What type of brake fluid should I use in my Citroën 2CV ?

This question recently was sent in and here is my answer:

  1. If you have a pre 1980s Citroën 2CV (that is a Citroën 2CV with four wheel drum brakes), then you want to use a good quality DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid . My own personal choice is a DOT 4 product made by Castrol called Castrol LMA . (the LMA stands for low moisture absorbing ). As we all know, this is a good quality for brake fluid to have since it is by nature hygroscopic, or has a tendency to absorb moisture.
    Regardless, the other bit of info I can’t stress enough is to completely drain and flush out the system at least every 2 years in your Citroën 2CV . More problems and troubles with brakes seem to be caused by neglecting to do this fairly simple procedure, and moisture builds up in the system and corrosion occurs.
  2. OK, second answer to the question: If you have a Citroën 2CV that is later then this date or has disc brakes on the front to be more accurate, then you want to be using LHM fluid . Yes, the same green stuff that you put in the hydraulic suspension cars of the same period.
    Here again you want to practice my advice of changing the fluid at least every two years. Changing the fluid is such an inexpensive form of maintenance, next to rebuilding or changing out brake parts. The more I find, as these Citroëns get older and enter collector status, people have a tendency to use them less and less, and this is where periodic maintenance becomes even more important.

So take care of those Citroën 2CVs because they just don’t make them anymore!

Later,

Denis