I'm a newbie with an 85 280SL. Any thoughts on silicone brake fluid? It does not attract moisture like DOT 3. I used it in another classic car and it worked fine. No need to change fluid because it stays clean.

Read this article about DOT 3 4 and 5 brake fluid.

http://www.xs11.com/tips/maintenance/maint1.shtml

Sorry for the double post...Thanks for the article...makes sense...guess the answer is to change fluid often.

Skyraider? You have a Deusenburg? Wow, that's cool......

Sorry no Duesenberg...only a 57 TBird...just sold it to my brother.

I have had my SL for about 5 years. Have never changed brake fluid. Didn't know I needed to. Is there a special way to do this or should I bring it in to "brake check" or something.

First step is to us a turkey baster to remove MOST (not all) of the fluid from the master cylinder. Then refill & keep refilling the master cylinder with new fluid. It was easier to do if you remove the wheels. I didn't think it was a bad job; was almost fun to do with my wife.

The rest of the procedure is thanks to rob76 @ benzworld.


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I have bled my own a few times. What a potential mess. Worth the $60 they charge at the shop. You run the risk of breaking off your bleeder screws and that's just a bad time.
Basically after securing the car with jackstands, you attach some clear tubing to the nipple on each brake caliper, then have somebody in the car pump the brake slowly and not too far (not to the floor! Or you can damage your master cylinder) and you tighten and loosen the screw to coincide with the pumping and catch the fluid in a jar without letting any air back into the system. Start at the farthest caliper from the reservoir. You also have to make sure you don't run out of fluid at the reservoir or you'll draw air into your system and that's no fun either because now you have to get all that air through the system and out. make sure you have lots of brake cleaner handy for cleaning up spills (always good for a severe throbbing headache). Knee pads are recommended.

Oh yeah, get a wrench for bleeder screws, it has 6 sides and just a little slot to get the wrench around the brake line. Helps to keep from rounding off the bleeder screw when opening it for the first time.
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