Brakes; Brake Fluid - Cadillac 2004 DeVille Owner's Manual

Brakes

Brake Fluid

Your brake master cylinder reservoir is filled with DOT-3
brake fluid. See Engine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12 for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level
in the reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake
fluid goes down to an acceptable level during normal
brake lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid
level goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is
5-40
leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you should have
your brake system fixed, since a leak means that sooner
or later your brakes will not work well, or will not work
at all.
So, it is not a good idea to "top off" your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid will not correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you will have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
CAUTION:
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If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
If the ignition is in ON and the brake fluid is low, the
CHECK BRAKE FLUID message will be displayed in the
DIC. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-62.