{"id":25277,"date":"2022-02-01T08:28:11","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T08:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/?p=25277"},"modified":"2024-11-13T20:32:55","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T20:32:55","slug":"brake-fluid-101-what-does-brake-fluid-do-what-is-the-difference-between-dot-3-vs-dot-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/technical-resources\/tech-tips\/brake-fluid-101-what-does-brake-fluid-do-what-is-the-difference-between-dot-3-vs-dot-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Brake Fluid 101:  What Does Brake Fluid Do? What is the Difference Between DOT 3 vs. DOT 4?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><section class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid  vc_custom_1607389496818 vc_row-has-fill\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12  col-xs-mobile-fullwidth\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">[vc_single_image image=&#8221;25295&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;]<div class=\"last-paragraph-no-margin\"><p>February 1, 2022<\/p>\n<p>When you think about the braking system of a vehicle, you probably think about the major parts you see when removing the wheel: brake pads, rotors, calipers and maybe hydraulics. However, one of the most important parts of the system isn\u2019t visible: brake fluid.<\/p>\n<p>Brake fluid comes in several formulations for different applications and plays a big role in the vehicle\u2019s ability to stop safely.<\/p>\n<\/div>[vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;What is Brake Fluid?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:36px|text_align:left|color:%23163f7e|line_height:38px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1641578390543{padding-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;]<div class=\"last-paragraph-no-margin\"><p>Brake fluid is an automotive chemical that is used in the hydraulic braking system of the vehicle. Within that hydraulic system, the brake fluid aids in amplifying force applied to the brake pedal, turning that force into pressure on the vehicle\u2019s brakes, causing a stop.<\/p>\n<p>Without brake fluid, it would be nearly impossible to stop a car with a simple press on the brake pedal!<\/p>\n<\/div>[vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;What Does Brake Fluid Do?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:36px|text_align:left|color:%23163f7e|line_height:38px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1641578437522{padding-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;]<div class=\"last-paragraph-no-margin\"><p>Brake fluid does several important things inside the hydraulic system. It is stored inside the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/products\/ultra-premium-brake-master-cylinders\/\">master cylinder<\/a>, where it is sent through the brake lines and into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/products\/ultra-premium-brake-calipers\/\">calipers<\/a> when the brake pedal is depressed.<\/p>\n<p>Because of brake fluid, the calipers are then able to squeeze the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/products\/ultra-premium-brake-pads\/\">brake pads<\/a> against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/products\/ultra-premium-disc-brake-rotors\/\">rotors<\/a>,\u00a0 bringing the vehicle to a stop. Depending on how hard the brake pedal is depressed, the vehicle will either slow or come to a complete stop. Brake fluid also helps lubricate all the moving parts inside the braking system as well as protecting against rust and other corrosives.<\/p>\n<\/div>[vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;What is the Difference Between DOT 3 vs. DOT 4 Brake Fluid?&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:36px|text_align:left|color:%23163f7e|line_height:38px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1641578488999{padding-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;]<div class=\"last-paragraph-no-margin\"><p>Interestingly enough, there are no \u201cstandard\u201d formulas for brake fluid. While all brake fluids are created to help stop the vehicle as explained above, each manufacturer may produce a brake fluid that contains different compounds or chemicals. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to choose an ultra-premium product like ADVICS brake fluid, so you can be sure that the brake fluid you\u2019re using is made of the best available materials, which help to increase the longevity of all brake system parts and produce a safe, reliable stop every time.<\/p>\n<p>With that said, there are two primary differences between DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluid formulas, no matter the manufacturer or brand:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>DOT 3 brake fluid will normally absorb less water from the air in the braking system than DOT 4, over time. This means that DOT 3 brake fluid will have to be changed less frequently than DOT 4.<\/li>\n<li>DOT 4 brake fluid has higher wet\/dry boiling points than DOT 3, making it a better choice for higher temperature braking applications, like in high-performance vehicles.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In summary, the main difference between the two formulas is their ability to handle heat and water absorption within the braking system.<\/p>\n<p>Each vehicle will have a specific requirement for brake fluid formula, so it is important to establish this when performing an initial inspection on the vehicle\u2019s braking system. Remember, different formulas of brake fluid (DOT 3, DOT 4, etc.) should never be mixed, as this can cause the braking system to malfunction, due to compatibility issues.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_inner vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12  col-xs-mobile-fullwidth\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">[vc_separator]<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-6  col-xs-mobile-fullwidth text-center md-text-center sm-text-center xs-text-center\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<h5 class=\"text-extra-dark-gray margin-20px-bottom font-weight-600 display-inline-block alt-font text-uppercase heading-style2  vc_custom_1620851878675 pofo-button-responsive-674f730c05d25  heading-1\"  style=\"width: 80%;\">SEARCH FOR PARTS<\/h5><a  href=\"https:\/\/aisinaftermarket.com\/online\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"btn pofo-button-1  wow fadeInDown button-style5  btn-dark-gray btn-rounded  btn-medium   vc_custom_1686685700365\"  style=\"color:#ffffff;  border-color:#163f7e; \">Search Online Catalog<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-6  col-xs-mobile-fullwidth text-center md-text-center sm-text-center xs-text-center\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<h5 class=\"text-extra-dark-gray margin-20px-bottom font-weight-600 display-inline-block alt-font text-uppercase heading-style2  vc_custom_1620851931863 pofo-button-responsive-674f730c05e30  heading-2\"  style=\"width: 80%;\">SEARCH DEALERS<\/h5><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/where-to-buy\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"btn pofo-button-2  wow fadeInDown button-style5  btn-dark-gray btn-rounded  btn-medium   vc_custom_1731526149920\"  style=\"color:#ffffff;  border-color:#163f7e; \">WHERE TO BUY<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The main difference between DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluid formulas is their ability to handle heat and water absorption within the braking system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":25295,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[112],"tags":[195,209,216,196,210,211,218,201,199,217,212,219,200,213,214,215],"class_list":["post-25277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-tips","tag-advics-brake-fluid","tag-best-brake-fluid","tag-best-dot-3-brake-fluid","tag-brake-fluid","tag-brake-fluid-boiling-point","tag-brake-fluid-viscosity","tag-car-brake-fluid","tag-difference-between-dot-3-vs-dot-4","tag-dot-3-brake-fluid","tag-dot-3-or-dot-4-brake-fluid","tag-dot-3-synthetic-brake-fluid","tag-dot-3-vs-dot-4-brake-fluid","tag-dot-4-brake-fluid","tag-dot-4-synthetic-brake-fluid","tag-high-temp-brake-fluid","tag-synthetic-brake-fluid"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25277"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advicsaftermarket.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}