johnpbransfield Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Some advice please. I am going to change the brake fluid in the not too distant future. I have some Comma Dot 4 ESP which I have had unopened for nearly two years. Expiry date is 3 years after production which will be April 2019......does this mean use it by then or will it be no good by then? Also it is ESP which is for cars with ABS! Didn't realise this when I bought it. Would it be OK to use on a car without ABS? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 23, 2018 Member Share Posted January 23, 2018 I'd never heard of "ESP", just checked the technical data sheet. The 3y is shelf life. Should be fine. No problem using that in a car without ABS. (But what fluid do you have in at the moment... any DOT 4 should be compatible.)Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpbransfield Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 Hi JK, Has the same stuff in now but not the ESP version! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 23, 2018 Member Share Posted January 23, 2018 That should be compatible.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Golf Juliet Tango Posted January 23, 2018 Area Representative Share Posted January 23, 2018 If it has Extra Sensory Perception it should be very helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Geoff Brown Posted January 23, 2018 Area Representative Share Posted January 23, 2018 Shelf life for the majority of synthetic automotive products is usually FIVE YEARS sealed.The DOT 4 ESP is probably formulated for ABS systems though I am not sure how...maybe it is the non compressibility characteristics that are different. Considering that the recommended interval for the brake fluid change on a Seven is every two years this does not give you any margin.Decision is yours but for the price of a bottle of standard DOT 4 with a much longer life I know what I would do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 I just bought Castrol dot 4 to change my brake fluid. Last time I used newly purchase Comma fluid and it has been fine. However, I noticed that while comma just seal the fluid with a normal screw cap, the Castrol fluid had a foil seal under the cap that had to be broken, so I would trust that more if I kept it for a year or two.By the way, never use Carplan brake fluid, I had some that I had bought on holiday only a month before, and used it to change my clutch fluid. After a few weeks, I removed the cap to check the level and found crystals all over the cap and the fluid looking very cloudy. I changed it immediately with some Comma fluid and I find it looks much better after a year than the Carplan did after weeks, and have never had the crystals again.Duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted February 4, 2018 Member Share Posted February 4, 2018 I still reckon 3y on the shelf and 2y in the 7 would be well within tolerance...What did you do, John, please?Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted February 4, 2018 Member Share Posted February 4, 2018 ... and found crystals all over the cap and the fluid looking very cloudy.Was it very cold?ThanksJonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 No, this happened in the summer. I've never seen it before, and the bottle claimed it met the Dot4 criteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted February 4, 2018 Member Share Posted February 4, 2018 Thanks.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpbransfield Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share Posted February 4, 2018 Hi JK,Went with new fluid in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted February 4, 2018 Member Share Posted February 4, 2018 ThanksJonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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