i had heard decades ago, that only Castrol LMA fluid should be used and generic Dot3 or Dot4 will cause brake failure.

True, or old wives tale?

Doug

 

Never heard that one.

ALL mine get Dot4, and whatever brand is on special when I need it.

Even the "Tank", MK VII, DRUM brakes if your old enough, HA, and never had issues.

 

Old wives tale. DOT 4 is fine.

 

A long time ago it was popular to use Castrol products in Jags. I did. "Jaguar" and "Castrol" just seemed to go hand-in-hand. As the years went by I began to realize it was one of those "feel good" things . It gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling but the car was totally aloof and indifferent to special diets.

As for the Castrol LMA brake fluid specifically I recall....again from long ago....that parts suppliers for British car parts touted it as "specially formulated" to work with the rubber brake seals used in British cars. I eventually concluded that, if the Brits did indeed use a unique rubber, it was something to be found in cars from the 1950s-60s that somehow have escaped any brake system repairs in the last 40 or 50 years.

Just my two cents !

Cheers
DD

 

That was my thoughts. Marketing ploy and rumors

I had heard (and read in older publications) the rubber was incompatible with anything but castrol and would break down.

But,

I can't image any car being allowed to be built, in the last 60 years that would need special brake fluid or have brake failure if you didn't, because of lawsuits and govt regs and stuff...

I know even today (or maybe 15 years ago), you are supposed to use only "super" Dot 4, or something like that in new jags. I would hazard a guess that "super" Dot 4 is only available thru Jag dealers and costs 3 times as much...

Doug

 

"Super" in Jaguar's case means low viscosity at low temperatures (ISO 4925 Class 6). Bosch EIS-32N is very close to the OEM spec Super spec Viscosity at -40F = 685 vs 675 for the recommended Shell Super DOT 4

Castrol LMA was a "Low Moisture Absorbing" (or something like that). I use Castrol DOT4 in the E-Types and XJ-S, Bosch in the XK8, X-Type and XJ8. Change every two years regardless of miles.

HTH, Dave

 

Perhaps it was a dealer-only thing years ago. I dunno. But it isn't hard to find today. The most common brand seems to be Pentosin which even my local NAPA store carries.

Cheers
DD

 

Aside from Rolls Royce, and Bentley, with their Citroen derived mineral oil system. Definitely not something you want to mix normal brake fluid with. They kept that going through 2003.

 

Ive always used DOT4 in my 86 but never noticed this sticker before.

 

I don't think they had DOT 4 back then. So DOT 3 was the best available.

The warning was so you didn't use DOT 2 or DOT 1, which were for things like farm tractors, in the 1940s, those would boil at disc brake temps.

Doug

 

I used DOT 4 to replace DOT 3 many times in older cars. Never had a problem, or even heard of any problems, doing so.

Many of the fluids sold nowadays say "DOT3/4" on the label. Presumably the formulation meets both standards.

Cheers
DD