Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes Brake Fluid, testing for boiling point

I just got mine changed today, at crappy tire (for all the canadians out there, dont give me grief it was $10 off and i figured, how can they really screw this one up?) and when i gave them my keys i specifically asked for dot 3 with a bp of 550 F, the guy printed up my work order with a price on the bottom. the work was done and when i went to pay for it it had the stuff good to 450F.
at the point where i gave my keys i said 'im willing to pay more for the other fluid'
i dont know when the work order was changed, so is there any way to figure which fluid i actually have?
if i do have the stuff good to 450 should i rush back and have it fixed?
if i have to go back and they said they woudl do it again and chage me the diff. even though the quote i got included it in the first place.
thanks
mike

DOT 3 fluid with a 550 boiling point is uncommon. Yes, the Ford fluid is so rated but it is hard to find another maker with DOT 3 fluid that has that high of a boiling point.

Ford's fluid does not stay at 550 very long. It very quickly degrades to a much lower boiling point.

A 450 fluid is still excellent fluid. I would not be worried about it. That is about what Castrol LMA is rated at. Castrol LMA is an excellent DOT 4 fluid and more than suitable for your car.

Personally, I use Valvoline Syntech DOT 4 fluid and find it to be exceptional. It has a dry boiling point over 500 (but I don't remember the exact figure) and has a much higher wet boining point that the Ford stuff. I change it once a year, but it could easily go much longer.

Unless you are planning a lot of heavy track use, (in the snow?) then you'd do well to be more concerned about the WET boiling point much of the time. Dry is great for marketing reasons, but wet is more about the daily use of real world drivers.

ATE super blue race fluid, $20 per qt. 1 will flush your brake system with some left to spare. Don't remember the boiling point but I assure you you'll never hit it.

Valvoline SynPower here too.

Dry boiling point of 502
Wet boiling point of 343 (which is very good)

Also being synthetic it absorbs moisture more slowly.


A flush about every 2 years is also a good idea as well.