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Hey, I just put new front pads on my car, and i'm probably fixing to do the rear brakes. I dont want no more dirty fluid, so I'm going to flush the whole system. Only problem is, I don't know how.
At work the brake techs use some big canister with hoses and a air hose... I dont know what it does.
my guess would be losen one of the hose @ the caliper let it all leak out and top it off bleed all the brakes...never heard of a reason to flush a brake system though...
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Go to AutoZone and get you a one-man brake bleeder kit. They are about $7. It consists of a neat little reservoir that holds expelled brake fluid with a magnet that attaches it onto something metal (I use struts on all four corners), a hose inside it that draws fluid back into it (instead of air), and a longer hose that attaches to the bleeder plug on the wheel you are doing. It also has some other configurations for bleeding a master cylinder, but I have always just filled the master cylinder and bled it as part of the total brake bleed - works for me - did it this afternoon as a matter of fact.
Once you have this little device you start (for most front-wheel drive brake systems according to the instructions) at the right rear wheel. You push the long hose onto the bleeder plug, loosen it half a turn (8mm wrench on mine) and attach the magnet/reservoir above there onto something metal. You now make sure your master cylinder is full of fluid (You could actually begin by drawing out the old fluid in it if you wanted to - maybe with a turkey baster / old bulb syringe / siphon / etc). Pump the brake pedal (slowly - don't want to overflow your little magnetic reservoir - brake fluid doesn't like paint) and check to see your progress on filling the little plastic reservoir and expelling your old fluid. Once the reservoir is getting close to full you turn the bleeder plug back closed, detach the little reservoir (use a rag or paper towel and be careful not to get the fluid everywhere), and empty it into a waste fluid container and resume - just don't run your master cylinder dry. Pay attention to the level in it and that you don't overflow in the bleeder reservoir. In my experience doing this it has not taken more that two times of filling the little plastic reservoir before I had completely expelled the old fluid (and air) and could see nothing but fresh clear fluid in the tubing. After doing the right rear, do the left front, then left rear, then right front. You have now completely exchanged your brake fluid. Take care and God Bless.
If it needs flushing you will have no trouble telling the old fluid from the new.
I finally got around to flushing my brakes and holy crap. The old fluid was a lot darker than the new fluid - especially the fluid I got out of the front brakes. The 1 qt bottle was just enough fluid to flush everything out and the brakes much better now with the new fluid.
where do you check the fluid of your master cylinder? Is that the brake fluid reservoir? I've done the DIY Power steering here on TN and it had pictures which was nice.
So is the brake fluid like the power steering where.......it only moves whenever you pump the brake? and you be sure not to pump with an empty reservoir like PS?
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Last edited by Super Kaioken; 05-01-2006 at 04:49 PM.
my guess would be losen one of the hose @ the caliper let it all leak out and top it off bleed all the brakes...never heard of a reason to flush a brake system though...
the ideal way to flush the brake line is to begin with passenger rear wheel first, then driverside rear, passenger front, and last, driver side front.
borrow a friend, with engine off, have a friend step on the brake pedel 3 or 5 times, and hold the padel and don't let go, at same time loose the brake line valve at the caliper, as the fluid flow out, your friend should able to feel the brake pedel going down to floor, at that moment, tighten the valve, now your friend can release the brake pedel, pump the brake pedel 3 or 5 times and loose brake line valve again, keep in eye on the master cylinder bottle make sure don't let brake fluid go empty, repeat the process for each wheel.
Go to AutoZone and get you a one-man brake bleeder kit. They are about $7. It consists of a neat little reservoir that holds expelled brake fluid with a magnet that attaches it onto something metal (I use struts on all four corners), a hose inside it that draws fluid back into it (instead of air), and a longer hose that attaches to the bleeder plug on the wheel you are doing. It also has some other configurations for bleeding a master cylinder, but I have always just filled the master cylinder and bled it as part of the total brake bleed - works for me - did it this afternoon as a matter of fact.
Once you have this little device you start (for most front-wheel drive brake systems according to the instructions) at the right rear wheel. You push the long hose onto the bleeder plug, loosen it half a turn (8mm wrench on mine) and attach the magnet/reservoir above there onto something metal. You now make sure your master cylinder is full of fluid (You could actually begin by drawing out the old fluid in it if you wanted to - maybe with a turkey baster / old bulb syringe / siphon / etc). Pump the brake pedal (slowly - don't want to overflow your little magnetic reservoir - brake fluid doesn't like paint) and check to see your progress on filling the little plastic reservoir and expelling your old fluid. Once the reservoir is getting close to full you turn the bleeder plug back closed, detach the little reservoir (use a rag or paper towel and be careful not to get the fluid everywhere), and empty it into a waste fluid container and resume - just don't run your master cylinder dry. Pay attention to the level in it and that you don't overflow in the bleeder reservoir. In my experience doing this it has not taken more that two times of filling the little plastic reservoir before I had completely expelled the old fluid (and air) and could see nothing but fresh clear fluid in the tubing. After doing the right rear, do the left front, then left rear, then right front. You have now completely exchanged your brake fluid. Take care and God Bless.
I second that! This is about the best one-man bleeder I've used. Cheap and good. Much much better than the vacuum operated hand pumps I've tried.
I would think that 60k miles is long enough that you could already have some water accumulation in your present fluid and it only takes a large container (1qt) or less when I expel ALL the old and a pretty good bit of new too just to make sure - so yes - I would change the fluid if I were you - very little time and money.
Seems like everybody else covered it pretty well. If i may add my two cents though theres just a couple more hairs to split on this here subject
1. I have that exact brake bleeder kit and it works fine. EXCEPT the reservoir is mighty small for flushing, you are doing a dance from the driver seat back to the wheel to empty this thing every 5 or 10 pumps. So if i am doing flushing as opposed to just bleeding, i use a small water bottle and bore a small hole in the cap for the hose.
Also it helps if you rig up something to hold the bottle upright to keep it from dumping over. Sometimes i put the bottle in a can or something or block it between two bricks, etc.
2. They sell some bleeder screws that dont require you to close the screw each time you pump. They have a one way valve in them. You can just remove your old ones and install these screws, open them up and pump away and not have to bother with bleeding.
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