How to Check Brake Fluid Level: 1997 Ford Explorer XL 4.0L V6 (4 Door)

Ford Explorer Model Years - 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001

1. Getting Started - Prepare for the repair

2. Open the Hood - How to pop the hood and prop it open

3. Find Reservoir - Locate the brake fluid reservoir and clean it

4. Check Level - Determine the brake fluid level

5. Add Fluid - Determine brake fluid type and add fluid properly

6. Replace Cap - Secure the brake fluid cap onto the reservoir

7. More Info. - Additional thoughts on adding brake fluid

Author

Hans Angermeier is an ASE certified Maintenance and Light Repair Technician and has produced over 100,000 videos showing drivers how to fix things on their cars. He has broad expertise on basic repair procedures covering the majority of cars on the road. Over the past 10 years, Hans has been focused on building CarCareKiosk, which is visited by millions of drivers each month.

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Video Description

Checking the brake fluid in your 1997 Ford Explorer is easy and should be done once a month. On some Fords, the owners manual suggests pumping the brake pedal 25 times before looking at the fluid level, be sure to check your owners manual to see if this applies to your 1997 Explorer. In addition to checking the brake fluid level, you want to look at the color of the brake fluid in your Explorer - if it is dark in color or it has been more than 2 years since you have changed it, you should consider having it changed - this will help make the internal components (which are expensive) last much longer.

If you need to add fluid to your Explorer, it is important to check your owners manual for the correct type to add - it likely be either DOT 3, DOT 4 or DOT 5, also known as silicone brake fluid. Be sure to discard bottles of brake fluid that are over a year old - brake fluid sucks the moisture out of the air and the water vapor in the fluid can quickly rust out the brake lines in your Explorer.

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