic) changed at 40k. Moisture builds in the fluid.

 

I haven't bothered to look, but can you easily get to the slave cylinder to flush it out? I know it's inside the bell housing, but is there an access cover?

 

I don't know how easy it is to flush, I am going to have my buddy hook it up to a flush machine.

But here is a how to on our brake/clutch bleeding process with some pics.

http://www.cobaltss.net/forums/how-g...system-164547/

 

Bleeding that slave is a PITA without a lift, I remember doing it after the clutch install on Cobalt in the driveway. Maybe it's cause I have larger hands.

 

The dealer, at least the local one here, has a strip they can dip in the master cylinder reservior, and from the color it turns, you can tell the condition of the fluid. Have had mine checked several times, so far no change indicated, according to the dealer.

 

I have a vacuum pump I use on the brakes. When I do a brake job I evacuate all of the old fluid out of the system as new is being drawn in.

 

Auto Parts (here) have these also.. sort of a "Litmus Test strip"

 

Doesn't the owners manual state that DOT3 be used? I'd be a bit leary of using anything other than that due to incompatibility with the seals etc..

Years ago I changed my clutch and brake fluid to DOT5 on a motorcycle, and after many miles encountered a very stiff clutch lever on a long trip away from home. It was almost impossible to pull in the lever. Luckily I was in a small town where I could grab some original spec brake fluid, and spent a couple hours swapping back to the original fluid, which restored the proper operation of the clutch hydraulics. And I did the brakes at the same time. So much for the supposid compatability of that bikes' use of DOT5.

I've also seen brake fluid start to get contaminated with little black flecks in it after changing to DOT5 or DOT4 - I gather they are parts of the incompatible seals starting to break down. That required a full rebuild all the way down to the calipers on the bike.

 

Dot 3 and Dot 4 are interchangeable but I wouldn't recommend mixing the two. Dot 4 just has a higher boiling point it's Dot5 that you can't mix with the other two because it contains silicone. I am going to upgrade to Dot 4 when I flush my system so if I want to drive a little more spirited I don;t have to worry about boiling the fluid.