How to Clean Residual Brake Fluid When Changing a Tire

It's important to keep an eye on your brake fluid to make sure it's in good condition. Brake fluid controls how well your brakes work. Part of making sure the brake fluid is clean and fresh is to change it. Sometimes during a brake fluid change or brake fluid bleeding, residual fluid falls. It's important to clean the residual brake fluid to make sure it doesn't contaminate the clean, new fluid.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rags

1. Bleed all the brakes on your vehicle. Bleeding is the process of releasing fluid from the brake lines.

2. Clean off any residual brake fluid with a fresh rag. Do this cleaning for all brake lines. Make sure you get all of it to prevent contamination.

3. Replace the bleeder screw cap on all brake lines. Make sure they're put on evenly and tightly.

4. Put the four tires back on the vehicle. Work on one tire at a time.

5. Tighten the lug nuts in a star-shaped pattern. You'll need to work on one tire at a time.

6. Slowly lower your car.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use petroleum-based solvents to clean residual brake fluid when changing a tire.
• Don't use compressed air to dry and clean residual brake fluid. The air could contain moisture or traces of oil that could ultimately get in the brake lines, contaminate the fluid and affect the effectiveness of your brakes.
• Don't use shop rags to clean residual brake fluid. They are usually treated with chemicals which can contaminate the brake fluid if they seep in.