How much brake fluid do i need?

[cigarsmoke23]

Hey Everyone, I am looking to replace the brake fluid in my 1997 c280. Can someone please confirm how much brake fluid i need to purchase? is it just 1 liter? Should i buy more? thanks!

[vaspen]

well I don't know realy but if you are bleeding the breaks I would get more just to be safe and a friend to bleed them who knows what he Is doing

[mbsickness]

If you are using a pressure bleeder one can should be plenty. I have done two cars with one can of ATE Super Blue.....granted I didn't have a drop to spare but for one car a single liter can should be plenty.

[Vetruck]

It is best to always buy several small bottles rather than one larger bottle of brake fluid. Once you open the container and use some, air will enter the container and moisture will build up inside it sitting on the shelf over the next several months- so if you use only half a large bottle then the rest "somehat" goes bad for best performance value. You want brake fuild fresh and not exposed to the enviroment.

The average car will use about 1 larger bottle for a complete system bleed inside the entire MC and calipers as if it was a new system. I would however recommend buying 3 samller bottles so you ave a spare just to be sure you do not have to stop mid process if you are not good at pump bleeding with a partner and are splilling some and/or pumping excessive amounts through making sure you have no air in the system.

tip- start with the closest wheel first to the MC (master Cylinder) then work to the furthest. The front system is separate from the rear, but you will want overlap the procedure once you get good pressure in both systems and the bias equalizes. In other words- bleed the LF 3 times, then RF 3x, then go LR 3x, RR 3x, then back to the LF another another few times up to 3x each- however, you need to bleed enough until fresh fluid is coming out. I do not do each wheel any more than 3x's and then move to the next because another line not bled equallycan have trapeped air and pull it back and then down the other wheel path. if you do one 6x and the other 0- then you are wasting alot of fluid. The o side could have fed the 5x side with bubbles where as if you do 3x each and then go back again you are pushing air bubbles away for the split in the lines and moving it further to the calipers- this way the other lines will not suck air back into them along with all the new fuild.