maxrev

I agree. I been able to boil ATE Blues fairly easily.

teamking

I found that with ~8,000 miles, ~12 autocrosses, but 0 track days, ATE Blue does not last a full year.

Stephenopoly

Gonna ask a newb question, I'm currently running ATE BLue, How do you know when you need to change out your brake fluid?

124Spider

You don't want to get to that point, cuz it means you've boiled your fluid. Not a good thing at 130mph going into a hard braking zone. You should change regularly (no less than once a year) if you have DOT 4 fluid in. Some people change all or part each race or track day.

And, for the record, I've never had any trouble with ATE Super Blue. I have Motul in the car at the moment, because I alternate the two (to change color), but I've reached the point where the brakes are being asked to do more than they can (I note a bit of fade), with no sign of boiling.

Bassem

I try to change mine on the heavier M3 (3500lbs with my ass in it) after every two track days. I also have ducting and stainless pistons, so the fluid may not get as hot as it would on the S2000. What rlaifatt does is probably the safest thing to do.

Also for the record, I have yet to have trouble with ATE super blue.

Bassem

GT Motoring

Ive actually run the Valvoline Syntech im my past 2 cars. Never boiled once. The RSX i had and STI, both had brembo brakes. Both were tracked regularly. The RSX even went 1 hour straight on the track with no reduction in brakes. Never had issues with the heavier STI either. Seems to do very well for a more common fluid available at most auto parts stores.

teamking

At one autocross, I could press the brake pedal to the floor without engaging ABS. At that point, the ATE Blue had been in for 10 months and about 12 autocrosses. Bled the system, and the firmness of the pedal was restored. I guess the ATE Blue picks up water very quickly, especially here in humid Virginia. At that point, it becomes very easy to boil.

124Spider

^^Yes, DOT 4 fluid picks up moisture quickly. But if you could press your brake pedal to the floor in an autocross, you had something else up. You could almost use water as brake fluid without boiling it is a typical autocross. I bleed each winter, have done many track days and autocrosses each year (and it rains a bit in Seattle), I brake hard on a track which is hard on brakes, and I've never had an issue with ATE Super Blue boiling.

teamking

Interesting. About 3 months later, both my rear calipers started seizing during routine driving and I replaced them. I thought it surprising at the time that both failed at about the same time, although I blamed it on the fact that the previous owner had painted the calipers and gotten red paint all over the rubber seals and boots, perhaps making them more brittle.

Any way the spongy brake could be related? I suppose of the brakes had already started binding at that autocross (and it just took me a few months to notice it on the street), I could have heated up the rears sufficiently to boil one side or the other.



Not that things FELT that bad-- I set the FTD at that autocross!

124Spider

I don't know. You may have a leak, which only shows up on hard braking. You may have been too low on fluid. Certainly, if the boots and seals were not in good shape, that could affect the rate at which the fluid was being compromised, but autocross is so easy on brakes that spongy brakes at an autocross, to me, indicates something wrong with your braking system, not just needing a full bleed. You're never on the brakes for more than a couple of seconds consecutively in an autocross (especially if you're setting FTD); there's just not time to overheat healthy brakes.