Brakes - Chevrolet 2007 Silverado 1500 Pickup Owner's Manual

Brakes

Brake Fluid
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 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.
Your brake master
cylinder reservoir is
filled with DOT-3 brake
fluid. See Engine
Compartment Overview
on page 476 for the
location of the reservoir.
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. See "Checking Brake Fluid"
in this section.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
when to check your brake fluid. See Scheduled
Maintenance (Gasoline Engine) on page 615.
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