ATE BAN!!!!

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
I guess if your tracking or something where you would change your fluid in a very short interval the blue would be helpful. Even changing once a year It's pretty easy to see old vs new fluid for me. I have run ATE gold in several vehicles but have never felt the need for the blue. Having said that, it is darn right silly to make them pull the product after so many years. They will probably relabel all the bottles with non-DOT Track use only and bump the price. Mod/Tuner/ricer crowd would buy even more. Wonder what cans of ATE blue are going for on Ebay now??



For cars that see track time the blue is very helpful. A few weekends at the track typically has no impact on the color of the fluids.

 

[tommygunn]

I wish black brake fluid was illegal

Did the government actually ask Conti to recall Super Blue, or did they just do it on their own? I'm thinking it's the latter, but who knows.

 

[Nate1979]

Well who knew that there was so much rules on this type of thing. A quick google search comes up with very detailed rules that manufacturers must follow for brake fluid:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title49-vol6/pdf/CFR-2009-title49-vol6-sec571-116.pdf

Particularly:
S5.1.14 Fluid color. Brake fluid and hydraulic system mineral oil shall be of the color indicated:
DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5.1 non-SBBF—colorless to amber.
DOT 5 SBBF—purple.
Hydraulic system mineral oil—green.

This is old so why did they let them sell this for 15 years?

I think every safety system on a car is covered by similar regulations.

 

[artificialist]

It has been illegal in Florida years before this happened.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: artificialist
It has been illegal in Florida years before this happened.


My vendor that carries ATe has a note for the blue that says it cannot be sold in Florida, that not has been there as long as I have been doing business with them which is like 4-5 years.

 

[antiqueshell]

I can understand the reasoning, but honestly folks that use ATE in the USA are probably the most savvy and informed around, my guess is that since there was never an issue or injury the gov't actually give the reasonable thing and did NOT enforce this rule due to the tiny number of users.

My guess is if we look further into it someone got hurt due to a fluid mix up recently and so lawyers got involved and the gov't decided to act.

Anyone know of any legal cases regarding this recently?

 

[Garak]

Good question. Common sense tells me that common sense had little to do with this. After all, people using the ATE blue aren't the people buying the cheapest brake fluid on the shelf to cobble together a brake system. These are people who are doing flush and fills.

Personally, I'd think the blue would help differentiate it from other automotive fluids. Amber and clear are okay, even though motor oil could be a similar colour? Motor oil should be green or purple, I guess.

 

[jayg]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Motor oil should be green or purple, I guess.


Brad Penn and RP would be happy with that.

I bought ATE superblue for cars that I took to the track for years. I had a spare bottle that I was going to put in the Jetta and ended up using it in my 240Z. As somebody before mentioned, it made bleeding super easy and the stuff holds up to way more heat than I'll be able to get out of an autocross day.

 

[JethroBodine]

I think a color spec for safety reasons is Ok. It is a spec. Not like there are Customs Agents waiting for the blue fluid at the border.

FWIW Honda coolant is blue. But I think they do not want anyone mixing Dot 3 & Dot 5 causing a brake failure. Pretty simple really.

 

[EricF]

I had our buying dept call in and said to remove ALL of the super blue we had immediately, and it was to not be sold from that day on. It ocurred yesterday.
We're getting Ate's Type 200 instead.
I haven't seen the bottle yet, but the MSDS says the highest temp is like 528F vs. the 575F for dot blue.

I was a little disappointed, the manager wouldn't sell me the last 2 cans of dot blue we had. I have 1 1L can and a half a litre on my shelf left. Guess it'll have to do forever.

All this just because it's blue.

WELL... my 06 Saturn Relay, has factory fill brake fluid that:
wait for it.... GREEN!
Does GM owe me some money for scaring me cuz the color is different?

I'm now siphoning out the GREEN b/f and sticking castrol in. (too lazy to bleed everything.)

 

[scurvy]

Hot dog, gonna hang on to my 2 cans of the Smurf juice and sell 'em on Fleabay in a few months! This is Twinkiegate for BITOGers...

 

[tommygunn]

Napa still lists it on their website, at $14.99 a can.

Part number DOT4SB

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Lot of pointy headed, overpaid, underworked bureaucrats with too much meddling time on their hands. And.... WE pay for it.


Exactly- worthless Nazi bureaucrats...

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: EricF
We're getting Ate's Type 200 instead.
I haven't seen the bottle yet, but the MSDS says the highest temp is like 528F vs. the 575F for dot blue.


Are you SURE about that??

In the past the biggest difference I've ever seen between the two was maybe ONE degree in dry b.p., and the wet points were always IDENTICAL.

Did something change in the recent past?

 

[cchase]

The gold ATE Super fluid is identical to the blue, except for the color. The whole idea was to swap between them with every flush, one is not superior to the other.

 

[INTENSE]

Originally Posted By: 123Saab
Someone alert the Tea Party, Our rights are being trampled on again!!
Amen!

This is pitiful.

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: EricF

WELL... my 06 Saturn Relay, has factory fill brake fluid that:
wait for it.... GREEN!
Does GM owe me some money for scaring me cuz the color is different?

I'm now siphoning out the GREEN b/f and sticking castrol in. (too lazy to bleed everything.)

It turned green because the fluid decayed and reacted with copper parts in the brake system.

The OEM fluid that goes in GM cars is light yellow.

 

[yonyon]

Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Napa still lists it on their website, at $14.99 a can.

Part number DOT4SB


I checked with my local store today just for fun. They tell me that the closest Napa they see with any in stock is in Tennessee and they can't UPS it because it's flammable. Just how hot does it get inside a UPS truck?

 

[tommygunn]

I thought they could ship it. However, it has to go ground due to FAA guidelines.

 

[GutsyGecko]

I just used my last can of this last night! Just went on ebay and bought 10L for about $23/L. I suggest anyone here that likes easily bleeding brakes do the same.