I've spilt some DOT4 fluid on my brake pads, are they completely bollox'd? I remember reading somewhere that you can bake them in the oven to restore them, but if this is rubbish I don't want to get DOT4 all over be rotors.

PS: I just broke my first post virginity so be gentle.

you may get away with a good clean with brake cleaner and an emery cloth down to take the top layer off but most peoples view is that it's new pads time when this happens 🙁

(gentle enough?)

Welcome, and all that!

personally i'd bin em'

you really dont want to get that sh1t on your discs!

As above – a clean with solvent / burn off any residue / abrade the top surface might work. I have had success with all methods but have also destroyed pads.

It's fine, just clean it off with soapy water and a scrubbing brush, emery the surface and re-use. Don't bake the pads at more than 100 degrees or you'll just destroy them.

Cheers, I'll give it a try cleaning them and see how it goes. I suppose I can always clean the rotors.
Interesting point about not baking them at over 100 degrees – surely they get hotter than that on a long downhill.

The "be gentle" comment was just because I've been lurking here for a while, and enjoying some of the "more heat than light" debates – think I'll steer clear of religion / the election / tattoos / family relationships / HiFi cables / other controversial subjects for a while.

are the pads organic or sintered metal. If they are organic you'll never get all the fluid out but sintered might be ok

bin em, pads are cheep enough.

Putting them in the oven is pointless, whats 200degC in an oven fiull of the fumes from whatever driped onto the bottom, going to do that 800degC from the rotor and lots of fresh air wont?

I've cured them riding down a very steep hill for several miles untill they started to bite again, but unless you live at the top of a very big hill this isn't exactly convenient.

just leave them, you'll still be able to stop and your pads will last ages

What you don't want to do it sit them on a red hot electric ring for a while to burn off the residue. I did this not that long ago and found that the pad material fell off the backing as I'd fried the adhesive 😕

Doesn't cost much to try and clean them up, certainly worth a shot before binning, certain compounds are more easily contaminated than others – one of the advantages of sintered pads I believe.

Cheers, Rich