Am i the only idiot who put transmission fluid in the brake line?

Question

Back in the summer i accidently put transmission fluid in the brake fluid resevoir, and now it is costing me 875 bucks to replace the whole brake system...brakes ,calipers,master cylinder, cuttin rotors, fluids,calipers,rear wheel cylinders, etc. as of now no lines need to be replaced... this was a 900 dollar mistake that was my own fault. had i known the damage it would cause i would have had it checked right away.

Answer 1

Mistakes happen....But I'm not sure why all these people are telling you to just refill the systme with brake fluid and it will be fine. If you had done this right away then they would be right and you would only be paying a $100 bucks but since it has been in the system for as long as it has it probably has soaked into all the rubber bits which swells them making them useless so yes you should rplace all of them. people stop spreading misinformation.

Answer 2

if you open your system up(gain access to the enclosed brake system) by disconnecting the lines at the master cylinder, and at the calibers, you could actually then use compressed air to blow the lines free. The master cylinder, as well as the wheel calibers would have to most likely be removed to clean and clear them(flushed out) but nothing a couple of cans of "brake cleaner" couldn't handle once they were drained. As far as having to by new rotors, pads, and the other parts that don't even come into contact with the fluid the shop is taking you for a ride and "brake"ing into your wallet.You dont need all those parts, honest, but there is alot of labor involved and that you gotta pay for. Once its apart , check the pads replace them new if anything

Answer 3

ha ha.i always use brake fluid in my master cylinder.dont worry i expect theres people done worse.next time read the side of the bottle.please dont spend all that money.all you have to do is fill the master cylinder up and bleed all 4 wheels till you see brake fluid coming out.dont let it bother you dear.theres mechanics who also made mistakes.heck i even made mistakes.once i had the brake drums off my car,putting new brakes on and my mom called me and i forgot and like a dummy i got in and hit my brakes without putting the drums back on.so you see everyone makes mistakes.

Answer 4

Well, it's not good obviously, Tina! There are other "idiots" (and don't be so hard on yourself - mistakes happen!) who have done similar, if not dumber things. My dad, who worked part-time at a gas station in NYC, once did an oil change on a brand new Cadillac, got distracted and forgot to put fresh oil into the pan; needless to say, the boss had to ante up large money for a new engine. Like I said, mistakes happen! Just make sure you double-check where to put various fluids next time.

Answer 5

There are probably other people who have done that and are not willing to admit it. I would be easy to do if you know very little about maintaining a vehicle. When I got my drivers license and a car my father told me I had to learn how to keep track of the fluids,learn how to change a flat tire, and not to call him if I ran out of gas. Luckily he was a mechanic and taught me how to do all of that stuff. Now if an something happens I can do all of that stuff and a little bit more. ( I don't worry about that anymore I figure that is what my husband is for. lol)

Answer 6

I'm kindda suprised that tranny fluid would do all that much dammage... seems to me that flushing out the system with alcohol and refilling/bleeding with the right fluid should have taken care of it.

Answer 7

Tina: Somebody is taking you for a ride. Drain the system. Refill and bleed it.

Answer 8

did you flush the whole system and fill with at fluid..no way topping it off would hurt it.

Answer 9

no. but it is costly to do that.