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Consuming brake fluid?

G

Guest

Guest
Hi,
A couple of moths ago I noticed that the parking brake warning light
on the dash (which has never worked since I bought it!) went on when
going trough rough terrain. I figured that the light was nog working
because of a bad contact, and when wobbling a lot it made contact
anyway. No worries ;-)
As of a few weeks, the light comes on in tight bends and when braking
hard, and starts to come on more often recently (smaller bends,
lighter braking, ...). My guess would be that that specific light does
not only check the parking brake, but also the brake fluid level,
and... maybe more?
I checked the brake fluid level: rather low, but still above the
minimum level. I figured that my brakes pads could be worn, as that
would lower the brake fluid. Opened up all breaks: all pads have at
least 70% left and are clean. Did a quick visual inspection of the
brakes lines: no apparent leaks.
Is it normal that I "consume" brake fluid? Should I just top up the
brake fluid and keep a close look at it the next few months, or are
there other things to check?
The cruiser is a HZJ75 (1HZ engine)
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Fred
 
If it's like the rest of the Landcruisers and like a UK spec, then yes, the
light does come on for low fluid.
You don't actually 'use' fluid unless there's a leak in the system. Might be
worth looking for leaking pistons. If it's got rear drum brakes, they do
fail. As the pads wear, it simply moves the brake piston further out before
contact with the disc / drum takes place, hence you may need to top up
sometimes. If you replace your own pads, be prepared to remove fluid from
the reservoir as you push the pistons back in.
Hope I'm not teaching egg sucking..
Neill W
FJ62 - stuck in the office :-(
--
Neill Watson
Driving Images
T: +44(0)1642 781112
M: +44(0)7802 202002
http://www.drivingimages.com
http://www.neillwatson.com
On 13/2/06 11:45 am, "Frederik Willems" <[Email address removed]> wrote:
 
Hi Frederik,
I suspect that you are right.
I have had a similar thing with my 80 and found that a thorough
bleeding with decent brake fluid resolved the problem of the levels
slowly dropping with no apparent leaks.
--
Regards,
Julian Voelcker
Mobile: 07971 540362
Cirencester, United Kingdom
1994 HDJ80, 2.5" OME Lift
 
On 2/13/06, Julian Voelcker <[Email address removed]> wrote:
Hello guys,
Please prove me wrong but in the '80s the parking brake has a switch
at the stem of the brake lever, the braking fluid switch sits in the
fluid reservoire cap and they are not connected, unless there's
another bl00dy ECU somewhere down the line.
If the brake fluid warning light comes on, first check for stanis
under the car. If you can't find any that would smell and taste like
DOT3, check the brake pads, starting from the front . When they become
worn, the brake pistons go deeper and the DOT3 level in the reservoire
subsides.
If that's the case, it's better to replace the pads than to top up
braking fluid, because this fix won't last long.
--
Rgds,
Roman (London, UK)
'92 HDJ80
 
Just to concur with Roman, I had a loss of brake fluid in Maroc and
immediately thought the worse.But it was just worn pads, quickly changed and
problem sorted. Having said that I have had a gentle weeping from the rubber
seal around the apportioning valve at the back but again this was so small
and now fixed. The hand brake and brake fluid warning light are not related
or connected. At least not in my car. If my car was a dedicated expedition
car I would remove the apportioning valve but as it spends more time as my
daily bus, I haven't.
Jeremy
On 13/2/06 12:56, "Roman" <[Email address removed]> wrote:
 
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