OMG, my daughter just asked me this question.... Jeebuz!

ouch

well on the upside, she could get a job at a quick oil change place 'cuz they seem to do that all the time!

Evidently, I'm hearing this after the fact. Her POS boyfriend bled the system and replaced the seals.
Not sure if he needed to do that, but her brakes do work...she says. Just a little smoke coming from the
manifold...

This, after YEARS of training her with basic car maintenance...

well I would get that fixed ASAP.. they specifically say to use DOT brake fluid.. It may not effect the short tetm but it could cause damage to more sensetive materials long term..

Im not sure what can happen never heard of that one, but I am a stickler for using the PROPER Fluids where they go..I would get that fixed ASAP.. Will not be too hard..

The smoke could just be some Fluid spilled on the Exhaust manifold it will burn off rather quickly..

My ex-wife had a kid working at a gas station add power steering fluid, but he put it in the brake reservoir by mistake. The fluids reacted badly. The entire brake system had to be replaced because the fluids turned to something like jello. Hope you have better results.

I wouldn't count on the rubber parts in the brake system being compatible with ATF. Brakes are the one system I would NEVER assume is "OK" after a mistake like that. To be safe all rubber parts and components with rubber parts should be replaced - master cylinder, ABS module, flex hoses, calipers, wheel cylinders, and possibly the proportioning valve.

To funny, was just reading the Honda Odyssey owner forum and somebody their did something similar.
They poured Power steering fluid into the brake reservoir. Ouch, going to be an expensive fix.

got a 2010 model year minivan in the shop that had ATF added to brake fluid at a pennzoil shop. both rear calipers seized. may have additional damage, the ATF/pwr strg fluid causes the seals in a brake hydraulic system to swell up. it is possible that the master cylinder and the front calipers will be the next dominoes to topple.

Damn, that sucks. Makes me afraid to go anywhere to have our van serviced, was thinking about doing a tranny flush and installing a cooler for it. Have
a few good friends who are mechanics and will confer with them before doing any service work.

I had an F250 with dual rear calipers (it was a camper special) many years ago. I bought it used from a dealer, the same day the previous owner traded it in. I saw it when he was in the lot and he told me the full history of the truck, which was one I had been looking at. After a few days the brakes began to drag and once applied they would not release. I went to the dealer, and they contacted the previous owner, who was nice enough to check on the container of fluid that he had topped the brakes off with. It was ATF, and caused all the seals to swell up. The dealer covered the new calipers, pads, bleeding, seals, and rotors which had warped from the heat. All I had to do was drive my motorcycle to Greenville, South Carolina to pick the calipers up, since all the parts houses here kept insisting that my model could not have dual calipers, when I was standing there holding what just came off the truck.

Good luck with the repairs!

Here are two quotes from wiki that seem to provide a simple answer.

Transmission fluid:
"The fluid is a highly specialized oil optimized for the special requirements of a transmission, such as valve operation, brake band friction and the torque converter as well as gear lubrication."

Brake fluid:
"Because oils damage rubber seals and hoses in the braking system, brake fluids are not petroleum-based."

So true. Brakes are so important and yet finicky to begin with, without such a mistake in the way.



Sadly yea. An expensive and time consuming mistake.

Quoted for truth...

Rubbish i say...one size fits all. Put motor oil in the brake fluid reservior and transmission and you should go far. Also add some motor oil to your winshield wiper fluid - its makes the bugs stick less when they splatter on the glass