Transmission fluid instead of brake fluid...OOPS

[racegirl]

SOOOOOO....

This "occurred" in a crappy lil 97 V6 stang.

First of all, no I didn't do it. Second of all, this is a paid off car that is used for convenience and was going to the kid this summer, but, um yea...this sucks.

This cannot be that difficult. Jack it up, take the tires off, and bleed the brakes or something?

Thanks fuckers,

[jw33]

Turkey baster jones it out and then refill and flush. No need to worry.

[racegirl]

Turkey baster jones it out and then refill and flush. No need to worry.

Problem is that the fluid is already in the system. The Roush was in the shop and drove it for a few days. When I had realized I couldn't stop except via the e-brake, I asked questions and figured it out.

Can I still just suck it out then refill with brake fluid and let it work itself out?

[jw33]

Yeah, suck all the fluid you can get out of the master cylinder reservoir, refill with clean brake fluid, and then bleed the hell out of the brakes. You probably go through quite a bit of brake fluid before it comes out clean. You might even be better off pulling the master out of the car and cleaning it on the bench and blowing the lines in the car out with compressed air.

[71chevellejohn]

Yeah, suck all the fluid you can get out of the master cylinder reservoir, refill with clean brake fluid, and then bleed the hell out of the brakes. You probably go through quite a bit of brake fluid before it comes out clean. You might even be better off pulling the master out of the car and cleaning it on the bench and blowing the lines in the car out with compressed air.

This should be sufficient. Just be sure to start from the furthest from the master cylinder and bleed it until it's clean. Then the next closest, and so on.

[Torinoman]

What they said but just remember to do it on each corner

[garycrist]

I have run into this several times before on customer's cars. Usually the prognosis is not good! ATF swells the rubber used as seals (master cyl. wheelcyls, some caliper pistons) you get the picture.
Unbolt the master and replace it. Now you may pray that the oil has not diffused into the lines. Alot of times it just goes downhill from here.

But, you may get lucky...

[barronj]

this comes to mind



You didn't do it, so don't take offense :P

[JimD]

Yep as said above , remove as much from mst cyl, then refill and i,d open all 4 bleeders and let gravity flush system till they run clean.

[Lone Star Performance]

The problem is the tranny fluid is an oil based product that will contaminate your whole brake system. It will swell all your rubber lines, which does not allow the fluid to get to your caliper pistons (which is why your brakes weren't working outside of your e-brake). Unfortunately, this may require new master cylinder, lines, calipers etc. Anything other than brake fluid in your braking system is BAD stuff!

Scott

[Doug Hatton]

Blonde....

[BP]

Yep as said above , remove as much from mst cyl, then refill and i,d open all 4 bleeders and let gravity flush system till they run clean.

Or find someone with an old style pressure bleeder, with ABS though I'm not sure how well that's going to work. I'd jack it up, pull the wheels and open all the bleed screws and just keep pouring fluid through the system until it's clean. Address any related brake problems as they pop up. Don't be surprised if you end up replacing everything but the metal lines though.

Be thankful it's an old V6 model, parts are cheap from Autozone. Do it on an 08-09 model and you'd be looking at $1000+ in parts not counting the ABS components.

[petyweestraw]

Yup seen this and fixed this for people before. You can bleed it and hope for the best but it will catch up to soon. Replace anything rubber cus the tranny fluid is gonna swell it all up and you will get either locked brakes or no brakes. Either one is bad. Remove all parts old and contaminated. The flush lines with brake cleaner and compressed air. Then once sure all brake clean is blown out install new parts bleed and ur good.

[JimD]

Or find someone with an old style pressure bleeder, with ABS though I'm not sure how well that's going to work. I'd jack it up, pull the wheels and open all the bleed screws and just keep pouring fluid through the system until it's clean. Address any related brake problems as they pop up. Don't be surprised if you end up replacing everything but the metal lines though.

Be thankful it's an old V6 model, parts are cheap from Autozone. Do it on an 08-09 model and you'd be looking at $1000+ in parts not counting the ABS components.

We got an old power bleeder at work...used it 1 time.

[Broncojohnny]

Bleed the hell out of it and hope for the best. If you need to order new lines, www.rockauto.com is pretty damn cheap on them. replacing the lines and the M/C isn't really that hard, just some basic wrenching.