Brakes; Brake Fluid - GMC Safari 2003 Owner's Manual

Brakes

Brake Fluid

Your brake master cylinder reservoir is filled with DOT-3
brake fluid. See Engine Compartment Overview on
page 5-13 for the location of the reservoir.
5-42
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 won't work well,
or won't work at all.
So, it isn't a good idea to "top off" your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won't correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you'll 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.