Having to top up brake fluid

snaps

Yesterday while driving to work, I had warnings on the dash about brakes (Volkswagon 1.9tdi B5.5 AVB).

I drove carefully into town and decided to check. I knew it wasn't pads, so must be something else. I checked fluid which was low. Brought some fluid and topped up to max. No more warnings.

Now Is it normal to have to top up fluid? On all cars I've had before I've never had to top it up?

I'll keep an eye on it to see if it goes down again.

Brakes are hard, no softness in them or pedal travel.

I cannot see any leaks anywhere, Also no fluid on concrete where I park.

Should I be worried?

crosstownk

The fluid level will drop as the pads wear - this is normal. Once the pads are replaced the fluid level will rise again. Unless you had your pads replaced recently then it might be an idea to have them checked soon.

Your brake fluid also operates the clutch hydraulics so check those for a leak.

Needless to say, if it continues to loose fluid then you will need a proper diagnosis.

Irish Steve

I can't remember ever seeing a vehicle where the brakes and the clutch are both served by the same reservoir.

Over time, as the pads and rear linings (or pads) wear, especially on modern vehicles that have self adjusting brakes, the fluid level will drop slowly over time, but it would be rare for the drop to be enough to activate the warning light unless it was not at max to begin with.

If the main seal on the master cylinder is leaking, depending on where the master cylinder is fitted, and the location of the servo booster, a leak on the master cylinder may not appear on the ground, so you need to keep an eye on the level now that it's been topped up. In the same way, a minor leak in a rear wheel cylinder may not appear on the ground, so yes, keep an eye on the level, and if it starts dropping again, then the braking system does need to be checked over sooner rather than later.

nd

Irish Steve wrote: »

I can't remember ever seeing a vehicle where the brakes and the clutch are both served by the same reservoir.

They are on my 02 corolla for one. I actually think it's very common.

Alanstrainor

nd wrote: »

They are on my 02 corolla for one. I actually think it's very common.

And the same on my BMW

jimgoose

nd wrote: »

They are on my 02 corolla for one. I actually think it's very common.

Same here, '99 Jag. The notion of "Universal brake-and-clutch" from a single reservoir has been pretty much de rigueur for a long time, I would've thought.

dr.fuzzenstein

The level might drop as pads wear, but I would think never enough to activate warning lights. Maybe it was low to start with and pad wear brought it below critical.
Better check the level every day initially, maybe it's a very slow leak.
Also, the fluid might only leak when you step on the brakes, so it will only be lost when you're on the move and may not be visible on your drive for that reason.
To see if small quantities are lost always check the car when parked in the same spot, if you have a level garage or drive always check there, otherwise you may get false readings and it makes very small losses impossible to detect.

snaps

Thanks for the replies!

dr.fuzzenstein

snaps wrote: »

Thanks for the replies!

Good luck with that! No really, hope all goes well. Brakes are no laughing matter, unlike an anvil in your backpack instead of a parachute. Now that is hilarious. :P
Personally I don't mind freak occurrences, but I hate it more than anything in the world if they "magically" fix themselves. It's irritating not knowing what's going on.

snaps

All still at the same level today. I'll carry on keeping an eye on it though.

9935452

jimgoose wrote: »

Same here, '99 Jag. The notion of "Universal brake-and-clutch" from a single reservoir has been pretty much de rigueur for a long time, I would've thought.

Same here on a tractor zts 14245.
I think the pickup point for the clutch is a bit higher so you will lose the clutch before the brakes if the fluid runs low