Brake Fluid for 2020 BMW M2C with Sport Brakes

[bimmerdriver]

My car has 44k kms and it's notifying me that the brake fluid needs to be replaced. It was previously replaced in May 2022 at 33.6k kms.

I don't drive often, but I live in the Pacific Northwest, so it's often rainy.

According to RealOEM.com, BMW has two part numbers for my car:

83132184843
Brake fluid DOT4 LV, low viscosity
1000ML, TU
BMW Group, EU
From:02/01/2010
To:-

83132405979
Brake fluid DOT4, low viscosity
1000ML
BMW Group, Japan
From:01/01/2015
To:-

I haven't found a specification for either of these fluids, so I don't know if either is preferable relative to the other.

Since I can get both from ECS Tuning or TMS, I was looking at ATE SL.6 DOT 4 ISO-Class 6 or ATE Super DOT 5.1. The former has slightly lower viscosity 700, as compared to 750, but the latter has a 3 year change interval, as compared to 2 years. I probably won't ever leave it in for 3 years, but it's nice to know it's possible.

Is there any reason to not use ATE Super DOT 5.1?

 

[Kantaro]

There is also Bosch ESI6 5.1 which has slightly better specs and a 3 year service life:

Dry: 271C
Wet: 182C
Viscosity: 685 mm2/s

ESI Brake Fluid - ESI6 Brake Fluid - Bosch Auto Parts - Liferay DXP

ESI6 is the next generation brake fluid designed for today's modern braking systems. Designed by the industry's leader in braking technology for vehicles using DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5.1 brake fluid.

www.boschautoparts.com

I'd just get the cheapest DOT 5.1 available, which is usually the Bosch from RockAuto

 

[930.engineering]

.
DOT 4 LV or DOT 5.1 - it doesn't matter much.
But change it every two years anyway, please.
.

 

[edyvw]

Every two years regardless what fluid blender claims!
ATE SL6 is always safe bet. BOSCH is probably ATE fluid too.
Generally you could also go DOT4 not DOT4LV, but since you don’t track your vehicle and drive rarely, stick to LV.
ATE is OE fluid.

 

[dubber09]

LV is basically for ABS to work properly.

 

[edyvw]

LV is basically for ABS to work properly.

ABS works properly with any fluid.
LV is an attempt to improve primarily ESP (DSC) functioning in extremely low temperatures. I run regular DOT4 in all my vehicles regardless that they are LV recommended. In PNW, he will never know the difference unless tracking the vehicle, then ONLY DOT4.

 

[bimmerdriver]

Thank you for the replies. I will definitely get LV fluid. This car is the most tail-happy vehicle I've ever driven. I drive it in sport plus mode all the time. Even with MDM rather than DSC, stability control gets engaged often.

 

[Spedestrian]

I run the ATE SL6 LV in my f36 and ATE Typ 200 in both my e90s.

 

[X15]

Every two years regardless what fluid blender claims!
ATE SL6 is always safe bet. BOSCH is probably ATE fluid too.
Generally you could also go DOT4 not DOT4LV, but since you don’t track your vehicle and drive rarely, stick to LV.
ATE is OE fluid.

Neither ATE nor Bosch actually make their own fluids, they buy it from companies like BASF, Clariant, DuPont, etc.

Bosch ESI6 is almost certainly BASF Hydraulan 406 ESI, for example.

For @bimmerdriver I'd recommend any fluid that meets ISO 4925 Class 7, which combines the lower viscosity of Class 6 (DOT 4"LV") with the higher boiling point of DOT 5.1 (Class 5-1).

 

[edyvw]

Neither ATE nor Bosch actually make their own fluids, they buy it from companies like BASF, Clariant, DuPont, etc.

Bosch ESI6 is almost certainly BASF Hydraulan 406 ESI, for example.

For @bimmerdriver I'd recommend any fluid that meets ISO 4925 Class 7, which combines the lower viscosity of Class 6 (DOT 4"LV") with the higher boiling point of DOT 5.1 (Class 5-1).

I know they are not a blender. They are buyers of specific fluids that they request. Otherwise, all fluid would be the same.
BMW supplier is not BASF, DuPont etc, it si ATE.
It could be that BOSCH buys directly, but ATE is also a BOSCH pad supplier.

 

[bimmerdriver]

For @bimmerdriver I'd recommend any fluid that meets ISO 4925 Class 7, which combines the lower viscosity of Class 6 (DOT 4"LV") with the higher boiling point of DOT 5.1 (Class 5-1).

Thank you for your reply.

I could not find anywhere to download the ISO 4925 specification, but I found this table:

To give credit where credit is due, the table is from New Class 6 and Class 7 brake fluids are here.

I was looking at ECS Tuning and Turner Motorsport because I normally get parts from either of them. I didn't see any fluids claiming to comply with ISO 4925 Class 7, but ATE Super DOT 5.1 complies with it even though ATE only says it complies ISO 4925 Class 5-1. I wonder if the reason for that is because it was introduced (and tested) before the Class 7 specification was ratified.

 

[X15]

I know they are not a blender. They are buyers of specific fluids that they request. Otherwise, all fluid would be the same.
BMW supplier is not BASF, DuPont etc, it si ATE.
It could be that BOSCH buys directly, but ATE is also a BOSCH pad supplier.

ISO 4925 Class 6 fluid effectively is all the same, there's no indication that BMW has any real specific requirements that go above and beyond DOT 4 LV (Class 6).

BMW buys components and parts from ATE because ATE own the Intellectual Property rights to the designs that BMW want to use. ATE has no IP specific to DOT 4 LV, so there's no reason for BMW to buy it directly from them. There's no good reason BMW would want to lock themselves into buying a commodity fluid from a company that doesn't even make said fluid.

All the containers of ATE and BMW DOT 4 LV I looked at pictures of say Made in Germany on them, BMW isn't going to import brake fluid from Germany to add to cars manufactured somewhere else when they can just buy DOT 4 LV locally from whoever can supply it cheapest.

 

[X15]

Thank you for your reply.

I could not find anywhere to download the ISO 4925 specification, but I found this table:

View attachment 218460
To give credit where credit is due, the table is from New Class 6 and Class 7 brake fluids are here.

I was looking at ECS Tuning and Turner Motorsport because I normally get parts from either of them. I didn't see any fluids claiming to comply with ISO 4925 Class 7, but ATE Super DOT 5.1 complies with it even though ATE only says it complies ISO 4925 Class 5-1. I wonder if the reason for that is because it was introduced (and tested) before the Class 7 specification was ratified.

You're welcome.

You have to buy a copy of ISO 4925 if you want to read it unfortunately, but it's not really worth spending the money on IMO.

The table looks to be accurate, except that while DOT FMVSS 116 does not recognize "Low Viscosity (LV)", "Super", or "Plus" fluids, the ISO 4925 / SAE J1704 standards reportedly do specify those words as being acceptable marketing terms for Class 6 fluid.

Yes, Class 7 is still pretty new and a lot of marketing materials haven't been updated to reflect it yet, any fluid that claims to meet both Class 5-1 and Class 6 automatically meets Class 7.

 

[edyvw]

ISO 4925 Class 6 fluid effectively is all the same, there's no indication that BMW has any real specific requirements that go above and beyond DOT 4 LV (Class 6).

BMW buys components and parts from ATE because ATE own the Intellectual Property rights to the designs that BMW want to use. ATE has no IP specific to DOT 4 LV, so there's no reason for BMW to buy it directly from them. There's no good reason BMW would want to lock themselves into buying a commodity fluid from a company that doesn't even make said fluid.

All the containers of ATE and BMW DOT 4 LV I looked at pictures of say Made in Germany on them, BMW isn't going to import brake fluid from Germany to add to cars manufactured somewhere else when they can just buy DOT 4 LV locally from whoever can supply it cheapest.

BMW buys components from ATE, Jurid, Textar and Brembo. They buy same component from various suppliers when it comes to brakes, unless specific design (calipers by Brembo or ATE).
There is also no indication that BMW fluid has same properties as ISO4925 Class 6. Numerous brake fluids exceed that standard. Now, whether they will use just local suppliers is questionable. They don’t when it comes to oil. Generally, they do have higher dry and wet boiling points.
That being said, I would use TYP200.