Dear friends:

Please take a look at the attached image first.

I tried to flush and change the brake fluid on my 1984 300SD using Power Bleeder, which is designed to apply pressure on the fluid in the brake reservoir. However, the brake fluid kept leaking excessively through the 2 black rubber caps as shown in the image.

My questions are:

1) What are the proper name and part number for those 2 black rubber caps?

2) Before flushing, I sucked out the old black brake fluid from the brake reservoir. However it seems that my brake reservoir has 2 different "chambers", and I could only suck out the old brake fluid from the outer "chamber" because there's no hole through which I could suck out the fluid from in the inner "chamber". I saw a little plastic plug on the right side of the reservoir (in the image) and wondered whether this plug is used to drain the old fluid from the inner "chamber"?

I had changed brake fluid on a 1981 240D and did not encounter
a similar problem. Is there any big difference between 300SD and 240D brake reservoirs?

3) Have anyone tried to flush brake fluid using Power Bleeder on a 300SD? I'm still wondering whether 2 new rubber caps can keep the brake fluid from leaking under pressure from the Power Bleeder, because it looks like these 2 caps are only loosely attached to the brake reservoir.

Thank you very much for all your information!

Best regards,
Eric

Attached Thumbnails

 

They are called brake reservoir grommets and they do need to be replaced once in a while. The reservoir wiggles out (straight up) and the grommets will pop right out and the new ones right in (it takes two). It's an easy job if you don't count having to bleed all the air out afterward. Don't sweat the draining, both chambers will drain in about 3 seconds when you remove the resevoir, be prepared to catch it in a towel or some rags. Clean up the reservoir (I flushed mine with some fresh fluid), wet the two nipples on the bottom of the resevoir with brake fluid so they slide in easier and then align and press down on the resevoir until it seats. Refill, flush with clean fluid and bleed the air out. That's it.


Oh yea, I almost forgot, the grommets are available on Fastlane for about $1.50 each. Look under the brakes tab.

Oooops, further edit.....I reread your post and now realize you were talking about the rubber caps ON TOP of the resevoir. Sorry. I was thinking about the grommets underneath. I believe the black buttons on top are actually switches that trigger the low fluid warning light. you may be able to take those apart and reseal them otherwise I'm guessing it a dealer sourced part. Tell them it's the low brake fluid level switches and I'm sure they'll know what you mean.

__________________
LRG
1987 300D Turbo 175K
2006 Toyota Prius, efficent but no soul
1985 300 TDT(130K miles of trouble free motoring)now sold

I was going to ask how best to replace these grommets, as the wagon master cylinder is hemorrhaging fluid out of these rubber seals. Then I thought, "use the search idiot!"
I replaced the firewall accelerator linkage assy tonight [from Scar, thank you] and the reservoir is the perfect place for your elbow during said replacement. This made the leak much worse!
I have the 2 grommets [thanks Hitman!] and will probably try replacing tomorrow. I read several threads on replacing these grommets. Some said the brakes will need bleeding, some said they won't. Anybody know for sure?
I have read a thread before where the poster had trouble seating the reservior into the grommets. The post above makes it sound simple. Let's hope.....

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

If you are not careful, it's easy to snap a nipple off an old (and brittle) reservoir.

That nipple is for cars with manual transmissions. A tube goes from the nipple down to the master cylinder for the clutch.