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Loosing brake fluid??

11K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  4plus3vette 
#1 ·
I have a 09 LS that is loosing brake fluid once every few weeks for no appareant reason. can anyone help thanks.
 
#3 ·
There aren't that many places from which you can be losing fluid. If you get under the car and look inside each rim, see if you see anything wet/oily in there. If you find one of the rims is wet, then you leak is in that area (potentially calipers).

Next, look under the hood. You should see the area where you fill the power steering fluid. Feel around in there for leaks. If it is dry, the leak is probably not there.

The only other place I can think to have you look is under the car. You have brake lines that run from the master cylinder / ABS module (the area under the hood) to each of the wheels. Follow each line from under the hood to each tire to see if there are any wet spots on any of the lines.

If you do find an oily area, have someone press on the brake while you inspect that area (I would suggest that the car is off and in park if you go under it - they can still press on the brake, it is just harder if the engine is not running) to see if you can see a little bit of fluid coming out.

If you are losing a little every few weeks, it is a slow leak, so you may not see anything when your helper pushes on the brake pedal.

Hopefully, this gives you a good idea as to what you are up against.
 
#4 · (Edited)
There is also the possibility that the master cylinder seal is leaking where it is exposed to the vacuum boost cylinder. Not the most likely, but neither is a brake fluid leak on a car this new.

How many miles? Is it a lot of town or stop-and-go (like clogged freeways at rush hour) so that you're using your brakes a lot? Do you ride the pedal with a foot while driving?

Answers to these may suggest clues.
 
#5 ·
How many miles? Is it a lot of town or stop-and-go (like clogged freeways at rush hour) so that you're using your brakes a lot? Do you ride the pedal with a foot while driving?
Good point about this too. If you are riding your brakes A LOT, you may be wearing down your brake pads, especially if your rotors have some rust on them. As your pads wear down, more fluid will be stored in the calipers which will make your fluid level go down. This usually occurs over years, not weeks.
 
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