Hello everyone
just done engine oil change from running in oil after rebuild
transmission top up
But noticed brake fluid was low
Phoned our local parts store only one in our town
They told me my s type takes dot 5.1
even on there website it say that
I don't want to purchase the wrong fluid
so thought best to ask the forum
I am heading away in a week
I do have some Castrol dot 4 at home which I used on my trailer
The photo of the Penpenrite Is what shop is telling me I need to use
and is only one available at the moment
If I need to find some else where I will

Just need advice
Thanking you
Darrol

 

Jaguar recommended SUPER DOT 4 for all ABS cars when I worked at the dealer up until 2006. (when I quit to run my own shop)

It is a viscosity thing about SUPER DOT 4.

DOT 4 might be compatible?

 

I can just add here that I never have heard about 5.1 Brake fluid and neither about Super Dot 4.
I use DOT 4.
However, I use the better Castrol DOT 4 - it is called DOT 4 react and the bottle is golden.
But I cannot see anything wrong with the red bottle Castrol DOT 4.

Also, you should investigate as to why your brake fluid is low. I just replaced all the rubber seals, which are inside of my brake calipers (on my X-Type, but that does not matter - same thing for the S-Type, just different seals - probably).

 

Hi Peter
Brake calipers were up graded to 6 pot front 4 pot rear rotors are now cross drilled & slotted done last year
had noticed a bleed niple had a slight leak
Thats all sorted now

 

Yes the DOT 5.1 is a new and improved brake fluid that is fully compatible with the older DOT4 stuff. But you shop is wrong Jaguar did NOT specify that fluid. As posted above in your owners manual you can find what they want and it's DOT4.

But since they are compatible it would be fine to use DOT5.1. As you know do make sure it's NOT DOT5.0 fluid! That is way different and can't be mixed as it's a Silicon based fluid.
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hi when i phoned auto shop they did number plate search
and what they told me was the only brake fluid they had was penrite dot 5.1
I could not look it up in drivers handbook as i don't have it any more as a friend Borrowed it a couple of years ago and I never saw it again
this is where I got confused as I thought jaguar used dot 4
ESA-M6C25-A
But shop has no dot 4 non silicon based fluid

 

Yes that Penrite DOT 5.1 will be fine. Yes Jaguar does specify DOT 4 for your car.
The only Silicon based brake fluid is the DOT 5.0 stuff so stay away from that one for sure. All the others will mix fine. I probably will start using DOT 5.1 after my jug of DOT 4 is gone.
It does seem to be a better brake fluid.
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DOT 4. Read the manual.

 

I can not read the manual
Let a friend borrow it to never see it again

 

This is what we were issued from the Parts dept. until the mid 2000s (about 2005 or 2006) then we switched brands. (I guess Jaguar got a better deal with a new supplier?)

Plastic bottles from France? I think.

 

Maybe download it/them?

 

Had to laugh when I saw this can, or maybe cry.

Brake fluid is usually labeled as DOT (all caps) followed by a number, e.g. DOT 4. The "DOT" portion is an acronym for Department Of Transportation, the regulatory agency in charge of the various specifications. Oh well, at least Jaguar capitalized the first letter.

Kinda like when you see NATO written as Nato... Sorry for the tangent, now back to our regularly scheduled conversation. With three teachers in my immediate family, I was not allowed to mangle language.

 

Next brand/package of fluid we got in the mid 2000s.

 

Mine has DOT5.1 in it, but only because I wanted it to have the very best. The manual doesn’t specify DOT5.1. DOT4 is fine, but I drive and brake hard so wanted the higher boiling point.

 

Just wanted to add some extra info as I’m currently looking for which fluid to use and made a bit of research on it. I have an XKR (X150) but it looks like it has the same brake fluid spec as the STR.

The workshop manual calls for Shell ESL Dot 4 fluid. But when looking at the spec sheet of this fluid, you’ll notice it is in fact a higher spec than Dot 5.1 fluid. Hence why people call it Dot 4+ or Super Dot 4. It is less viscous at lower temperatures. Boiling points are similar.

Based on paper spec, you’re actually downgrading by using Dot 5.1. Now will the difference in viscosity between “Dot 4+” and Dot 5.1 make a difference in real life situations? I don’t know. As Dot 5.1 is more readily available that is what I’m planning on using. Seems to be fine as many have been using it.

 

Have a look at this Pentosin fluid:

 

Dot 4

 

DOT 4 Class 6 is the low temp, low viscosity fluid recommended by Jaguar and isn't hard to find (ATE SL6 or equivalent, obviously very easy to find in Germany ).
DOT 4 usually refers to the Class 4 variant with a much higher low temp viscosity.
DOT 5.1 has very similar characteristics to Class 6, so "should" also be fine but doesn't seem to be better or worse.

 

If it's silicone based yes it doesn't absorb water but here's what they don't tell you. Moisture sneaks by the seals in the calipers over time and what you end up with is pockets of water at the ends of the calipers. This happened on a car of mine that I began using silicone brake fluid in 1987. When you flush that water doesn't always come out either. Fast forward 12 years with that car and I was using it on the track one day and I lost brakes because that water turned to steam. Brake fluid that does absorb water somewhat would get all the water out of your system when you flushed it thoroughly. I also had rust at the ends of my calipers bores which is is exactly what I was trying to avoid in the first place!

There's no substitute for flushing you brakes regularly.