07-01-2022, 09:18 AM
|
#1 (permalink)
|
|
Corporate imperialist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NewMexico (USA)
Posts: 11,184
Thanks: 270
Thanked 3,527 Times in 2,801 Posts
|
Brake fluid needs to be changed too occasionally
Especially if you tow. And dot 3 fluid kind of sucks.
https://youtu.be/Sp3LdgmZpD0
Plad appears to be a space balls reference, because I had no idea how fast these cars are.
__________________
1984 chevy suburban, custom made 6.5L diesel turbocharged with a Garrett T76 and Holset HE351VE, 22:1 compression 13psi of intercooled boost.
1989 firebird mostly stock. Aside from the 6-speed manual trans, corvette gen 5 front brakes, 1LE drive shaft, 4th Gen disc brake fbody rear end.
2011 leaf SL, white, portable 240v CHAdeMO, trailer hitch, new batt as of 2014.
|
|
|
|
 Today
|
|
|
|
Other popular topics in this forum...
|
|
|
|
|
07-01-2022, 01:18 PM
|
#2 (permalink)
|
|
Focused on MPG
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Uphill from the river!
Posts: 432
Thanks: 124
Thanked 128 Times in 102 Posts
|
I can't speak for Tesla but the "Built to go fast on a track" use DOT 4 or 5 which has a higher boiling point.
Amazing what you learn when bored at work, I work for a Ford Dealership in parts going on 26 years and have 14 years experience as a parts counter person at O'reilly, Autozone, and Napa.
__________________
Staying Focus'd on MPG
|
|
|
|
|
The Following User Says Thank You to ECO-AKJ For This Useful Post:
|
|
|
07-01-2022, 03:34 PM
|
#3 (permalink)
|
|
Human Environmentalist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 12,443
Thanks: 4,209
Thanked 4,388 Times in 3,362 Posts
|
He was the one driving, so he wasn't almost killed... he almost killed himself.
Did they conclude the DOT3 boiled or something?
Don't know why they even sell DOT3 since you can use DOT4 in anything (as far as I know).
|
|
|
|
|
The Following User Says Thank You to redpoint5 For This Useful Post:
|
|
|
07-01-2022, 05:41 PM
|
#4 (permalink)
|
|
EcoModding Apprentice
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: California
Posts: 166
Cx9 - '18 Mazda CX9 Grand Touring 90 day: 31.41 mpg (US) Prius - '10 Toyota Prius III 90 day: 57.8 mpg (US) Tundra - '00 Tundra V6 long bed base work truck 90 day: 19.4 mpg (US)
Thanks: 95
Thanked 91 Times in 61 Posts
|
So if I'm understanding things from a quick scan of the comments, he took a flood salvaged car, hacked it up, installed an aftermarket big brake kit (90% of which are for show), reused old fluid, and decided to test the brakes on a high speed road course without any safety gear.
The number of piss poor decisions was staggering. And I doubt dot3 fluid was the main cause - I bet he had no idea how (un)well his brakes worked because the Tesla was mostly regenerating until the battery started getting warm at which point it suddenly relied on his ****ty brake job.
|
|
|
|
|
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Drifter For This Useful Post:
|
|
|
07-03-2022, 03:24 AM
|
#5 (permalink)
|
|
It's all about Diesel
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Posts: 12,562
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,625 Times in 1,450 Posts
|
Unfortunately some folks only remember that brakes require proper maintenance when it's too late...
|
|
|
|
|
07-03-2022, 03:28 AM
|
#6 (permalink)
|
|
Human Environmentalist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 12,443
Thanks: 4,209
Thanked 4,388 Times in 3,362 Posts
|
I just plan to use them as little as possible.
|
|
|
|
|
07-06-2022, 08:09 PM
|
#7 (permalink)
|
|
Master EcoModder
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 1,756
Thanks: 104
Thanked 407 Times in 312 Posts
|
Boiling brake fluid on the street is really really hard, though I guess I could see someone doing it in a Tesla Plaid (it has similar sized rotors to my car, but has 2.5x the power and 1.7x the mass).
The price different between cheap DOT3 and cheap DOT4 is so small it doesn't make sense to buy DOT3 at all. Upgrading to a basic DOT5.1 or a premium DOT4 like ATE is an extra 10 dollars that probably doesn't need to be spent on a road car though.
|
|
|
|
|
07-07-2022, 02:56 AM
|
#8 (permalink)
|
|
It's all about Diesel
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Posts: 12,562
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,625 Times in 1,450 Posts
|
I haven't been paying much attention to brake fluid specs lately, yet I didn't even know DOT3 was still available.
|
|
|
|
|
07-07-2022, 04:20 PM
|
#9 (permalink)
|
|
Focused on MPG
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Uphill from the river!
Posts: 432
Thanks: 124
Thanked 128 Times in 102 Posts
|
You can walk into any local parts store in the USA and still buy DOT-3 Brake Fluid
__________________
Staying Focus'd on MPG
|
|
|
|
|
07-08-2022, 01:31 AM
|
#10 (permalink)
|
|
It's all about Diesel
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Posts: 12,562
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,625 Times in 1,450 Posts
|
Economics of scale might still justify it, but even for those older models maybe DOT 4 can still be better due to the higher boiling point. Including some classics still fitted with drum brakes all around.
|
|
|
|
|
