2000 mercedes sl500 brakes
 

When I get ready to change brakes [soon] ,
can I flush fluid and put in dot 5 fluid.
Will that solve the problem with water?
Thanks in advance, Rich

I feel the problem with moisture is mostly in the calipers. run a hose from the bleeder valve to a container. Have someone pump up the brakes inside and hold down on brake pedal while you open the bleed valve on the caliper enough to slowly go to floor with brake pedal. at the bottom tighten valve again and repeat this maybe three times. This should clear the old fluid and water out of the caliper. check fluid level and use only what your owners manual suggests, usually 4.

Rich;

Whatever you do, DO NOT USE DOT5 BRAKE FLUID. The brake systems in DOT4 cars are not equipped to handle the stuff with a complete cleaning and flush. DOT5 has it's own problems, so don't do it. Your life may depend on those brakes, so don't screw around with them.:mad:

Get yourself a Motive Pressure Bleeder. It's a total one man operation. No fuss no muss. With the pressure bleeder, it's no big deal to bleed/flush the brakes at least every 2 years. Personally I would do it every year which will more than take care of your moisture problem. It's called insurance. You can get them on Amazon for about $50. It will be the best $50 you ever spent. The brake master cylinder adapter that comes with it works on all my euro cars, both BMW's and Mercedes'. It is so useful, I can get an adapter that will fit my '67 Buick Riviera.:D

One thing about the Motive Pressure Bleeder, you only pressurize it to 15psi. That is approx. 1 pound above normal air pressure. I have never heard of anyone who has split a reservoir or popped it out of the master cylinder using one. The only thing I can think of is if someone was stupid enough to over-pressurize the tank, that might blow it.

Remember when bleeding the brakes, keep the master cylinder full; otherwise you will pump air into the system. Might also check your rubber brake lines for softness. My 96 has a soft pedal but great newer brakes and rotors. I feel the hoses may be getting soft. Not certain how to tell unless they are swelling.

Which pads and rotors did you use - OEM or some other brand?

Didn't get any yet. Any ideas? I just got the car in May. No warning lights, just squeaking.

brake lines normally don't get soft, they are reinforced. you can wear a hole in them from rubbing on the tire or they can fail all of a sudden from age. should inspect or replace the flexible lines from time to time. ususally a soft pedal is caused by air in your system. If pedal continues slowly down, then maybe master cylinder