WRONG!  DO NOT USE DOT 5 FLUID IN VANAGONS OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE NOT DESIGNED
FOR IT.  DOT 5 is designed for use with silicon seals and will dissolve
those in your vanagon.  Brake failure is imminent!!!  The other info on DOT
3 vs. DOT 4 is correct, although I have used the two interchangeably and had
little difficulty, even on long (30 mile) downgrades.

Karl Wolz

-----Original Message-----
From: EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Sunday, April 04, 1999 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: Brake fluid DOT 3-4-5-?

>  Nothing. The only time you will have a problem is if you
>used dot 3. DOt 3 will boil at lower temperatures. If you
>get the brakes hot, the fluid will boil, and that create air (boiled
>brake fluid) in the lines, just as you need the brakes most.
>Your brake  pedel may feel mushy or go right to the floor,
>but will pump up. After stopping and letting the brakes cool
>everything will return to normal. This has happend to me
>twice, as I'm very demanding of my vehicles, with all the hills
>here in W. PA. The fix is simplly bleed out all the old and in with the
>dot 4. (reference the filler cap)
>
>  This is just one more detail of the vanagon personality.
>
>            Eric                   86-VW4x4
>            vw4x4@fyi.net          72-240z
>            Pittsburgh, PA USA     1936-Chrysler
>
>
>On Sat, 3 Apr 1999, MtnGal wrote:
>
>> >       DOT 4 only.
>> >         Eric
>> Dot 4 only in Vanagons??
>> What will another dot # do to the parts?
>> [[[I took a 600 mile (round trip to the warehouse)and half way through
stop
>> and go 80mph rush hour traffic I felt I was about to lose my brakes.
>> All I had in the van was DOT3 so in it went!!]]]
>>
>>
>