[suoiruc]

I change the HPU fluid today as people suggested on the site. By using a big syringe, I syphoned out all the fluid in the reservoir, cycled it a few times and sucked some more out of which looked like half of the new fluid. That seems like an expensive and inadequate way of doing things. I know there is still old fluid in the system and was wondering if it could be bled off by loosening the torx head bolt ( brass ). The bolt is located near the solenoid alongside one of the hoses- I wish I had a picture for you. It might just be a set screw for the solenoid or it might have been meant for bleeding. Anyone know?

 

[spyderpez]

How about a vacuum oil change pump/extractor. I have not tried it but cyclehead has in his write-up

I change the HPU fluid today as people suggested on the site. By using a big syringe, I syphoned out all the fluid in the reservoir, cycled it a few times and sucked some more out of which looked like half of the new fluid. That seems like an expensive and inadequate way of doing things. I know there is still old fluid in the system and was wondering if it could be bled off by loosening the torx head bolt ( brass ). The bolt is located near the solenoid alongside one of the hoses- I wish I had a picture for you. It might just be a set screw for the solenoid or it might have been meant for bleeding. Anyone know?

 

[plebian]

It's a circulating system, the new stuff will push the old stuff out.

 

[03txspyder]

I would not loosen any screws...you might get more than you bargin for.

 

[cyclehead]

Bleeding any fluid out under pressure would be a little scary, with the chance of running the pump dry. You certainly don't want to run the pump dry. (Lots of tiny parts in there! *link*) Tiny parts like to overheat, gall and seize.

If you could just loosen some screw at a low spot in the system, and refill before firing up the pump it would probably be okay. Since it's a circulating system, it should self-bleed (I'm guessing.) I have no idea which screw. Plus the end result of that would be about the same as sucking the reservoir dry and refilling a few times.

 

[MikeV]

Plus... you really aren't wasting fluid, are you. Any fluid left over in the can is going to go to bad anyway, probably almost as quickly as the fluid in the system.

 

[Bosse99]

The ventilation hole in the cap makes the fluid have contact to air all the time. Maybe the differens between dot4 and smt fluid is just that. The smt fluid don't absorbe moist that much.

 

[suoiruc]

Thanks for the replies,
I guess there isn't any better way so far as we know. And it wouldn't really matter to me if this was what the manufacturers had in mind by diluting the old fluid with new if it wasn't sooo expensive. I think when my car builds up the mileage, I'll consider using Dot4 like Plebian.
And to address some of the other comments, you use most of what's in the can draining the reservoir twice. I'm saving the remainder as somebody else commented in the forums- changing it out with the engine oil change.

 

[kevvin]

can dot 4 brake fluid replace smt fluid???

can dot 4 brake fluid replace smt fluid???

 

[cyclehead]

Yes. .

 

[Bosse99]

Yes. .

It even says "Brake fluid" on a label on the HPU. I got a new HPU a month ago and the label is there. The HPU was already filled when i got it so I think it's SMT-fluid in my system but if it was empty I would poor in Dot4 without any hesitation.

 

[kevvin]

thxs for the feedback

 

[kevvin]

i changed to dot 4 fluid

quite ok after i changed the fluid to new dot 4 bosch fluid
faster pumping time but after few day of testing suddenly the smt warning light came on
then i switch off the car restart it again the light when off
what seem to be the problem??

 

[03txspyder]

Pull the codes to see. Have you checked fluid levels again?

 

[kevvin]

fluid level is half of the reservior
now no more smt warning light came on
gonna test few day running the car see the light will came on again

 

[kevvin]

changed dot 4 bosch
problem accored smt light came on
pump have different sound and run more often
HELP~~~

 

[DaveSchott]

40 bucks for SMT fluid is not that expensive. Do a search for the link.

Substitute fluids have caused damage to seals, another search will confirm this.

 

[Bosse99]

40 bucks for SMT fluid is not that expensive. Do a search for the link.

Substitute fluids have caused damage to seals, another search will confirm this.

Dot4 is not (for what i can tell) a bad substitute because it's brake fluid and LUK puts a label marked BRAKE FLUID on the HPU without any restrictions for what type of brake fluid they mean. They wouldn't have put the label on if brake fluid would harm the system in anyway. Toyota who putted the HPU in the cars obviously didn't have any problem with the label. In the manual to our cars (I have both a German from 2001 and a English from 2005) it clearly states SMT-fluid or equal. Equal means something (but is not written in plain text because Toyota wanna make money of the SMT-fluid) and from the above written about the label my conclusion is that dot4 is just as good as SMT-fluid.

But everyone is entitled to there own opinion.

 

[MikeV]

40 bucks for SMT fluid is not that expensive. Do a search for the link.

That's true, but the cheapest non-typo price I've ever seen is $106 + shipping.
That is a lot of money for a litre of DOT3.

 

[MikeV]

changed dot 4 bosch
problem accored smt light came on
pump have different sound and run more often
HELP~~~

Again.... what problem codes? Without pulling the codes, why would you think changing the fluid would solve the issue?