# Amsoil DOT3 High Performance Brake Fluid Review



## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Encouraging. I wonder if you had some air in your brakes since the pedal action got firmer? Brake fluid is not compressible...

Did you use a Tec2 to exercise the EBCM and get all the old fluid out? It's not necessary but it's suggested during the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Blue Angel said:


> Encouraging. I wonder if you had some air in your brakes since the pedal action got firmer? Brake fluid is not compressible...
> 
> Did you use a Tec2 to exercise the EBCM and get all the old fluid out? It's not necessary but it's suggested during the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule.


They say it's not compressible, but Terry and Smorey noticed the exact same thing. That's 3 for 3 noticing a big improvement in pedal feel under normal driving. Significant improvement in brake pedal feel. Keep in mind fluid also lubricates. That might be part of the reason. Not sure, but I'm not complaining. I love the difference. 

I didn't use a Tec2. I just pumped the brakes till the fluid started coming out clear instead of brown, then plugged it up and moved on to the next.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Part of me wonders if the spongy pedal is just improper bleeding from the factory - perhaps air in the ABS pump makes it's way into the lines 

Changing the fluid to a different type really should make no difference in how the pedal travels. Hey, let's face it, it wouldn't be the first production mistake on Cruzes. 

My 2003 Camry came from the factory with improperly bled brakes. The brakes went from nothing...to nothing...to slamming you into the windshield. A proper fluid change (cheap Autozone fluid) and proper bleeding made the brakes 100 times better. 

In general driving, even with a single hard stop, it's hard to boil standard brake fluid unless it's water contaminated. And you would cook the Cruzes stock brakes well before the boiling point of the standard fluid. 

However, synthetic fluids such as Amsoil or ATE Super Blue have much higher boiling points perfect for performance braking setups for aggressive driving or track driving.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

jblackburn said:


> Part of me wonders if the spongy pedal is just improper bleeding from the factory - perhaps air in the ABS pump makes it's way into the lines
> 
> Changing the fluid to a different type really should make no difference in how the pedal travels. Hey, let's face it, it wouldn't be the first production mistake on Cruzes.
> 
> ...


The pedal still goes all the way down; the brakes just catch on with a lot less effort and the pedal doesn't travel as far to get you to the "slammed against the steering wheel" level of stopping. 

I admit I can't relate this 100% to the Amsoil fluid, but either we conclude that all Cruzes were bled improperly from the factory, or Amsoil makes up that difference.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> ...all Cruzes were bled improperly from the factory...


My money goes here, especially after reading reports of people test driving the Cruze and complaining that the brakes were almost inoperable. Seems to be a factory level issue there and makes me want ot leave work early and bleed mine right away! Knowing stuff like this is likely hampering my car drives me nuts! :blink:


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

A helpful bit of information for those interested in bleeding ABS braking systems:

http://www.centricparts.com/files/technical%20guides/bleeding-abs-brakes-2.pdf

With winter coming up and parking lots full fo snow to play in, cycling the ABS pump should be an easy task to get all the old fluid out.


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## David1 (Sep 16, 2011)

A brake fluid change with *ANY* dot3/4 will give the same result in pedal feel after the fluid is 6-to 12 months old no matter the car. Even after 12 months in my other car that only gets 2k miles a year put on it I can tell a difference with fresh brake fluid.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Another important tip! NEVER TOP UP YOUR BRAKE FLUID!

If you are simply bleeding your brakes and not replacing any brake parts, make sure the fluid level is the same after bleeding as it was when you started. The reason for this is that fluid is drawn from the reservoir as your brake pads wear to compensate for the displacement of the pistons in the brake calipers/cylinders. If your brakes are worn and you top up your fluid, the next time you replace your pads/shoes with new ones the pistons get pushed back in and put all that fluid back into your master cylinder reservoir. If you filled it up while the brakes were worn the reservoir can overflow, spilling corrosive brake fluid all over the place under the hood and eating paint/coatings off of parts and possibly damaging plastic/rubber parts/seals.

Once again - NEVER TOP UP YOUR BRAKE FLUID! The only exception to this is if your brake fluid level gets low enough to trigger the brake warning on the dash, in which case you likely have a leak that needs to be repaired.


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## WhiteAndBright (Mar 4, 2013)

X, I have done a lot of reading on the brake fluid and also the ATF.. I need 9 quarts of ATF is that correct?? It states 4.2 quarts on initial fill and 9 total but I am not sure on exactly how much I need.. I know that you are a dealer for Amsoil and you can get it for us.. what are we looking at for this?? On their site it is listed at $11.50 per quart or $45.20 for a gallon..


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

WhiteAndBright said:


> X, I have done a lot of reading on the brake fluid and also the ATF.. I need 9 quarts of ATF is that correct?? It states 4.2 quarts on initial fill and 9 total but I am not sure on exactly how much I need.. I know that you are a dealer for Amsoil and you can get it for us.. what are we looking at for this?? On their site it is listed at $11.50 per quart or $45.20 for a gallon..


To make things easier, I give a 12% discount for most orders. For larger orders, I'll go up to 15%. That is, under the retail price you see on the site. 

Sent from mobile.


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