How To Check The Brake Fluid Level In Your Mercedes W123 Repair Guide

Difficulty

Very easy

Steps

Time Required

                          1 minute

Sections

How to check the Brake Fluid Level in your Mercedes W123
2 steps

Flags

BackMercedes W123
Full Screen
Options
History
Save to Favorites
Download PDF
Edit
Translate
Get Shareable Link
Embed This Guide
Notify Me of Changes
Stop Notifications

Introduction

Step 1

              How to check the Brake Fluid Level in your Mercedes W123

Here you see the clear plastic reservoir for your brake fluid in your W123. Take a look at it to see the level of the fluid and the color. If it is dark, consider flushing it out with new fluid. There is a guide for that on the main W123 device page.
Take a close look at the front of the reservoir and you’ll see the MAX mark. The fluid should not be above this line. If it is, you can extract a bit of fluid with a plastic syringe that you can get at your local auto store.

Here you see the clear plastic reservoir for your brake fluid in your W123. Take a look at it to see the level of the fluid and the color. If it is dark, consider flushing it out with new fluid. There is a guide for that on the main W123 device page.

Take a close look at the front of the reservoir and you’ll see the MAX mark. The fluid should not be above this line. If it is, you can extract a bit of fluid with a plastic syringe that you can get at your local auto store.

1024

Step 2

Here’s the trick, though - standing up near the front of the car by the headlights you cannot see the back of the reservoir. The reservoir is designed with two chambers with a baffle between them. The fluid can be low in the rear chamber and you won’t be able to see this from the front.
You’ll need to stand at the side of the car near the front driver’s side wheel
See here in this picture that the fluid on this car is almost at the MIN mark in the rear chamber. The chambers are reversed; the rear chamber is for the front brakes, and vice versa.
Note that brake systems do not run low on fluid unless there is a leak. A leak in the brake system is a safety issue. If you find that your brake fluid is low, find out why or ask a shop to check, and fix the issue just as soon as possible.
In the meantime the fluid can be topped off until it reaches the MAX mark. Use only DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluid to top if off.

Here’s the trick, though - standing up near the front of the car by the headlights you cannot see the back of the reservoir. The reservoir is designed with two chambers with a baffle between them. The fluid can be low in the rear chamber and you won’t be able to see this from the front.

You’ll need to stand at the side of the car near the front driver’s side wheel

See here in this picture that the fluid on this car is almost at the MIN mark in the rear chamber. The chambers are reversed; the rear chamber is for the front brakes, and vice versa.

Note that brake systems do not run low on fluid unless there is a leak. A leak in the brake system is a safety issue. If you find that your brake fluid is low, find out why or ask a shop to check, and fix the issue just as soon as possible.

In the meantime the fluid can be topped off until it reaches the MAX mark. Use only DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluid to top if off.

If you need to top the fluid off, be sure to clean around the reservoir cap if it’s very dirty before unscrewing it.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      6 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 1 other contributor

                    Nicolas Siemsen

Member since: 12/06/2013

38,128 Reputation

                                      79 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       30







                                                        +27 more badges

Team

                       Master Techs                        

                                                  Member of Master Techs 



                    Community                     


                                            310 Members                     


                                            1,168 Guides authored

Bruce B - Nov 21, 2014

Personally, I never advise people to add brake fluid except in an emergency, and it needs to go to the shop if it needs fluid. Most cars are designed so that when the brake fluid levels drops it indicates worn brake pads or a hydraulic leak. Mercedes Benz recommends flushing the brake fluid every two years, ALL car manufacturers should do the same! Go with DOT 4 fluid too, it has a higher boiling point and better additive packages. Your guides are great BTW!

Nicolas Siemsen - Nov 21, 2014

Very good point, Bruce! I should have been more clear that if the brake fluid is low, top it off to avoid it running out and letting air in, but be aware that it is NOT normal for brake fluid to drop like it might be normal for engine oil level to drop slightly between oil changes. I will update the guide with that warning.

Introduction#

#

#

#

#

Team#

#

Introduction

Team