diverman

After reading Carl3989's post on the need to change fluid on a regular basis I thought I should check mine. Pretty black and just two years, thanks carl3989. So I check the manual regarding type of fluid and head off to the parts store. No one has heard of "Super DOT4 brake fluid". One store had DOT4 but all the other had a DOT3-4 multi grade. I wound up buying Valvoline DOT3-4 synthetic. Can any one tell me if this is the right stuff before I put it in and screw something up?Thanks

SanDiegoBert

I bought DOT 4 at Walmart.

R&L's C6

Prestone Brake Fluid DOT4

It does not say Super but it is DOT 4.

JFKLS3

I did exactly the same thing on my 08. After seeing the first post I checked my reservoir, nothing but black sticky gunk on the bottom. I was surprised that the clutch still worked.
I bought the Valvoline Dot 3-4 synthetic too. I went through the whole 32 oz. bottle before
it was clean. I bought another one and will change it at least once a year. The clutch does
seem to engage sooner now than it did before.

RedRider1

Should be good as I used Prestone dot 3 and 4 to change mine.

Rebel 1

I also use Prestone Dot 4 from walmart. About $3.00. I use Ranger method twice a year. Easy.

OSKVETTE

Did mine today, Prestone DOT4. Do it twice a year to keep it clean.

carl3989

Yes that Valvoline fluid should be fine. In Racer's post ( I believe he is the preeminent authority on all things related to clutches) he recommends either GM or Prestone synthetic DOT 4 brake fluid. He also states that any quality DOT4 rated fluid will work. So will DOT3 but not as long, due to lower heat resistance. Either way, go to Walmart in the future and stock up on Prestone it's cheap and you won't be stuck like I. By the way, my 08 has been at the dealer for a week and so far they said that the master has to be replaced. A $1200 job not covered under the GM Certified Used Car warranty. Luckily I purchased the GMPP warranty also and it will be covered under that. Now I have to wait till the master comes in and then they will check to see if the slave needs to be replaced. Too bad dealerships don't stock parts anymore. I assume they can't afford to in this economy.

RoadkingC6

I went to 3 auto parts stores also and they only had the dot 3 and 4 thenalso went to walmart and they had the prestone dot 4 and the syringe.

Licit

Those walmart plastic syringes are selling like hotcakes these days.

boraxman

Changed my fluid 5 times in 2 yrs.

cclive

I just buy a small bottle of the Prestone (black bottle, not yellow) and then change the fluid every week until the bottle is gone. This allows for circulation of the new fluid without needless wear on the system. I drive the car as a DD. A bottle will do at least 4 changes.

JSB LS3

I Rangered my fluid yesterday and I can say with complete certainty that you will need to drive the car in between swaps to get it clean. Simply pumping the clutch does not allow the fluid to cycle through the hydraulic system enough to get all the gunk in suspension, no matter how many times you do it. It works for about the first half dozen swaps but you're not going to get anything else out of the hydraulics after that without actual operation of the system.

I got the fluid nice and yellow, drove 2 miles.....black as night again. I'm going to use a method similar to cclive's. Swap with 2-3 sets of replacement/clutch actuation, followed by a brief drive on the clean fluid to have it mix adequately with the remainder of the contaminated fluid. I'll rinse and repeat every few days until it's actually clean after the drive.

01VETTECOP

i wouldn't use that. prestone dot 4 at walmart

KneeDragr

I like the Castrol Dot4 they sell at autozone. Its not at advance for some reason. The reason I like it is its almost clear, not amber, so I can judge how much its gunking up easier.

tascar7

Ranger method for me about every 2500 miles. Cheap insurance.

SanDiegoBert

I believe pumping the clutch actuates the entire hydraulic system. Granted there is no vibration from driving or clutch chatter, but pumping the clutch activates the whole enchilada.

SanDiegoBert

Some Walmart automotive merchandise buyer is going to look at the exploding sales numbers of syringes and think, WTF??

Dave S

Both Prestone & Napa have a Dot 4 fluid which is what you want to use. Also, in the Auto section at most WalMarts, you can get a fat bodied syringe (brand name 'MixMizer') that works great for drawing the old fluid out of the reservoir. I've been using the 'pump the pedal' routine to circulate the fluid & haven't had any problems.

JoesC5

Don't use the syringes found in the cooking dept. The brake fluid will react with the plastic and the syringe will disintegrate in your hands. In the automotive section, in the 2-cycle aisle, they have a mixing syringe that works perfect for doing the Ranger method.

EDIT: the one that Dave S mentions above.