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GAH! topped off brake fluid with power steering fluid!

qbert2500

NAXJA Forum User
Location
CA
Ok, I know this is bad and retarded!:bawl: I'm haven't driven it and not going to drive it till I fix it in the morning.

It was at the "add" level and I poured it to the full. I thought it was the steering, yeah I know pretty retarded being a big yellow steering wheel on the power steering box.

It was dark what can I say. :doh:


So I tried a turkey baster but it has a short needle and was only able to get half of the fluid out of the master reservoir, after reading some stuff online. I will need to go to a store and find one with a longer needle. I put the fluid I took out in to a clear jar and it looks like the steering fluid does not mix and it says at the top of the brake fluid as it's own layer.

Any suggestions?
I'm thinking I will use a better baster or something else (any suggestions)?
Then refill with brake fluid and use the baster again to pull out all the fluid for a second time out of the master reservoir.
And it should be ok?


Should I have it towed to have the fluid drained and flushed? How much does this usually cost?
 
Most of the components in the brake system are not tolerant to petrolium based fluid contamination. if you are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE that the only place the fluid has touched inside the system is the interior of the master cylinder reservoir than remove the master without allowing ANY of the fluid to reach the rest of the system and replace it... then pray.
If the system has become even partially contaminated the brakes are now unsafe. Within a short period of time all of the seals will expand and break down causing unexpected brake failure at any time. The only way to properly repair a contaminated system is to replace ALL of the components that have ANY seals/ o rings/ hoses/ etc. (hope there is no ABS.) The hard brake lines must be cleaned thoroughly with denatured alcohol after all of the attached components are removed. Once the lines are positively clean of all residue the system may be reassembled with all new/ reman/ used (your choice) components. Failure to clean or replace any part of the system will result in recontamination and having to do this procedure all over again. One drop of fluid left behind can destroy everything again. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I have had to repair several customer cars this happened to when I was a mechanic, it's an expensive mistake. Best of luck.

Joe
 
yikes... that sucks.

Like TurboGuru said, you're pretty screwed.

If you can bleed the brakes yourself, remove the master cylinder and flip it upside down, rinse the reservoir out with brakleen, fill with brake fluid, shake, rinse out with brakleen again, etc. My bet is that the seals in the master cylinder at the very least have been contaminated.

Hose the ends of the brake lines off with brakleen as well when you remove the master cylinder. If fluid flowing out through the flare fittings on the cylinder leaves oil behind on the lines it will wreck everything.

If you end up having to replace everything, you can keep your hardlines as long as you flush them out extremely carefully. Disconnect the rubber line at the far end, then pump clean brake fluid through, then flush with brakleen and follow with more clean brake fluid.

I don't believe the proportioning valve has anything rubber in it but I'm not entirely sure. If you have ABS, plan on eliminating it. Other than that, you'll have to replace the master cylinder, all 3 rubber lines (cheap, don't sweat this one), both wheel cylinders (cheap, fairly easy to get at as well), and the calipers, unless you get a rebuild kit for the calipers and simply flush them out and replace the seals.
 
Ok, I don't think I got all of it out of the the reservoir. It has been 11 hours. I'm gonna go find a better turkey baster.
I will have to get it towed to a shop. I can't do the work myself don't have anyone that can help..

Since it probably is still in the reservoir. I shouldn't start the car? I shouldn't press the brake petal to put in it neutral?
Let me know the procedure to minimize the damage when I get it towed and send it to a shop. Maybe it has not made it to the rest of the system? Should I pop the plastic reservoir off first?

here is a pic. Do I have ABS?

a69df913.jpg
 
Whew... you have no ABS! At least you have that going for you.

Chances are, after that amount of time it has mixed into at least the master cylinder.

As long as you flush the hard lines properly, you are probably in for less than 300 dollars of repairs... parts, anyways. Brake cylinders are about 10-15 each, hoses are under 20 each, the master cylinder is less than 100 (20-30 at a junkyard), calipers are 50-60.
 
Yes the prop valve has rubber in it, needs to be replaced. The Hard lines need to be flushed completely with denatured alcohol to completely remove contamination, nothing else will work as well to do so. If you try to bleed the system now you will introduce the contamination into the entire system... if it is not already there. It would be less expensive to do it yourself, A shop will likely charge you $1000+ parts and labor. Sorry man.

No, looking at the pic, you do not have ABS.
 
Dang! :wierd: How difficult is it to do? I might try it if its easy but being the brakes and the possibility of causing a accident I think I should let someone that knows what they're doing do it. Just got another turkey baster for $1 and it only got a little bit more out. Still about 1/4 full.
I did get a lot of the oil out but that single drop thing sucks and there is probably a tiny but left in the resevior.




If I get it towed, should I not start the car. Dont apply pressure to the brakes? Only use e brake?
 
Problem is if you leave any in the reservoir behind the wall (it's a dual cylinder reservoir) that will contaminate the system too.

Brakes and repairing a bent bumper and replacing bent sheetmetal were (not coincidentally) my first repairs.
 
Man I hope it's not $1000! I see all parts must be cleaned with the alcohol because the oil breaks down the rubber. Well I'm gonna cook lunch, then check with a garage down the street and let you guys know the cost. Probably not pretty..:wow:
 
Remove the Master before proceding any further. The more you suck out the closer it gets to the rest of the system. Replace the master, End of story, the master is no longer safe to use. The rest of the system is up to you, I cannot make the decision for you, but I recommend all or nothing.

As for the remaining parts, everything bolts and unbolts just like every other part on your jeep. Yes, most are a PITA to get to or loosen the fasteners (use a flare wrench when nessicary or you will kick yourself later.) But as long as you take your time and properly service and reassemble everything, it will work fine. Get an FSM or other service manual to guide you and save yourself a ton of money. Take your time and do it right... or do it again, because you rushed and missed something that restarted your nightmare. It is not overly complicated, but it will give you a greater understanding of your vehicle and greater confidence in your ability to repair it after you are successful. Best of luck, if you have any questions I will try to answer them, but am not always immediately available to check this thread.

HTH,
Joe
 
Imo, if he has not driven the jeep yet the chances of the powersteering fluid making it into the rest of the system are very slim, because it has not been pressurized, And brake fluided does flow in a perfect system unless there is a leak some where in the system. Personally I would disconnect the brake lines asap from the master. then figure out what to do from there.
 
Imo, if he has not driven the jeep yet the chances of the powersteering fluid making it into the rest of the system are very slim, because it has not been pressurized, And brake fluided does flow in a perfect system unless there is a leak some where in the system. Personally I would disconnect the brake lines asap from the master. then figure out what to do from there.
likewise, but the two fluids mix well and one will slowly diffuse into the other. The quicker you handle something like this, and the more thoroughly you clean, the better chances you have. If he'd drained out as much as possible, then disconnected both lines from the master cylinder and hosed the ends off with alcohol or brakleen, within a few minutes of realizing the mistake, the damage would almost certainly be confined to the master cylinder.
 
Sometimes a medical supply/pharmacy might have a syrings (with a plastic needle or something) you can slip a 3/8" or so line over to pull out the old contaminated fluid.

I use it to change power steering fluid.
 
likewise, but the two fluids mix well and one will slowly diffuse into the other. The quicker you handle something like this, and the more thoroughly you clean, the better chances you have. If he'd drained out as much as possible, then disconnected both lines from the master cylinder and hosed the ends off with alcohol or brakleen, within a few minutes of realizing the mistake, the damage would almost certainly be confined to the master cylinder.

The quicker the better is what I was trying to get at. Actually depending on the brand of the fluids if the specific gravity of the power steering fluid is less the that of the brake fluid they shoud stay seperated. From the little amount of quick searching I have done. Typical power steering fluid is less then brake fluid. Therefore the Powersteering should "float" on top of the brake fluid.
 
Pull the oil off the top with a turkey baster or pump of some sort. Isn't the reservoir removable on that style MC? If so take it off after sipping the oil off and clean it good/reinstall.

This thread reminds me of the time my father in law topped off my wife's washer fluid bottle with....antifreeze! When she sprayed the windshield the next day she had to pull off the highway due to the "smear" on the windshield, what a friggen mess!

Good luck!
 
Here is a pic the power steering fluid I used and how much I got out of it with the turkey basters. I think I will have to bleed the MC to be on the safe side..
I'm gonna try to remove the reservoir or the MC first tonight. Just found out it is the silver thing and not the drum in the back. whew.
I have not stepped on the brakes or started the car since this while mess.


73e00c1f.jpg

1caae33c.jpg
 
You can see the 2 seperated fluids in the bottle. What I would do, Is remove the brake lines from the master cylinder (this should keep all of the powersteering fluid out of the brake lines), drain all of the remaining fluid from the MC and "rinse/flush" just the MC and reservoir with denatured alcohol. Then reinstall the brake lines and bleed the system with brake fluid.
 
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