# Brakeclean instead of starter fluid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 5, 2014, 4:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984 "2014-01-05T04:26:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Austinj425](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Austinj425](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Austinj425)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 12:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/21 "2020-04-21T00:22:41Z")
You probably used chlorinated brake cleaner. As stated above one is ,very flammable and one not so much. On another note there is such a thing as too much fuel. If you choked up the engine with the fuel that could cause a stall as well ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/22 "2020-04-21T00:57:53Z")
Spraying brake cleaner into a running engine might have made it too rich to run. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/23 "2020-04-21T01:24:43Z")
@Austinj425 After 6 years, I’m guessing they have this sorted out by now. ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/24 "2020-04-21T13:17:02Z")
> [@It\_s\_Me](#): > > @Austinj425 > After 6 years, I’m guessing they have this sorted out by now. @Barkydog did…in 2018…🤦‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/25 "2020-04-21T13:21:04Z")
@FRANKM is actually correct… I tried substituting some type of brake clean for starting fluid a few times and was surprised it did not work…like at all… not even a sputter…then used the right fluid and bang… she ran. I’ve been scratching my head over this because I thought the stuff was highly volatile in the same vein as ether… but this seems to be incorrect. Brake clean does not substitute for starting fluid very well at all… Trust me I have tried… I honestly cant explain it…but have seen it first hand many times. ---
**Author:** ![nick.savage\_180976](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nick.savage_180976/32/29362_2.png) [@nick.savage\_180976](https://community.cartalk.com/u/nick.savage_180976)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2022, 10:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/26 "2022-05-29T22:02:41Z")
I’m 60 years old. Took Auto mechanics in high school and got a associates for it. I have always put my flammables like wd 40, break cleaner, starter fluid on the same shelf. When I need starting fluid I just pull one off. Don’t even look at it till I get to the engine. Everything has carcinogens in it. some are worse than others. I bet smelling exploded starting fluid is not good for you either. Their may be break cleaner out now that is not flammable I don’t know. I just use the same things I always bought and never had a problem. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/27 "2022-05-29T23:12:26Z")
> [@nick.savage\_180976](#): > > wd 40, break cleaner, Brake not Break . 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![nick.savage\_180976](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nick.savage_180976/32/29362_2.png) [@nick.savage\_180976](https://community.cartalk.com/u/nick.savage_180976)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/28 "2022-05-30T00:59:42Z")
I can spell just fine! I use Google speech. Besides that when was english a requirement of Auto Mechanics smart aleck. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 1:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/29 "2022-05-30T01:46:05Z")
Boy is this old but yeah, as a kid I always had an oil can with gas in it to prime my go cart. Bought a new chain for my chain saw and had the warning that in California it can cause cancer. I’m ok though being in Minnesota and don’t lick my chains. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/30 "2022-05-30T03:04:38Z")
You’re missing out on all the fun! Put down that banana peel you’re trying to smoke and snort some chain lube. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 3:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/31 "2022-05-30T03:34:36Z")
> [@nick.savage\_180976](#): > > I can spell just fine! I use Google speech. I use English. The story I told before is a local shop had a “Back to school break special” ad in the paper. Students today are confused enough without inflicting anxiety not knowing if they were getting their Summer break extended or the brakes fixed. More telling was the copy writer not catching the problem before it went to press. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2022, 4:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984/32 "2022-05-30T04:13:47Z")
I blame any current defect on sniffing the mimeograph papers in grade school. Course it could have been the lead from melting lead and making toy soldiers, but maybe it was the dioxin they put on dirt roads to keep the dust down, Could have been the asbestos rocks they gave us as boy scouts after touring an asbestos mine, sure 40 years of smoking and drinking to excess was probably not a good idea, but hey I’m here and a lot of healthy friends practicing all the right things are not. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brakeclean-instead-of-starter-fluid/82984.md?page=1)