brake fluid eating my wires

[M_atthewanderson]

I have had this crazy stalling problem for a while now and I think I found the culprit. The other day it was nice enough to go outside and clean my car and I found a puddle on the drivers floor mat. I hoped and prayed my windshield was fine but then a coating of brake fluid on my steering column distracted me. I grabbed my spotlight and looked up and found my master cylinder leaking. I knew it was bad but I assumed it was a plunger not a hole. So I looked a little lower and saw a drip pattern with a reign of destruction it looked like a bunch of my wires have been set on fire. But I think the insulation has just been eaten from them. And making me stall and blowing my wiper fuse too. So now I have a project for a good weekend. If I can get some heat in Seattle. But does this sound like brake fluid. Or do I have a case of heat melting these wires. All wires have brake fluid lightly coated on them.
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1980 2.0 Sunroof Vanagon

[Miguel Arroyo]

DOT 3 brake fluid is nasty, it will eat thru paint in seconds and rust will shortly follow. Make sure you clean up well the spill.

[lordsniff]

It doesn't sound like brake fluid . It would take some time for it to eat thru the plastic . Is the paint on your column eaten away ?
Are your fuses OK ? Do you have or have you had any electrical shorts recently ?
My 85 had to have a new clutch master 6 months ago and part of the job gets fluid everywhere . So far there is no sign of any corrosion .
I would check out your wiring loom and systems for shorts .
Many years ago I had a aircooled which created a short and the heat melted several wires . Lots of smoke but no fire so it could be you are shorting out somewhere .
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I was born at a very early age and it was such a shock I didn't speak for another 2 years .


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87 Syncro
85 Gl
96 Dodge Ram V10
2001 Honda

[Tomasz]

speaking of break fluid I need to change mine and would like to know which type I should go with, any suggestions are appreicated, is synthetic the way to go?

[Miguel Arroyo]

Synthetic is fantastic if you are doing a total system rehab, both oils can not mix. The 3 major advantages are:
1)Higher temperature tolerance
2)Will not damage the paint if spilled
3)Does not absorb moisture

Edit: If replacing the oil chances are that it is over 2 years old. You may want to replace the rubber brake hoses and repack the front bearings.

[addiction]

I suspect it was the other way around, the wires shorted, heated up and burned a hole in the brake line that runs from the reserve to the master cyclinder. I would check for that as a possibiliy for sure.

jim

[zerotofifty]

brake fluid is sold in plastic bottles. I doubt it will hurt the wire insulation with is probably PVC The fluid could remove the color strips on the wires however. I suspect an over heated wire did this.

Dot 4 fluid is much better than Dot 3, Do NOT use silicone fluid unless you rebuild the entire brake system which means ALL NEW rubber parts, including hoses. Also you must purge out the metal lines. Silicone fluid is great, used on several of my cars. However some rubber parts in some cars will breakdown if they have first been soaked in "regular' fluid, then switched to Silicone (personnel experience here, backed up by other persons observations.