View Full Version : Changing brake fluid
anchovies
10-10-2002, 12:27 PM
Brake fluid is brown as chocolate, needs changing.
I have read 2 different methods of doing it. You guys should be familiar with the normal "bleeding" method.
The other one is about the same, here goes:
1)Suck out as much old fluid from the master cylinder and pour in fresh fluid to max
2) For the wheel we are doing, loosen bleed bolt and attach a clear hose to it. End of clear hose is submerged into a clear bottle half filled with fresh brake fluid.
Here is the important part:
3) Slowly press and release brake pedal until the clear hose shows clear fluid (all old fluid is out)
Is this method usable? Will old fluid mix with fresh fluid? I want to use this because then I don't need another pair of legs.
thanks
Dutchboy
10-10-2002, 12:47 PM
the easiest method of changing the fluid will be to take out most of the fluid in the master cylinder...then open the bleeder screws and let it gravity bleed.....you just have to keep adding fluid to the master cylinder and it will slowly run out the bleeders...
doing it with pumping the brakes will take longer and be a pain...
once the fluid has become clear from the bleeder screw...close it and once all are done...hit the brakes a bunch and open the bleeder again to allow any trapped are to get out...
hitting the brakes should dislodge any bubbles and arise them to the top,
be carefull that you check the operation of the brakes before taking a spin in the car....theres been people that think they will work fine after this but it does sometimes require doing it the way you said after gravity bleeding to get out a pesky air bubble..
Ben
have fun.
(im not liable for anything):pimp:
anchovies
10-10-2002, 01:07 PM
So i have to do all 4 corners the same time?
How much fresh fluid do I need?
ps: I've got no insurance :(
Get insurance.
You dont do all 4 wheels at the same time. You first to the front driver side, rear pass. side, then back to the front pass. side, and then the rear driver side.
Rooz
Dutchboy
10-10-2002, 02:34 PM
that wont matter when you do a flush...as long as no air gets in to the line to start with then itll be ok...
Open them all at once if you want to and areable too....Just make sure that theres someone replenishing the fluid....pour the fluid in gently so that it wont push any air in the cylinder...
i never folow that so called bleeding sequence...i dont find you need to .....i just do the rears first then the front...since the rears are the farthest away from the cylinder...and since the rears are on one line only for the rear and the front for the front.
and to test them after wards....start the car...hit the brakes...if the pedal is hard at least theres some brake power there....make sure that the back brakes are adjusted proper otherwise the pedal wil feel soft no matter how much you bleed them.
BEn
anchovies
10-10-2002, 08:27 PM
no i meant i don't have health insurance...i have car insurance..hihihi..yeah i love my car more than myself
anyways, i know the sequence to bleed but was just wondering about the gravity bleed procedure
So the gravity bleed will work? I'll try that then
and Dutchboy the FL and RR is the same line and FR and RL is the same line
Originally posted by anchovies
the FL and RR is the same line and FR and RL is the same line
Thats what I thought it was.
Rooz
Dutchboy
10-10-2002, 09:15 PM
ooooppsss.....:stupid:
hehehe...
Yes gravity bleeding is easiest...
i use it all the time.
you still may have to do the other way to rid of any bubles that get caught since gravity isnt able to force it out like pressure would.
Ben
The method mentioned is fine. Another method I like to use a one man bleeder with a check valve (about $5 at the auto store). You attach the bleeder which is basically a transparent tube that fits on the bleeder nipple and a check valve that only lets fluid run out but doesn't let air get in. I fill the master cylinder with fresh fluid and pump the pedal until the fluid becomes clear (make sure you have something to collect the old fluid. Then do the opposite side rear and so on. Make sure you don't let the master cylinder run dry or you'll get air in there and have to do it all over again.
ACCORD EX
10-11-2002, 12:53 PM
sorry guys ! a stupid question ! when to change brake fluid !?
MIKE
AZmike
10-11-2002, 01:17 PM
Every 30k miles
So that's 50Mm I guess
ACCORD EX
10-12-2002, 09:13 AM
i am not the first owner ! so when to know that the fluid isn't good anymore !?
MIKE
anchovies
10-12-2002, 01:22 PM
Brake fluid is supposed to be clear
If it's brown or goldish that means it has absorbed moisture and the boiling point will be lower resulting in brake fade (when it boils it, the bubbles introduce air into the system, air is compressible, thus the spongy feeling).
Dirty brake fluid is also not good for the mc and the other parts.
Brake fluid needs a complete flush every 30k or 2 years.
So does anyone knows how many bottles would I need for a complete flush?
ACCORD EX
10-13-2002, 10:54 AM
thanx a lot anchovies ! :)
MIKE
Microstreak
10-13-2002, 11:11 PM
my brakes are really weak, they feel kind of spongy, but for the brakes to fully work i have to go all the way to the floor. i've heard ppl say that it could be my brakes and this and that. but i had the brakes checked, and its still there. so i am guessing that the brakes need to be bled, but i'm not sure about it, should i try to do it myself or bring it to some shop like a meineke or something to get it looked at, btw is it normal for our cars to have weak brake "feel"
any help would be much appreciated...
ACCORD EX
10-14-2002, 12:27 AM
my bet !is that you have air in the system and need bleeding ! !
it's not that difficult ! :)
MIKE
anchovies
10-14-2002, 09:38 AM
Originally posted by ACCORD EX
thanx a lot anchovies ! :)
MIKE
no prob, anytime
Microstreak: you might have air in your system or the rear is not adjusted correctly
You can do it yourself, relatively easy...but brake system is no joke
DBMaster
10-14-2002, 05:36 PM
You forgot to mention that one of the things that darkens the fluid is RUST. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time. If you change the fluid every 30K miles you should never have to rebuild parts of the hydraulic system. I just use a manual vacuum bleeder pump that I bought at Auto Zone for $25. No pumping the brakes, no air. I wish I had bought one 20 years ago.
anchovies
10-14-2002, 06:06 PM
Pumping the brake is fun :D
Well until the stupid bottle overfills or the mc gets empty!!
Dutchboy
10-14-2002, 07:18 PM
the only downside to pumping the brakes is that the master cylinder will go past what it normally takes to make you stop and if there are any deposits or burs it ruins the seals in the master and therefore you need to replace it....
thats why i dont do it unless i got to...
Ben
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