I generally use a couple of Breeze Blocks.

Keeps the feet free.

Note the S Type!

and you can .

 

I feel it's my civic duty to bring this to everyone's attention.

 

Thinking about changing to Akibono brake pads. Any thoughts?

 

Yes. Follow Brutals advice and stay on the brakes while calibrating the EPB!
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I almost want to try it!

 

Almost? And I had such respect for you...........

 

I think I'd have to change to a different engine oil first, though. Not sure which to use...

 

No. I am not confused. I am aware of the diaphragm and its intended purpose.

However, that does not account for the common situation where someone has topped off the reservoir due to the drop in level when the pads wear. Then, you have your sealed system with no place for the non-compressible liquid to go. Hardly worth the risk to a system with a plastic master cylinder reservoir just to save the effort to untwist the cap a few turns. Ok on a cast iron reservoir with a steel cover as on your Corvette maybe.

As below, because the seals and other components may cause sediment. And because the spec says that the wet boiling point is measure at 3 percent moisture content and brake fluid is highly hygroscopic. A 550F dry boiling point brake fluid can have a wet boiling point of only 311F. You just lost over 200F of emergency headroom. If a brake fluid never picked up moisture, or if there was a widely available measurement process for both moisture content and contaminants, then it might be possible to extend the flushes safely and with certainty. Or, use Castrol SRF which has both dry and wet boiling points above 500F. The problem is it retails for just around $70.00 a litre. It actually is a DOT 4 brake fluid in case anyone cares to use it.

Now, lots of people drive every day with old brake fluid. They don't use the headroom because they don't brake that hard ... most of the time. On a panic stop they won't have the headroom and they'll likely never know that they could have had it. All they know is they now have an at fault "accident" on their insurance record to moan about. BTW, there is no such thing as an "accident" in my mind.


FMVSS standards require DOT3/DOT4 brake fluid to be amber. Water is colourless and transparent. You don't know if you had water in there or not. Unless you sent it to a test lab. Failed internal moving components such as caliper pistons and seals can almost always be traced back corrosion. Except for water ingress due to a ruptured boot, that moisture would necessarily have been contained in the brake fluid.

 

I think I know what you're getting at (but insert "almost" before "no").
Some accidents are beyond the driver's blame (hit by a part falling off an airplane, say).

I think it's a good point, though - ought to be part of the driving test...

I'm aware I make mistakes when driving, kinda kick myself when I do, could cause an accident (viewed from another driver's situation). Probably many people mix up "mistake" and "accident".

 

How about "collisions involving other vehicles, stationary objects, or pedestrians. But you get the drift. Result is the same, but "accident" versus "mistake" lets drivers off the hook mentally too easily. It boils down to lack of thought.

The strategy I adopt when an oncoming vehicle is going wide on a narrow street is to come to a full stop if need be. Pretty hard for the other driver to argue if he sideswipes a stationary object.


There would be *far* less congestion.

 

do you work for a injury lawyers by any chance?....why is something always someone's fault?...accidents DO happen...fact of life...you can't go round blaming someone else whenever you trip up or cut your finger. This blame culture thing is wrecking this country!

As for changing your brake fluid, yes it should really be done to the manufacturers recommendation in my humble opinion.....but if brake fluid really degraded so quickly, to a point where it was dangerous and would impair braking so drastically, then it would have to be changed at every MOT. Lots of other factors have to be taken into consideration when discussing brake efficiency, not just the quality of brake fluid. I'd like to think that one of the biggest reason for brake failure would be the rubber brake hoses splitting or a rubber seal.....who would you blame for that one?...should be strip our brakes down every year just to make sure....??

 

accident [ˈæksɪdənt]

1. an unforeseen event or one without an apparent cause
2. anything that occurs unintentionally or by chance; chance; fortune I met him by accident
3. a misfortune or mishap, esp one causing injury or death
4. (Philosophy / Logic) Also called adjunct Logic Philosophy a nonessential attribute or characteristic of something (as opposed to substance)
5. (Philosophy) Metaphysics a property as contrasted with the substance in which it inheres
6. (Earth Sciences / Geological Science) Geology a surface irregularity in a natural formation, esp in a rock formation or a river system
[via Old French from Latin accident- chance, happening, from the present participle of accidere to befall, happen, from ad- to + cadere to fall]

 

What's the old joke about 95% making the rest look bad?

 

bloody ambulance chasers....anybody hear about some of these low life ringing people who are in hospital, straight after an accident, seeing if they want to claim??...i'd say yes, come on round to see me...then when he arrived beat the c**p out of them and then claim off them for making me do it....

 

The brakes on my 2003 jaguar s type are squeaking a lot so i think its time to replace them. I got this car about 3 months ago and this will be my first time doing any maintenance to it. Can someone recommend any good and reasonable mechanics that are experienced in Jaguars? I live in Orange County.

 

Shejag, I've just come to do my rear discs and havn't a clue how to release the EPB without the car being on and in gear, which I really don't want to do.
What's the best way of disengaging the EPB to get the pads and caliper off?

 

You're in the wrong forum for XF but it may be like the S-Type: go to ignition II with foot on brake and press paddle down. Keep it down as you turn off the ignition.