I have heard that regardless whether a car has ABC brakes or whether the engine is running, the master cylinder should be filled to the maximum mark. Is this so?
No, not necessarily! With today’s cars that have ABS brakes the master cylinder has a maximum mark and you should not fill it passed it. As long as none of the brake warning lamps are not lit, that is how high you should fill it. If you fill it more then that you could cause damage and fluid could have brake fluid overflowing all over the engine compartment.
With ABS brakes just filling it to this maximum mark can be a problem. ABS brakes have an accumulator that pressurizes fluid, and there has to be some reservoir left for this fluid to go into. So filling it up to the max mark should only be done after the system has been depressurized.
No, not necessarily! With today’s cars that have ABS brakes the master cylinder has a maximum mark and you should not fill it passed it. As long as none of the brake warning lamps are not lit, that is how high you should fill it. If you fill it more then that you could cause damage and fluid could have brake fluid overflowing all over the engine compartment.
With ABS brakes just filling it to this maximum mark can be a problem. ABS brakes have an accumulator that pressurizes fluid, and there has to be some reservoir left for this fluid to go into. So filling it up to the max mark should only be done after the system has been depressurized.
Do this by having the engine off and step on the pedal several times to release all pressures from the accumulator and reservoir then check the fluid level and make sure it isn’t over the top. Just filling it to the maximum mark in an ABS brake system might cause problems when the system depressurizes.
