Brand ng Brake Fluid- National or Prestone?

**anthon05** · March 14th, 2012 03:57 PM

Hi mga fellow tsikot readers and members..

Sensya na medyo mababaw ito. National brake fluid is cheaper than Prestone.

may difference ba ito in terms of quality? My mechanic told me that the quality is the same.

Nung nagpalit ako ng fluid National ang ginamit ko. Can you give me your thoughts or experience in using these brands?

thank you

**Retz** · March 14th, 2012 04:04 PM

How much ang price difference ng National sa Prestone brake fluid?

**anthon05** · March 14th, 2012 05:04 PM

na remember ko sa smallest bottle or medium yun. sa prestone 100pesos sa National is 70pesos.

maganda kaya quality ng National kasi malaki rin price difference. for the mechanics maganda or same lang.

**EE100shiro** · March 14th, 2012 05:21 PM

for me prestone brand american made eh. matagal ko ng gamit sa corolla ko to, hanggang ngayon hindi pa nag cocorrosion ung mga linya ng brake at clutch ko. Dahil toyota ? ewan?

review sa ibang bansa
"really great fluid, that will not break down even under the most extreme conditions and provides better lubrication and it stays clear showing no signs of contamination even after quite some time. it handles heat and does not break down ever."

"We use this over our manufacturers product as it's a viable replacement. We've had no issues."

"I bought three of these to flush out my brake system on my older Dodge. DOT3 is all I need and Prestone is a reputable brand. I've used this brake fluid in several other vehicles with great success. It's one of the few brake fluids that I find turn black after minimal use, even after a flush. I've tried synthetic, but on older vehicles, it's not worth the extra cost."

**Retz** · March 14th, 2012 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by anthon05

na remember ko sa smallest bottle or medium yun. sa prestone 100pesos sa National is 70pesos.

maganda kaya quality ng National kasi malaki rin price difference. for the mechanics maganda or same lang.

Haven't tried National brand. Go with Prestone na lang. 30 petot lang ang difference and hindi naman ito araw2x ni rerefill.

**Retz** · March 14th, 2012 05:28 PM

I have seen DOT 4 brake fluids. What is the main difference between DOT 4 & 3?

**vinj** · March 14th, 2012 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Retz

I have seen DOT 4 brake fluids. What is the main difference between DOT 4 & 3?

Boiling point mainly. If you're not into performance driving (track days, mountain roads) DOT3 is fine.

*brake fluid, either brand should be okay (although i will still stick with a brand im familiar with). What's important is to change as specified by the owner's manual (or even sooner if you frequent flooded roads) to keep the brake fluid fresh and free from water contamination.

I use Bendix DOT3 right now:

**EE100shiro** · March 14th, 2012 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Retz

I have seen DOT 4 brake fluids. What is the main difference between DOT 4 & 3?

.Well, brake pads cause friction, and friction causes heat. Now I could be a smart as* and tell you the difference between dot 4 and dot 3 is one dot. But the real answer is the boiling point of the fluid.

DOT #3 is 401 deg. F., DOT #4 is 446 deg. F., and DOT #5 is
500 deg. F. Over time, though, the heat generated from braking causes the chemical composition of the brake fluid to change. Gasses are boiled out of the brake fluid and since these gasses are more compressible than the brake fluid they came from, you will notice a soft or spongy brake pedal feel.

There is even a dot 5.1, but you probably won't find it (or dot 5 for that matter) at the parts store.

If dot 5 has a higher boiling point, why don't you see it? Water.

DOT #3 and DOT #4 brake fluids are made from Polyalkylene Glycol Ether which, by nature, has a very strong attraction to water (brake fluid is hygroscopic). Water contaminating brake fluid makes its boiling point drop which causes bubbles to form in the brake fluid (imagine sprinkling water into a frying pan full of hot oil). Bubbles and water are more compressible than brake fluid which makes it more difficult for the master cylinder to compress the brake fluid and in turn, compress the calipers and brake drums. A sign of this may be a low, soft, or spongy brake pedal feel (caused by the the contaminating bubbles and water compressing before the brake fluid does).

DOT #5 brake fluid, on the other hand, is formulated from silicone. While silicone is not hygroscopic and has a higher boiling point than DOT#3 and DOT #4 brake fluid, any water that gets into the brake system will sink to the lowest point of that system (water being heavier than silicone) and may potentially find its way to the calipers, boil at 212 degrees Fahrenheit and cause a vapor lock which could cause brake failure. Additionally, DOT #5 brake fluid, being a synthetic, is much more expensive than DOT #3 and DOT #4 fluids, hence Tire Kingdom uses DOT #5 brake fluid only at the request of the customer.

Most major vehicle manufacturers recommend having your brake fluid replaced about every 2 years (more often in severe driving conditions). Draining and replacing your brake fluid helps to remove contaminants (such as water and rust) and to lubricate the metal and rubber parts of your brake system (like the master cylinder, brake lines and seals, valves, wheel cylinders and caliper pistons) which may help them last longer.