What is a brake fluid? This is a special substance to ensure braking the car. It is in a liquid state and presses on the brakes after pressing the pedal. In other words, it provides a link between the driver's commands and the braking mechanism. If there is a violation of this connection, the car simply does not stop. This can happen in case of excessive heating of the liquid, after which steam appears inside the brake mechanism. It makes the system compressible, and the substance can not connect the depression to the pedal with a sudden deceleration and a blow to the brakes. That's why the brake fluid is at least a small, but very important part of the car. Without it, the driver can not safely move in the stream. In other words, there is no brake fluid - no brakes.
Brake fluid is divided into several types, which differ in the temperature of its heating. Thus, the first classification separates this substance into "wetted" and "dry" liquid. Naturally, the "dry" liquid includes less water, and in the "moist" it accounts for 3-4%. And these two brake fluids are divided into four groups: DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 5 and DOT 5.1. The very first type withstands the lowest temperature: 205 degrees Celsius for "dry" and 140 for "wetted". It is followed by DOT 4 (for machines with disc brakes). Large loads require a higher temperature, and therefore the second type of brake fluid is rated at 155 and 230 degrees Celsius. As for the DOT 5.1 fluid, it can be found on sports cars, for example, BMW M6, Ferrari F458, Porsche 911 and others. But the penultimate view on the serial machines is almost not applied. Most likely, DOT 5 is put on racing cars and modified sports car modifications. By the way, it is possible that the Bugatti Veyron is the most perfect liquid. Outstanding characteristics confirm this.
So, we looked at the species, but the question remains "which braking fluid is better?". How to answer it? Of course, the best braking will be provided by DOT 5. As for the production cars, this is DOT 5.1. Other types of liquids are more suitable for normal conditions and standard cars, which are not designed for extreme speed and extreme situations.
Summing up, I want to pay attention to the components of which the brake fluid consists. The composition of this substance is full of variety. For example, a silicone brake fluid contains polymers, and glycogels consist of polyglycols. But they have something in common - additives. These include anti-corrosion and lubricants.
What is the main function of the brake fluid? Of course, this is security during the movement of the car. As already mentioned above, without this substance there are no brakes. Therefore, it is important to treat it with special attention, because the leak can lead to dangerous consequences. The use of DOT 3 liquid in sports cars will not lead to good results, because large overloads lead to excessive heating.
It should be noted that it is possible to mix different liquids, if only they are on the same basis. If there is no relevant information on the label, then you should not take risks!