Asking for a friend….?

[Tony_C]

Just supposing someone was so stupid - his words not mine- to mistakenly put a ‘tiny’ amount of engine oil into the brake reservoir (I know , I’ve never heard of it before also).. When he called, we discussed he would completely empty and clean the reservoir before topping up with the correct fluid.. What is the sensible opinion, can he gently drive the car here and we will carry out a full flush and fluid change?

…… I know that the radical opinion on line is that the rubber component s will react. However, how realistic is this that this will really (immediately?) occur?

 

Thanks as ever for your considered feedback…

[John Morrison]

Guess it depends on how tiny, but I would bring it over to yours.

…and then do a proper job, he.ll have hydraulics for the run.

John

[Hamish]

She’ll be right mate. 

[Tony_C]

Thanks Guys, makes sense to me 

 

[Tony_C]

….. This is my academically very bright youngest son, I showed him the basics of checking the fluid levels periodically for his first car, putting a tin of brake fluid and (after making an executive decision that he did not need to lug 5 litres of engine oil around for a car (Ford!) that did not consume oil) a similar sized tin of oil in his boot… Therefore, it will surely go down in the annual as my fault?!

[Hamish]

I’ve not tested this but google suggests that oil will float on brake fluid 

[RogerH]

Unless there is a good brake fluid leak the oil will not get into the pipework in any short time - may be months.

Suck the fluid out of the reservoir and clean with paper towel then refill with brake fluid.

 

Roger

 

[Motorsport Mickey]

1 hour ago, RogerH said:

Unless there is a good brake fluid leak the oil will not get into the pipework in any short time - may be months.

Suck the fluid out of the reservoir and clean with paper towel then refill with brake fluid.

 

Roger

 

+1 for Roger’s suggestion. That’s what I was thinking I’d do.

Mick Richards.

[stuart]

You think thats bad. A very long time ago I bought a Rover 2000 from a trader near me and he did say the brakes were a bit hard and he thought it might need a servo....................No someone had filled the brake system with Automatic transmission fluid as it had a spongy brake pedal!

Stuart.

[Tony_C]

Thanks guys, all very much appreciated as always. Yep, I got him to suck everything out of the reservoir - and not to touch or pump the brake pedal in the meantime - and top up with the actual fluid this time.

Anyway, long story short, he then went straight to the garage and got everything flushed and changed…. He won’t tell me what it cost but I believe him when he says that he will never make that mistake again?!

[John Morrison]

We’ve all done stuff like that

part of the steep learning curve 

John

[harlequin]

41 minutes ago, John Morrison said:

We’ve all done stuff like that

part of the steep learning curve 

John

I have in the past put petrol in a diesel Land Rover and a diesel Golf, Ihave also put diesel in a petrol Mercedes, I have even managed to put diesel in a motorcycle. So yes it happens.

George 

[Harbottle]

Red Rose Member put diesel in his TR6 🫢 . Fortunately only drove very short distance before terror struck him and managed to save the day draining it all out.

[harlequin]

3 hours ago, Harbottle said:

Red Rose Member put diesel in his TR6 🫢 . Fortunately only drove very short distance before terror struck him and managed to save the day draining it all out.

With old technology as used on a TR6 I'm sure it won't cause a problem. 

George 

[Charlie D]

7 hours ago, harlequin said:

...I have in the past put petrol in a diesel Land Rover...

When I used to have old FX4 diesel London Taxis my MOT man told me to fill up with 50/50 petrol/diesel the day before the MOT to help it pass the emissions test.

It never failed.

[stuart]

29 minutes ago, Charlie D said:

When I used to have old FX4 diesel London Taxis my MOT man told me to fill up with 50/50 petrol/diesel the day before the MOT to help it pass the emissions test.

It never failed.

Doesn’t work so well the other way round in a petrol 

Stuart

[harlequin]

39 minutes ago, stuart said:

Doesn’t work so well the other way round in a petrol 

Stuart

The petrol Mercedes that I put diesel in was a 1968 2.8 W108 and I put in about 20 litres of derv. I got a couple of miles before it started misbehaving and realised what I had done, luckily there was another petrol station nearby so I topped it up with petrol and it was fine, a bit down on performance for a bit but no damage.

George