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Brake fluid. Can Synthetic DOT 3 be mixed with conventional DOT 3 fluid?

All dot 3,4,5.1 are synthetic. Dot 5 is silicone.
 
Dot 3 is dot 3. And mixes with dot 4.
 
RemCharger said:
Dot 3 is dot 3. And mixes with dot 4.
Click to expand...
Correct, but my car has DOT 3 fluid from bottles that do not state that they are synthetic. They were older fluids.
I just bought two new bottles of Prestone DOT 3 brake fluid and the bottles state "Synthetic"
Just wanna make sure I don't screw something up.
 
fullmetaljacket said:
Brain fart moment in remembering if these two fluids can coincide and be friendly with each other?

Can Synthetic DOT 3 be mixed with conventional DOT 3 fluid?​

Click to expand...

This is an excellent question and it deserves a more detailed response.
I wish that I had one.
I have bottles at home....


DOT 3 1.JPG




DOT 5 1.JPG


I don't have pictures on hand of older stuff. I do clearly remember though that the word "synthetic" is not on the face of the bottle.
 
fullmetaljacket said:
That's odd. These older bottles don't state that they're synthetic
Click to expand...
And most people also don't go around saying they are straight, to add a little color to this dilemma, and give a worthy analogy IMO.
I discovered this only in the last 20? years, and that BF has been synthetic for almost my entire lifetime, it's only the recent marketing perk of simply mentioning synthetic has the issue come to the forefront.
 
j-c-c-62 said:
And most people also don't go around saying they are straight, to add a little color to this dilemma, and give a worthy analogy IMO.
I discovered this only in the last 20? years, and that BF has been synthetic for almost my entire lifetime, it's only the recent marketing perk of simply mentioning synthetic has the issue come to the forefront.
Click to expand...
Correct! All brake fluid is synthetic. There are no "brake fluid wells" to drill for "conventional" brake fluid.
 
j-c-c-62 said:
and that BF has been synthetic for almost my entire lifetime,
Click to expand...
Uhhh, By BF do you mean brake fluid or your boy friend?

You did bring the context of NOT being straight to the topic....

01 funny 4.jpg
 
Kern Dog said:
Uhhh, By BF do you mean brake fluid or your boy friend?

You did bring the context of NOT being straight to the topic....

View attachment 1653192
Click to expand...
It was internet bait, don't fret, most I expect are not secure enough to even broach the subject, which was, to repeat, most do not feel the need to mention they are straight, and I will follow my own beliefs on the topic, that I only use synthetic BF. :lol:
 
Anybody here remember DOT 1 BF?

Edit: a trick question somewhat I expect, in that there likely never was DOT 1 BF until they came out with DOT 2
 
Last edited:
Just do not mix the silicone 5 with any 3 or 4 regular brake fluid. I like the 5, hate seeing peeling paint on the firewall after you find that the rear seal let go in the master cyl.
 
Kern Dog said:
HA !, The heck it is...The DOT 5 I use is $40 a quart!
Click to expand...
Yea that isn't cheap, never bought DOT 5. Had wheel cylinders done, brass sleeved and in the box they came back tn a note said "Use only DOT 3".
 
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