There is a very good reason for standard brake fluids in cars as with many other things on cars and other vehicles - it cheap for the vehicle manufacturers to buy and use, it also creates an aftersales servicing item and stock which brings in work for the Dealerships and parts sales.

 

Many years ago someone told me how much a car cost then in factory costs parts and it was a very surprising low amount, of course there's much more to the car than that, R&D, and all the other costs, profit, dividends and rocketing executive salary packages.

 

If you think about it cars have a very slow and stunted development, in part from American interest in the 1960s onwards, hence we had catalytic converts rather than the lean burn engine from Japan (Pearl Harbour was still fresh in the 70s too).  The internal combustion engine is ancient technology that has towards this century had tweaks and enhancements like an aging film star and bits of computer technology added to squeeze the last drops out of it (or cheat laws and regulations).  In the 1960s I am sure there was stuff about electric cars being the future and other developments but in America at least they were happy with inefficient large 1950s V8 engines drinking gas and oil as it was so cheap to them and if they wanted more there was always other countries they could go to.

 

Back to brakes, with old brake seals it is possibly for them to leak with whatever type of fluid you use but I have found leaks are more with new made old car parts, especially the period of p1ss-poor rubbish rubber from China, new 1/4" fuel hose could leak and or crack after a few weeks use, steering gaiters and boots cracked after first winter use, I was lucky with brake slave (wheel) cylinders as they lasted about two years, master cylinders perhaps a couple of years.

 

I also asked my mate about the slightly spongy feel some got when using silicone DoT 5 as it was a popular add-on sales for brake pipe kits sales for old cars and he said the pedal feel on his car was fine and always had been.  I think possibly the pedal feel might be down to not properly fully bleeding the brake - bear that in mind.  Many owners and very many professionals lack the time and patience to often do a job thoroughly and also some think it clever to done the job quickly boasting about how quick they can do the job which is fine if they do the job fully and properly which is thoroughly.  Someone inexperienced can often do a better job than an experienced person or professional just by taking their time and having the patience to do the job thoroughly.

 

BTW some old cars in the UK are called "classics" but there is no such thing they are just old cars that are over-valued and over-priced with the value and price based on what is fashionable at the time and some snobbery, (nothing to do with rarity either) I can say this as I have owned enough on them and spent a small fortune (well for me anyway) on them.

 

@ludvig @nta16 According to this Wiki there is no such thing as "DOT 8" brake fluid. If you have evidence to the contrary, please supply photos and/or web pages.

11 hours ago, ludvig said:

I always found brake fluid (dot 4) to be stupid, why would you ever use anything that absorbs water

 

You can use Dot 5.1 and change it after 2-3 years.

There are quality Dot 4 with high boiling point.

 

Your antifreeze now is G11 or G12?

 

Edited 22 February, 20251 yr by D.FYLAKTOS

1 hour ago, Paws4Thot said:

there is no such thing as "DOT 8" brake fluid

 

Never heard of it but i have found this

 

https://www.nikav.gr/index.php/en/oils/brake-fluid-dot-8-205-ltr-detail?tmpl=component&format=pdf

 

Use in Forklifts although beneath in the description says DOT 3.

3 hours ago, Paws4Thot said:

there is no such thing as "DOT 8" brake fluid

No there's not, you had me looking for my typo but as far as I can see ludvig and I have both put DoT 5, is yours a typo, or has your keyboard been taken over as you sound a bit like someone else with that post. 😉

 

2 hours ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

 

Never heard of it but i have found this

 

https://www.nikav.gr/index.php/en/oils/brake-fluid-dot-8-205-ltr-detail?tmpl=component&format=pdf

 

Use in Forklifts although beneath in the description says DOT 3.

403 - Forbidden resource.

15 hours ago, nta16 said:

an older chap in his 70s with a 1940s/50s car put how when he was flushing the brake system found a mix of DoT3 and Dot 8 in the system

There you are.

Found it now thanks and edited, done cross through to show mistake, as I put as far as I could see before but I didn't look hard enough and missed it.  You are sounding a bit like someone else with the posts though, you've read enough of my posts to know I make loads of typos and other errors and that's what it's likely to be, I wasn't trying to trying to get ludvig looking for some mysterious brake fluid, just another typo of mine. 🙂    I understand the correction and need for it but you could have perhaps just put something like I must be on fantasy island if I mean Dot 8 and not DoT 5 instead of asking for non-existent proof, I get enough of that from the troll on things I 'm correct about.  As ludvig put about LHM I think (don't know of course) that he would have took it as meaning DoT 5 and not DoT 8, if not I apologise to him.

 

I assume, but don't know as I got a 403 from the link too, that D.FYLAKTOS's link is/to a typo too.  Have a look at this link for DoT 8, I gave up after 5 pages looking for a DoT 8, I take it as the site's search facilities take the DoT and 8 for the the search rather than connected DoT and 8, obviously I don't know about D's link but assume (always dangerous) that's the same sort of thing. - https://www.autodoc.co.uk/s/dot-8-brake-fluid

 

Edited 22 February, 20251 yr by nta16

40 minutes ago, Paws4Thot said:

403 - Forbidden resource.

 

https://www.mpmoil.com/?language=el

 

 

 

17 minutes ago, nta16 said:

DoT 5

I understood it was a typo and understood you meant dot 5 😁.

 

4 hours ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

Your antifreeze now is G11 or G12?

I'm not using original coolant I'm using valvoline hd extended life coolant as it was what I had on hand.

3 minutes ago, ludvig said:

valvoline hd extended life coolant

 

https://sharena21.springcm.com/Public/Document/18452/3c6076d1-d2db-e811-9c1b-ac162d889bd1/5769e2c8-e8f4-e811-9c1b-ac162d889bd1

 

 

31 minutes ago, ludvig said:

I'm not using original coolant I'm using valvoline hd extended life coolant as it was what I had on hand.

Whilst that should be fine on an old vehicle new to you where you have no real idea of its history and the existing coolant looks quite bad it would be best to thoroughly drain, flush, back-flush with clean water then cleaner in, drain, flush, back-flush as required with clean water and drain.  All done thoroughly on engine (drain and clean from engine block drain), matrix (via hoses if difficult to remove matrix) and radiator and hoses, water pump and stat as much as possible.  At each drain there can be considerable residue left in the system if not thorough, and even if you removed most items there would still be some residue at each stage be it old coolant, muck, crud debris, globs of old mixed coolants, cleaner, clean water.  The aim is to reduce the previous residue so that the end coolant is at as much fill quantity as it can be so it and its effects are less diluted and the heating/cleaning system is as clean as it can reasonably be doing this method.

 

The pick-up's cooling might be fine but it's not really tested at this time of year come hot summer going up a steep hill perhaps well loaded you want the cooling system to be working as well as it can or should.  As a really thorough clean and flush of the system involves water I would wait until a warm spring day to do it.  If you do a good job the first time then hopefully futire coolant changes will be a quicker, drain, flush and refill.  You will be surprised how much more muck you might get out on the following drain and flush after the pick-up has been driven a while with plenty of road use heat cycles done to perhaps loosen more off and move it around.

 

I had a mate accidentally pick up a wrong container and put (I think an undiluted) wheel cleaner in his cooling system of his "classic" he was lucky as it was an old well built over-engineered car (Rover P5B, with a second heater matrix and fan for rear passengers) and the system got a good internal clean and no known problems later from this.  He also switched to DoT 5 but I can't remember the details of the change to DoT 5 and don't think I drove it when the DoT 5 was in.

 

@D.FYLAKTOS the mpm website must have someone with the same typing skills and eyesight as me. 😆

 

As I often put always check and cross reference any information you get from any source, particularly the internet, even manufacturers websites and databases there are errors and omissions everywhere, with the amalgamation of companies, databases and catalogues the errors and omissions are copied and often added to then with computers and websites multiplied, what was correct can be lost.

 

I've driven it a few times now today and it seems to be working quite well, it's keeping cool and also heating up quickly. So the new thermostat seems to work fine, and the hose that was leaking earlier is also keeping itself sealed which is good.

 

I'll probably change coolant again when I change the oil next time because of all the dirt there was in the old coolant, I did try to flush it out when I changed coolant but I didn't really notice much residue coming out and the water I flushed with looked very clean, so hopefully it got most of it out when I drained the old coolant.

Edited 22 February, 20251 yr by ludvig

16 minutes ago, ludvig said:

I'll probably change coolant again when I change the oil next time because of all the dirt there was in the old coolant,

 

On 07/06/2024 at 10:47, D.FYLAKTOS said:

Bye-bye G11, after 24 years we ''divorced".

 

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/522126-three-g11-coolant-mixtures-boiling-cooling-time-comparison/page/3/#findComment-5857969

 

after using this coolant flush

 

https://c.scdn.gr/images/sku_main_images/013615/13615956/20220114171637_wynn_s_radiator_flush_325ml.jpeg

 

and after add a G12 antifreeze which is one click better than G11.

 

@ludvig all good stuff but was you able to drain and flush through the engine block block, preferably in isolation, same for radiator and then back-flushing and forward flushing the system or engine block, rad and matrix can clear out more.  Perhaps your cooling system is quite clear and clean but D.FYLAKTOS knows some of the limitations of a just a standard drain and flush.

 

Use the pick-up and do staged 60/120,000 km service, checks and maintenance as soon as practical and you will starting with a better and reassuring foundation of ownership experience.  Many have been told and expect the vehicles to be slow, poor braking and handling because they are old and used and accept them this way but often these expectations are far too low  and the vehicles are not as good as they could or should be.  Yes the braking may be different from newer vehicles but they were designed to be used and meet the standards of the time,  which have not changed that much, and yes some were better at meeting those standards than others but they be easily driveable in modern traffic without too much allowance made for their age, you are not driving something from the 1940s or 50s.

 

An owner of a different model here had put up with poor quality suspension because it was newly fitted before he bought the car to discover recently when he changed the suspension to what it should be the difference was like night and day and he wished he had done the work a lot sooner.  Also here this a lot on new as well as older vehicle when old tyres are changed to new.  I owned old ("classic") cars and been on bullet-in boards and forums for decades and have seen, heard and experienced the changes from old too-worn parts to new fresh good quality parts many, many times.  Note not all new and replacement parts are good quality, and some "upgrades" and "improvements are not that.

 

When you do the engine oil and filter change make that thorough, takes very little extra effort and time, have the oil hot or warm (with usual cations of course, and drain for as long as possibly to remove as much existing oil and muck as possible so that as much fresh new oil goes in  and its ratio to old residue oil and muck is as high as possible.  I add a small amount of new oil to the very end of the drain as a kind of mini-flush and let that fully drain.  It takes two oil changes to really get the fresh new oil in so consider two thorough oil changes in the first year of ownership.  If on drain the old oil is very dirty then other things can be considered on the old Škoda engines.

 

I always change my oil every year or every 10 000-15 000 km whichever comes first, and always drive it warm before I drain the oil. The old oil wasn't that good either, probably hadn't been changed for a while so I'm happy I changed it pretty much the first thing I did.

 

I didn't really find a drain plug on the block for the coolant so I didn't manage to drain through there sadly, but I needed to get the car working and it's working fine now actually a little bit better than before even I'd say.

 

But when I have the time I'll do a more thorough service, my biggest priority is probably brake fluid then power steering and transmission oil. I'll have to check up on wheel bearings and brakes, etc. as well when I'm at it but I've got a bit too many projects going on at once but hopefully I'll finish one of them soon.

4 hours ago, nta16 said:

you've read enough of my posts to know I make loads of typos and other errors and that's what it's likely to be, I wasn't trying to trying to get ludvig looking for some mysterious brake fluid, just another typo of mine. 🙂    I understand the correction and need for it but you could have perhaps just put something like I must be on fantasy island if I mean Dot 8 and not DoT 5

In this case, the only way I'd see "8" as a typo for "5" would be if I was looking at a matrix of numbers which might be entered with a numeric keypad when 8 is just above 5, rather than them being separated by 6 and 7.

 

Still, other than brake fluid DOT numbers stopping at 5 or 5.1, I think we can agree that LHM is only applicable to Citroens (and possibly a few Mercedes and/or Royces)?

1 hour ago, ludvig said:

I didn't really find a drain plug on the block for the coolant so I didn't manage to drain through there sadly,

In that case your later model might not have one so any drain of engine might be whatever drain there is or take off perhaps bottom rad hose and out top rad hose or matrix hose perhaps, I've no idea of the coolant passages.  Back-flush for engine might have to be from whatever suitable hoses there are to reverse flow through the engine, I'm sure you could sort this out.

 

1 hour ago, ludvig said:

my biggest priority is probably brake fluid then power steering

Yeap those two are good priorities.  Power steering reservoir and system with change of fluid is in threads and posts here, it will make an improvement, again if things are really dirty and fluid very old (original) then a follow up flush and refill can ensure all is fresh and clean as reasonably possible.

 

1 hour ago, ludvig said:

and transmission oil.

That is with the engine further down the priorities but worth doing in my experiences, usual hot long drain and perhaps a bit cleaning but only if required.

 

And without (hopefully) going into oil beliefs, for engine oil and transmission oil even though it's an old vehicle it doesn't mean you cannot take advantage of the improvements in oils over the last quarter century, in fact you benefit more from the improved oils plus the better quality synthetic engine oils (not all synthetic engine oils are equal) give even greater margins of protection for longer and in more extremes as well as reducing wear a bit perhaps.  A high quality synthetic oil can help if the engine gets hot or overheats because of say a coolant system fault or unexpected prolonged overstressed used of the engine.  For the small extra amount once a year on engine oil it is worth it and for say 10-15 years on transmission oil the extra is very little spread over that time but the additional protect could potentially save a lot of time, hassle and money.

 

With a year 2000 vehicle if it still has the original engine that was mainly from ŠKoda before VW took over then it is up to you but you don't have to follow VW's dictates on their specification numbers and over strictly to their oil weight range, a good quality oil is a good quality oil but many of them meet the VW numbers anyway (early stuff certainly as it was just another unnecessary specification for the Germans to have).

 

Blimey all this and we have not even got to electrics.  😄

 

Always have the battery terminal connections clean and secure and the battery in a good state of charge (and health) as this can save a lot of time, hassle and money (and help with engine starting and electrics diagnostics).

 

1 hour ago, Paws4Thot said:

"8" as a typo for "5" would be if I was looking at a matrix of numbers which might be entered with a numeric keypad when 8 is just above 5,

Yeap that's it.  I don't use a "smart" (they are not) device.

 

2 hours ago, Paws4Thot said:

I think we can agree that LHM is only applicable to Citroens (and possibly a few Mercedes and/or Royces)?

Yes, mostly. I was just using it as an example not as an idea I'm going to do to my car, that would need a lot of work. I've seen it be used on some tractors though however instead of brake fluid.

 

26 minutes ago, nta16 said:

That is with the engine further down the priorities but worth doing in my experiences, usual hot long drain and perhaps a bit cleaning but only if required.

Yep, I had a citroën previously where I thought hey ill change the transmission oil it's probably never been done and out came some white sludge because water had gotten into the transmission. I'm happy I did that.

28 minutes ago, nta16 said:

And without (hopefully) going into oil beliefs, for engine oil and transmission oil even though it's an old vehicle it

I usually buy synthetic oils. I usually don't use the original manufacturer's oil either I've got my place where I buy oil from so I use the same brand for all my vehicles. And for cars I've only got one oil for the engine and it is synthetic and should work fine for this one.

2 hours ago, ludvig said:

I didn't really find a drain plug on the block for the coolant so I didn't manage to drain through there sadly

 

It's very easy.

 

 

 

Is that the drain plug on the hose on the right side of the engine? I used that one to drain I meant a drain plug specifically on the engine block when I was talking about not finding a plug. I assume there isn't one.

It's on the pipe which in the end has a hose which ends on the radiator.

It's the best way to drain the coolant even when it's hot, no mess.

If you remove the hose which is on the radiator (low and right) then some coolant will get spilled on the protective metallic plate and later this will bring a bad smell on the cabin.

Just now, D.FYLAKTOS said:

It's on the pipe which in the end has a hose which ends on the radiator

Yep, that's where I drained the coolant.