Otto Mechanic

Last night I had a pressurized Motive power brake bleeder spray fluid all over my car and shop floor. I've mopped it up but it's left a film on the car.

What's the best way to clean this stuff up? I've heard it eats paint and I'd rather avoid that. Any experience?

Thanks,

Otto Mechanic

Never mind. Warm water and Simple Green...

V2Rocket

brake cleaner in a spray can and a rag.

Otto Mechanic

Spencer, my experience is that will very definitely take off paint? I don't even use it on my brakes before masking off my shocks, it takes the "school bus yellow" right off the struts.

V2Rocket

oh yes dont use that on paint.
kinda breezed thru the first post, thought it was just on the floor.

Otto Mechanic

Well, it's on the car too and that's the part I'm most concerned with. The floor is also painted but I can easily re-paint it.

FrenchToast

Flush area with water. Mild detergent soap / water mix, wash off paint and any area the fluid may have 'dripped.' If it has dripped on any rubber seals they are likely going to stain (even if it is washed off, which it should be). Rinse and flush area again.

The detergent soap removes wax, so you should re-wax the cleaned surfaces.

Simple Green is a cleaning chemical and may or may not (I don't know) strip paint or clear coat. I would wash off any Simple Green as well.

If you got any brake fluid on your skin you should wash that off first.....
_

If Brake Clean (whatever brand) immediately takes off the paint on the strut then it sounds like the paint application isn't as strong as it should be. Yes, Brake Clean does remove/alter/degrade paint if let to sit, but it shouldn't be removing it immediately.

Assuming your garage floor does not have a drain, as most environmental ambitions outlawed that a few decades ago in most areas. Select commercial applications exempt. Makes it hard to flush out with water. (They didn't want you flushing your brake fluid into the drain).

mj951

Yes, you're not alone. The plastic tubes deteriorate over time, few years...what a mess. Rinse that stuff off asap it's very corrosive. Soap and water, rinse and repeat x2.

I was bleeding a rear caliper at the time, lost pressure and just about lost my sh_t when I got back under the hood and saw a blue stream spewing out over my engine bay and nose panel. This was several years ago and I've never found any damage so you'll be able to clean it up, just be diligent.

Good luck.

FRporscheman

My Motive bleeder's hose also burst. I once met the founder of Motive by chance, and the first thing I told him was that the hose on his bleeder was garbage and other than that stupid thing the product is perfect.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic; it absorbs water and is easily rinsed away with water.