Green Brake Fluid?

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Polo-Fiend
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Green Brake Fluid?

Post by Polo-Fiend »

Did a brake fluid change on the wife's Polo today.

NSF-OSF-NSR-OSR as per Haynes.

Fluid was a little dark on front two but not too bad. NSR and it came out green! Like cloudy Fairly Liquid!! Flushed it through with plenty of new fluid using my Gunson EasyBleed. OSR was a little green but not as bad as the NSR

Should I be worried about the green tinge?
RUM4MO
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Re: Green Brake Fluid?

Post by RUM4MO »

That is a bit annoying, I can't comment on if any brands are green as I've only ever used crimson stuff in the far past, and manufacturer's own brands from then until now which have always been clear yellow.

For me, changing brake fluid every 2 years the issue is never getting the satisfaction of seeing nasty slightly cloudy with maybe some dark stuff in it coming out initially and then changing to clear yellow as the system lines get flushed through and filled with new fluid.

I hope that you washed out your Gunsons EasyBleed and keep it in a dry place for the next time! Mine resides in the airing cupboard, or more correctly my previous 2 kits and my current kit all reside in the airing cupboard!

Edit:- as to being worried, I'd think that you have now flushed that system through, so only "good" brake fluid in it except for in the ABS block, VCDS have a function that allows it to be flushed out as well but I've never used it of even flushed out the clutch system which shares the same fluid. If the brakes are all working okay, maybe try to forget this?

Have you checked to seem if any brake fluid is green in colour?
RUM4MO
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Drives: B8 S4 & 6R/6C1 1.2TSI 110
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Re: Green Brake Fluid?

Post by RUM4MO »

Right maybe I've answered that the question as to if any brake fluid is green initially or why can it turn green!

Seems that no brake fluid starts of life being green, typically as I said crimson or now mainly clear yellow in appearance, but, as some manufacturers use a brake line alloy that contains copper, if the fluid is left in the system for a long time, it is possible that it can turn a bit green due to the cooper in the pipe alloy. One other thing, maybe someone has replaced some of the rigid lines on that car with an aftermarket copper pipe alloy version, which I know exists but I've forgotten its name Kupr-------.(Kupratec?)

Edit:- https://www.automec.co.uk/ these people still do brake lines with a copper alloy, handy when the normal steel lines fail, though my old 2000 VW Passat had that material on most of its brake lines from new!
Polo-Fiend
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Re: Green Brake Fluid?

Post by Polo-Fiend »

All the brake lines seem to be OE so I don't think it is that. I'll just keep an eye on the brakes and test them rigorously.

Doing my Octavia tomorrow so hopefully I'll get usual coloured fluid out.
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