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I apologize in advance. I'm sure this topic has been covered a hundred or more times before, but I can't find a single thread to follow on it. I want to change the brake fluid in my '01, but I don't know the correct procedure. With the introduction of ABS, I doubt the old "start with the wheel that's farthest from the master cylinder and work your way to the closest" no longer applies. Can someone with the straight scoop please provide some guidance? Thanks.
My procedure: Open master cylinder. Suck about half fluid out with a turkey baster. Use a C clamp to squeeze all wheel cylinders out. Suck the rest of fluid out with turkey baster. Pour master cylinder about half full with new fluid. Swish it around with a plastic knife. Suck that fluid out with turkey baster. Fill master cylinder with new fluid. Pump brakes a few times. Top off master cylinder. Drive around the block. Check fluid level. Top off if needed. I know that does not get every drop of old fluid out but neither does any other procedure short of replacing all the hydraulics. Plus you don't have to bleed brakes.
Thanks for your responses, guys. Rebel, I agree with you. Replacing 95% of the fluid that easily sure beats trusting sixteen-year old fluid to do it's job for much longer. I'll give it a shot.
My procedure: Open master cylinder. Suck about half fluid out with a turkey baster. Use a C clamp to squeeze all wheel cylinders out. Suck the rest of fluid out with turkey baster. Pour master cylinder about half full with new fluid. Swish it around with a plastic knife. Suck that fluid out with turkey baster. Fill master cylinder with new fluid. Pump brakes a few times. Top off master cylinder. Drive around the block. Check fluid level. Top off if needed. I know that does not get every drop of old fluid out but neither does any other procedure short of replacing all the hydraulics. Plus you don't have to bleed brakes.
Never heard of this way before....can you elaborate on the C clamp to squeeze all wheel cylinders out? Do you mean remove the pads on all four corners and then push the pistons in on the calipers?
I only have seen the you tube video where a small coke bottle was used to single person bleed the brakes at each wheel. I don't have any help so will need to do this myself. Any information kindly appreciated.
I do mine by pumping the reservoir completely dry with one of these..
and refilling with new fluid. Then I attach my preasure bleeder..
Pump it up to the recommended psi, and open the bleeder valves.. RR, LR, RF, LF checking and refilling the reservoir when it's about 1/4 full.
I can see when clean fluid makes it out to my bleeder bottle, that also has a magnet that'll stick it to the rotor. A one man job, that can almost be done one handed. Since I couldn't figure out any other way to bleed through the ABS pump at home I crank the car, put it in gear, let the pump activate a hand full of times, then repeat the process.
There are also one way bleeder valves, only let fluid out. You just crack them open and pump away. However some have complained that by cracking them open you let air back into the system, I haven't tried them, and they are expensive.
Precision Tune will do a DOT 4 fluid flush for $50, not a whole lot more than buying 2 quarts of DOT 4 fluid.
There are also one way bleeder valves, only let fluid out. You just crack them open and pump away. However some have complained that by cracking them open you let air back into the system, I haven't tried them, and they are expensive.
Rick
The "speed bleeders" that you refer to, aren't all that expensive, anymore. I had them on my C-5 for a while, but found one problem with them, at least in my opinion.
These bleeders have a "sealant" on their threads so they seal snugly in the calipers. This is so they don't suck any air back in the system, when you're pumping the pedal, with them in the "open" position. The problem is that after a couple of uses, the sealant no longer seals snugly against the threads, and I'm pretty sure that you can then draw air back into the calipers.
I just did mine yesterday while in between putting new rubbers on my rims. I normally gravity bleed with the 1/4 inner diameter tubing into a old pop bottle setup but it was moving so slowly. Had to call for a helper to pump the brakes while I opened and closed the bleeder valves to speed things up.
Last edited by jackjohnson_218; May 3, 2017 at 08:30 AM.
Brake fluid change procedure
