Brake Fluid - Cadillac SRX 2010 Owner's Manual

srx.book Page 23 Monday, June 8, 2009 8:28 AM
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be of
top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts. If
this is not done, the brakes might not
work properly. For example, installing
disc brake pads that are wrong for
the vehicle, can change the balance
between the front and rear brakes —
for the worse. The braking
performance expected can change in
many other ways if the wrong
replacement brake parts are
installed.

Brake Fluid

The brake master cylinder reservoir
is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid as
indicated on the reservoir cap. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 9-6 for the location of the
reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir might
go down:
• The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes back
up.
• A fluid leak in the brake hydraulic
system can also cause a low fluid
level. Have the brake hydraulic
system fixed, since a leak means
that sooner or later the brakes will
not work well.
9-23
Do not top off the brake fluid. Adding
fluid does not correct a leak. If fluid is
added when the linings are worn,
there will be too much fluid when
new brake linings are installed. Add
or remove brake fluid, as necessary,
only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
{
WARNING
If too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn, if
the engine is hot enough. You or
others could be burned, and the
vehicle could be damaged. Add
brake fluid only when work is done
on the brake hydraulic system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See Brake System Warning Light
on page 4-23.