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Re: Dot 5.0 Brake-Clutch Fluid
Posted by Stephen Goldberger (more from Stephen Goldberger) on Thu, 2 May 2002 17:23:48
In Reply to: , Kok Chen, Sat, 17 Dec 1988 12:00:00 

>  How can I tell if
>the fluid in it is still 5.0? Also should I keep it or return to the
>Saab owners book which says only use 4.0. Is is difficult to change?

Since the '96 has the Bosch anti-lock, not the earlier ATE, DOT 5 is not 
the 'guaranteed disaster in the wings' that it is on the earlier 
models.  In my experience, with *silicone based* DOT 5 in non-ABS Saabs, 
it's the clutch seals which are incompatible with the silicone 
fluid.  Because the clutch operates at very low pressures, it seems to 
require the 'seal swelling' property of conventional fluid to form a 
reliable seal in the clutch slave and to keep the piston centered in the 
master.  If your Aero is an automatic, you could chance it (emphasis on 
chance), if it's a 5-speed, I'd strongly recommend switching back.

The way to distinguish the two fluids is to siphon some off and pour it 
into a glass or jar with some conventional brake fluid.  If it mixes, it's 
conventional.  If it's silicone fluid in the car, it will not mix with the 
DOT-4.

Note that my experience (and warning) is with silicone fluid.  THe term 
'DOT-5' defines a 'wet boiling point' specification, not a chemical 
formulation.  If someone has developed a glycol based fluid that meets 
DOT-5 specs, it may not produce the same bad results in the clutch that I 
experienced with silicone DOT-5 fluid.

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