How do I fix a 2003 honda element brake system that has been contaminated with power steering fluid?

March 3, 2010 by admin · 2 Comments
Filed under: Honda 
power tool
Jeff g asked:

I got power steering fluid into my master cylinder by mistake. I broke down on the road by having the brakes cease up on me. I had it towed to big o tires and was told that the system has been contaminted with an oil product (power steering fluid I think). I need to fix this and think I can replace the components myself. but don’t know what to do about the aBs module replacedment and scan tool part?

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Comments

2 Responses to “How do I fix a 2003 honda element brake system that has been contaminated with power steering fluid?”
  1. Mattieu K says:
    March 4, 2010 at 9:57 pm

    How much power steering fluid did you get in there? it can’t be much.

    the only way to do it right is to flush out the brake fluid.

    start by using a turkey baster or a syphon to remove all of the fluid from the master cylidner.

    then start the flush; you can do that by opening the bleeder valve on the far right wheel then put a hose over the bleeder and pump the brake pedal to get all of the fluid out of that line. then go to the left rear and do the same thing. then the right front and then the left front. keep adding new brake fluid to the master cylinder to replace the fluid that comes out.

    do that about 3 times and you should get all of the contaminated fluid out of the system,

    i can’t quite understand how the contaminated fluid would cause the brakes to lock. I could see it causing the pedal to fade or drop when hot but power steering fluid is a hydraulic fluid and even though its a different base (petroleum v. mineral oil) I don’t see how it would cause the system to lock.

    I don’t think the ABS is a separate issue. I imagine you could open a line on the ABS and pump the brake pedal to try to get the fluid out of there as well.

    as for the seizing, find out what seized and go from there. the front brakes have calipers that can be rebuilt; rear brakes are usually disc as well. Mattieu K

  2. HONDA Tech says:
    March 7, 2010 at 3:30 am

    When brake fluid becomes contaminated what happens is any rubber component in the hydraulic systems swells. That is the reason your brakes locked up. This is going to be a costly repair. At this point your only option is to replace all rubber brake lines, master cylinder, abs modulator, and all 4 calipers. The steel lines can be cleaned. Make sure you have a reputable repair facility perfrom this repair. Brakes are one system where there is no room for mistakes.
    Good luck, HONDA Tech

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