99 corolla brake fluid

[Spillner]

On the corolla 99, manual transmission....does anyone have a picture of the brake fluid tank?
I thought my brake fluid was low so i went out and bought some DOT 3 brake fluid from canadian tire and popped the top of the container saying FILL UP WITH DOT 3 fluid only...( the tank waas right on the LOW indicator ) then i look a lil on the right and BOOM! a lil pipe saying fill up with dot 3 brake fluid...so im like, uh ohh...u guys get the point? did i mess up and filled up the wrong container? If i did, what damage could be done? The container said DOT 3 fluid and the brake ffluid was dot 3, is that the same thing?


The two fluid containers are just beside each other...

Thanks

[OEMonkey]

Originally Posted by Spillner

On the corolla 99, manual transmission....does anyone have a picture of the brake fluid tank?
I thought my brake fluid was low so i went out and bought some DOT 3 brake fluid from canadian tire and popped the top of the container saying FILL UP WITH DOT 3 fluid only...( the tank waas right on the LOW indicator ) then i look a lil on the right and BOOM! a lil pipe saying fill up with dot 3 brake fluid...so im like, uh ohh...u guys get the point? did i mess up and filled up the wrong container? If i did, what damage could be done? The container said DOT 3 fluid and the brake ffluid was dot 3, is that the same thing?


The two fluid containers are just beside each other...

Thanks

Both brake fluid reservoir and Clutch fluid reservoir require DOT 3. yes they are beside each other just like the pedals, makes sense, right? The bigger reservoir is for the brake system.

There is a reason why the brake fluid is low. Either your brake linings are low and worn, or there's an external leak.

[Spillner]

Ok so if i put in dot 3 brake fluid in my clutch fluid tank...does that matter? or they use the same oil?

so its alright?

what color are they supposed to be?
thanks for the fast 10 minute response btw!

[OEMonkey]

color? they shouldn't be dirty. you already know what clean fluid looks like. Is your clutch pedal spongy or sticking to the floor when depressed?

[Spillner]

well it like it always was...its comes back up alright...but what im afraid of is having put brake fluid in the clutch fluid tank...the brake fluid tank is the bigger or the smaller one of the two?

[Nutter]

A hydraulic clutch (which you have) requires brake fluid. You did not mess up by putting brake fluid in your clutch fluid reservoir; however, as OEMonkey said, there is a reason that your brake fluid is low. You should definitely have that checked out to ensure that there isn't a leak, and that your pads are not worn out.

[Spillner]

Alright thanks...i feel much better now
As for my brakes, im pretty sure the front disc are getting tired, any idea on how it should cost me to get them replaced? I don't want to get screwed over!
Thanks
Bryan Earl Spillllnnner

[Nutter]

Brakes are very straightforward to change out yourself, and that would only cost you the cost of parts. I don't know what prices are in your neck of the woods, but here's what it would cost here:

Brake Pads: $19.99 (Lifetime warranty).
Brake Shoes: $14.99 (Lifetime warranty).
Turning rotors and drums: $28.00

Thats all you should need assuming there are no other issues. It is possible that your rotors / drums would not be machinable, in which case they would need to be replaced. You should also inspect / re-pack the bearings, which is nothing more than the cost of the bearing grease assuming they're in good shape.


A shop would probably charge anywhere from $150.00 - $200.00 to do the same thing. So, doing it yourself would be significantly cheaper and not really very difficult. The only recommendation I'd make is to use ceramic brake pads. They are really nice because they don't leave the residue that standard brake pads do, but they're slightly more expensive. Just my $.02. HTH!

[Spillner]

Very good ! Thanks dude !
I^m going to check things out and keep you posted
thanks again for the uber fast reponse