[46m3csl]

Where is the brake reservoir, is it located on the top left side of the hood near the wind washer fluid tube.

[46m3csl]

is it on the left side of the engine or is it or the right with the green cap. What fluid should i use, would it just be normal brake fluid or something special for this

[mike-y]

it's up at the base of the windshield on the driver's side where the cowl tray is. If you were standing in front of the car, it would be the upper right corner. you have to remove the plastic cover to access it.

[Tom K.]

But if you don't know where the master cylinder is and what kind of fluid to use, perhaps you might want to have your dealer take care of it under warranty.

Tom

[ENINTY]

I agree with Tom. Take it to the dealer and have them top it off. Not to appear to be a dick, but there's a teaching moment here to take advantage of.

Every car with a hydraulic brake system, which is almost every car built after 1928, has the brake fluid reservoir connected to the brake system master cylinder, which is in turn DIRECTLY connected to the brake pedal. So the brake fluid reservoir is in the underhood area directly in front of where the brake pedal is in the driver's foot well. It would make no sense, nor be safe, to have the reservoir remotely mounted (maybe some exotics do) and not on top of the master cylinder. Also the brake pedal is directly connected to the mastercylinder by a simple and direct linkage, so as to minimize connection of parts that could fail during a braking emergency. So logically, understanding these design principles, the brake fluid reservoir is in the firewall area under the hood, directly in front of where the brake pedal is located, which is where you should have started looking.

Granted the E90 has a fancy cover over the reservoir, but to ask if the reservoir is on the right or left side of the car tells guys like Tom and me that your experience level is such that maybe such an important component of the car should be maintained by the dealer, until you become more knowledgable of how cars operate.

[46m3csl]

dude dont give me your bullshit, just tell me where it is, first time owning a BMW and don't want to mess it up, can anyone post a pic of it, where everybody keep's telling me isn't that the steering oil the with the green cap

[Chriztofor]

Originally Posted by 46m3csl

Where is the brake reservoir, is it located on the top left side of the hood near the wind washer fluid tube.

Here you go.

[pruettfan]

If you are low on brake fluid rather than just adding more you may want to consider doing the system flush if you are getting close to the required time for it. It is actually pretty easy as a DIY especially if you use a pressurized device. Sorry for the smart ass comments by some of the other posters. I would however suggest since you are new to a BMW take a look at some of the DIY on this site, they are a great way to learn about the car. Also take an hour or two and explore the manual and car itself. I have been a car guy all of my life and do lots of work on cars but when I got my BMW it took me some time to find everything and learn how the maintaince is done etc.

[hipnotic]

nice pics

[jrsniper12453]

Originally Posted by pruettfan

If you are low on brake fluid rather than just adding more you may want to consider doing the system flush if you are getting close to the required time for it. It is actually pretty easy as a DIY especially if you use a pressurized device. Sorry for the smart ass comments by some of the other posters. I would however suggest since you are new to a BMW take a look at some of the DIY on this site, they are a great way to learn about the car. Also take an hour or two and explore the manual and car itself. I have been a car guy all of my life and do lots of work on cars but when I got my BMW it took me some time to find everything and learn how the maintaince is done etc.

Have a recommendation on "pressurized device"? And would that same thing work for say flushing (or whatever it is you are *supposed* to do) the clutch system when doing the cdv delete? Also the tranny fluid and ??? what else?

[mike-y]

check out motive power bleeders. Their euro kit comes with a cap that fits the BMW reservoir, and makes it easy to pressure bleed your brake system

http://store.motiveproducts.com/euro...-0100-p34.aspx

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by 46m3csl

dude dont give me your bullshit, just tell me where it is, first time owning a BMW and don't want to mess it up, can anyone post a pic of it, where everybody keep's telling me isn't that the steering oil the with the green cap

Dude, it sounds like to me you have no F-ing clue what the hell you are doing. Every car built in the last 70 years has the brake reservoir on top of the master cylinder, which on the other side of the fire wall from where the brake pedal is. It shouldn't be a question of whether it's on the left side of the engine compartment or the right side, if you can't even figure that out or know what kind fluid it takes maybe it's a safety issue for you. It takes DOT 4 fluid BTW. Hope that helps. Try not to kill anyone.

And if one were to look closely at the powersteering reservoir one would see hoses going down to the steering rack, not to the brake system, which should be the first clue that the powersteering reservoir is not connected to the brake system, and not to point out the fact that the green label on the powersteering reservoir doesn't say "Brake Fluid Only" on it like every brake fluid reservoir cap does, regardless of what brand of car it is. So using the excuse "this is my first BMW..." is bullshit.

Good luck.

[Chriztofor]

^ On 46m's defense, I would not know that the brake cylinder would be located in that location. I would have thought it would have been located in the engine bay by the firewall. (It is technically in the engine bay by the firewall, but the cover would have threw me off.) However, I also know it would not be located on the passenger side (no matter what car it is). To each their own. Not everyone DIYs and some want to learn/explore which is ok too.

[IN54NITY]

^^^ In ENINTY's defense, I've never seen a brake fluid reservoir on the passenger side either. But you're right, war isn't the answer, we're all on the same team. OP, I got this device:

http://www.bavauto.com/se1.asp?dept_id=5278

And now I'm looking for an adapter to fit my Jeep.

At this time, Motive Products price is better.

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by aleckzandr

^^^ In ENINTY's defense, I've never seen a brake fluid reservoir on the passenger side either. But you're right, war isn't the answer, we're all on the same team. OP, I got this device:

http://www.bavauto.com/se1.asp?dept_id=5278

And now I'm looking for an adapter to fit my Jeep.

At this time, Motive Products price is better.

Listen, I wasn't trying to flame the OP. I was trying to teach him to think for himself; to apply logic to the situation. All machines are based on logic. Which is why I used the powersteering reservoir as an example in my second response. We had another Poster earlier this week on the maintenance blog, finally figure out he put brake fluid in the powersteering reservoir, thinking the PS reservoir was the brake fluid reservoir. If you take the time to look at the components that make up a car, they all have a purpose, and logically flow together. The PS fluid reservoir is connected to the powersteering pump and steering rack, not to the brake system. (i.e. the airfilter is not connected to the exhaust manifold; it is connected to the intake manifold - logic...)

It is a US DOT regulation that the brake system reservoir be labeled "Brake Fluid Only". All cars have this marking; it is required by law. The law is there to help prevent a person from putting the wrong fluid in the brake system and cause a failure; possibly killing someone. So if the OP has added brake fluid to one of his other cars in the past, then even with his unfamiliarity with his new BMW, he should have looked for a similar label on the component he was considering to be the brake fluid reservoir. The PS reservoir has no such marking, so the process of elimination would indicate that the PS reservoir is not the correct under-hood component to put brake fluid into.

I get it, not everyone is mechanically inclined, and the E90 has a stupid cover over the brake fluid reservoir making it not easy to find. But if one is slightly familiar with cars and brake systems, it would be a very good and logical guess the brake system mastercylinder is on the firewall, under the hood, in front of the driver's seating position, like it is on every other car and it would be labeled "Brake Fluid Only" like every other car is.

At some point in his life the OP will be in a situation where he can't get the internet and ask for someone to show him a picture. I was just trying to help the man out. Give a man a fish, he'll starve; teach a man to fish and he'll eat forever...

[46m3csl]

lol thanks for the help guys, and the pic.

[fdriller9]

Idk why you guys are ripping on the op. The point of this forum is to learn about BMWs, specifically the e9x chassis.

Why would you tell the op to go to the dealer? That doesn't teach him anything.....and it doesn't answer his question. Sure your looking out for him...you don't want him to mess up his car. But that's his risk for DIYing. I take this risk all the time.

This is my second car I've owned....the first car I've ever done maintenance on. If it weren't for this forum, I would have never been able to change my pads and rotors, brake fluid, engine oil, angel eye bulbs, install my sound system, or diagnose any of the other problems I've previously had.

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by *********

Idk why you guys are ripping on the op. The point of this forum is to learn about BMWs, specifically the e9x chassis.

Why would you tell the op to go to the dealer? That doesn't teach him anything.....and it doesn't answer his question. Sure your looking out for him...you don't want him to mess up his car. But that's his risk for DIYing. I take this risk all the time.

This is my second car I've owned....the first car I've ever done maintenance on. If it weren't for this forum, I would have never been able to change my pads and rotors, brake fluid, engine oil, angel eye bulbs, install my sound system, or diagnose any of the other problems I've previously had.

Well, with the brake system, it maybe someone else's problem if it fails...

[chinna_n]

Thanks for the answers and photos.

I got the Brake Fluid maintenance indicator and last night I was looking for Brake Fluid reservoir to check level just to make sure before I reset indicator.

Having done my own brake pads, rotor replacements, brake flushes on other cars, and knowing it is always directly connected brake pedal, I was looking behind power steering fluid reservoir at the firewall(ofcourse on driver side ) and no where to find the Brake Fluid reservoir.

This being my first BMW and this is only 3rd week running, I learned quite a bit about E90 from forum already, and of course lot more to learn.

I would have been clueless without this forum. Thanks for all wonderful gurus over here.

What threw me off is, every dam thing is controlled by computer(even lowly thermostat, lights WTH!!). I got second thoughts may be BMW is doing something weird here or what?

Also, engine bay is very campy (crampiest of all cars I owned before). I guess because it is a small car with big heart(Engine)!!

Anyways, brake fluid flush is least of my problem as I am reading "P0597 code - Tstat Heater Circuit Open" via OBD using my Scangauge. Got the thermostat, now wondering should I undertake this give it to pro (Mainly because it is very congested, and need to remove lot of other things around to get to it).

[BOBKUR]

All BMW cars must be coming without owner manuals, are people cannot seem to use a book.

[chinna_n]

My used car did not come with one. But I did download the manual from the Website. But again it is not going to match wonderful photos and detailed instructions from this forum.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by chinna_n

Thanks for the answers and photos.

I got the Brake Fluid maintenance indicator and last night I was looking for Brake Fluid reservoir to check level just to make sure before I reset indicator.

Having done my own brake pads, rotor replacements, brake flushes on other cars, and knowing it is always directly connected brake pedal, I was looking behind power steering fluid reservoir at the firewall(ofcourse on driver side ) and no where to find the Brake Fluid reservoir.

This being my first BMW and this is only 3rd week running, I learned quite a bit about E90 from forum already, and of course lot more to learn.

I would have been clueless without this forum. Thanks for all wonderful gurus over here.

What threw me off is, every dam thing is controlled by computer(even lowly thermostat, lights WTH!!). I got second thoughts may be BMW is doing something weird here or what?

Also, engine bay is very campy (crampiest of all cars I owned before). I guess because it is a small car with big heart(Engine)!!

Anyways, brake fluid flush is least of my problem as I am reading "P0597 code - Tstat Heater Circuit Open" via OBD using my Scangauge. Got the thermostat, now wondering should I undertake this give it to pro (Mainly because it is very congested, and need to remove lot of other things around to get to it).

If you can do brakes, then you can easily do the t-stat. There is a very good DIY for the water pump and t-stat in the DIY section. If you have decent jack stands and a good floor jack, it should be no problem for you.