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ASK THE MXPERTS:

How Do You Tell DOT 3/4 From DOT 5 Brake Fluid? And Does It Make A Difference?


Dear MXA,
    I don’t know whether the bike I just bought has DOT 3, DOT 4 or DOT 5 brake fluid in it. I don’t want to add the wrong kind of fluid. Are they different colors?
   
    Yes. Since you can't just look at the label on the bottle, you can tell by two methods:

   (1) DOT 3 and 4 are yellow/amber and DOT 5 is purple. DOT 3 and DOT 4 are compatible.

   (2) According to Bel-Ray there is another easy way to tell DOT 3/4 from DOT 5. Water will mix with DOT 3/4, but will not mix with DOT 5. Put a few drops of the brake fluid in a small container and add a few drops of water to it. If the water does not mix with the brake fluid it is DOT 5.



MARCH 2012, VOLUME 40, NUMBER 3
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MARCH 2012, VOLUME 40, NUMBER 3
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