bleeding my brake fluid

So once i have taken the pads out of the ?callopers? and i loosen both valves to pump out fluid, when do i add new fluid? Also do i pump the brakes while my buddy fills it up and should the valves be shut the whole time i'm filling with the new fluid?? I've heard a couple different approaches to this so i'm hoping to learn the proper way. Any info would be very helpful, THANX

So once i have taken the pads out of the ?callopers? and i loosen both valves to pump out fluid, when do i add new fluid? Also do i pump the brakes while my buddy fills it up and should the valves be shut the whole time i'm filling with the new fluid?? I've heard a couple different approaches to this so i'm hoping to learn the proper way. Any info would be very helpful, THANX

If you didn't know how to replace brake pads, WHY DID YOU NOT DO SOME RESEARCH ON HOW TO DO THEM.

Oh for christ sakes, you DON'T HAVE TO BLEED THE BRAKES, when replacing your brake pads.

You take the top off of the fluid resevoir and take a little fluid out to compensate for the fluid you will be pushing back into it when you are pushing the caliper back in for the new pads.

I have no idea why you WINGED this job and now you could have really messed it up.

If you or your friends don't know what they are doing, have it towed to a shop seeing if you don't, you could have complete brake failure and you will kill yourself.

Whoa kick-back captain, I didn't even start the project yet! I am grateful for your concern, but i've changed my pads succesfully a few times already and I know I dont need to bleed the fluid every time i swap pads, however, I need to change the fluid this time cause the fluid resembles crude oil and my brakes feel spongey. So anyways, i am just trying to learn the proper way to bleed the brakes and put in fresh fluid, but if this thread is too aggravating for any of ya'll, just dont respond. THAnk YOu :banghead:

hehe... goto autozone.com there's a repair section w/ free online manuals for some models... also www.advanceautoparts.com is a good resource.

flushing old brake fluid out every 2 years or so (depending on driving habits) is a good thing. hydroscopic fluid will absorb water over time & the water will pool inside some areas, causing some corrosion.

2-man job is the way to go unless you purchase some speedbleeders (1-way ball check valve).

here's some pointers if you're impatient to go search:

once u got the pads reassembled, you crack open all bleeder screws (2 c if they're not seized). then snug them all back.

then u start the furthest one. usually passenger rear... u open bleeder up, tell the buddy to press, he'll hit the floor, u close the bleeder, then buddy releases pedal slowly... wait a sec... repeat until fluid runs clear & no bubbles are present.

after every 5-6 bleedings, recheck the master cylinder & keep pouring fresh fluid in it, cap back on, go back to bleeding process.

usually go pass side rear, then driver side front, driver side rear, lastly pass side front... but check autozone repair manual for the process.

sure it'll take a while, but your system will thank u for the transfusion. just to reiterate: make sure the bleeders aren't seized up B4 tackling it!

good luck... i'm sure autozne can loan a vaccuum tool for a 1-man job; heck they even sell a 1-man bleeder kit for ~$5 but i personally didn't try that out yet. mebbe some1 else can give their feedback on that tool.

um, do you have ABS? Make sure you know exactly what your doing if you do, cause sometimes the above method wont work if you have abs.

Whoa kick-back captain, I didn't even start the project yet! I am grateful for your concern, but i've changed my pads succesfully a few times already and I know I dont need to bleed the fluid every time i swap pads, however, I need to change the fluid this time cause the fluid resembles crude oil and my brakes feel spongey. So anyways, i am just trying to learn the proper way to bleed the brakes and put in fresh fluid, but if this thread is too aggravating for any of ya'll, just dont respond. THAnk YOu :banghead:

Sorry about the misunderstanding.

But you should REALLY know what you are doing before you bleed an ABS system.

doh, i 4got about the ABS cause some models have an accumulator or have bleeder valves on the ABS unit iteself... so research it!

I guess this is gonna be a touch more difficult than i thought, i'll most likely pick up a Haynes manuel to make it sure i'm not gonna mess this one up, Thanx for the imput ya'll!

side note: if you have ABS you bleed the fluid out as you collaps the calliper, particulat can travel back up the abs system and realy fu*k stuff up if you do it the old fassion way of letting the fluid go back up into the system

side note: if you have ABS you bleed the fluid out as you collaps the calliper, particulat can travel back up the abs system and realy fu*k stuff up if you do it the old fassion way of letting the fluid go back up into the system

Worked fine for me. You don't push that much fluid back.

Worked fine for me. You don't push that much fluid back.
yep, and it works fine 9,999 time out of 10k, but if your the one unlucky unfortunet person it goes wrong for, its a HUGE problem, and with abs problems, its never cheap to fix

Take $25 to your local auto parts shop and get a small hand vacuum pump with a collection bottle and various hose and nipple fittings in the kit. ou can bleed the brakes quickly and with one hand, one man (yourself) in just a few minutes. If you have ABS, don't use DOT-4/5 silicone based "synthetic" fluid. Use the good old DOT-3 to fill up your resivouir. I just bled the brakes the other day using a tool like this when I changed x-fer case fluids and differential oil. :D

yep, and it works fine 9,999 time out of 10k, but if your the one unlucky unfortunet person it goes wrong for, its a HUGE problem, and with abs problems, its never cheap to fix

That's some pretty good odds don't you think? ;)

That's some pretty good odds don't you think? ;)


I'm with you, I just use a C clamp and push the caliper piston back in and replace. Have never had a problem with the abs on my blazer or camaro doing this.

yeah, I'm the unlucky son of a bitch. Doing it this way fucked up my ABS controller, and its a $600.00+ part. Right now the abs is just unhooked, and the "ABS" light is lit on the dash, but who knows, maybe the controller just failed right after I bled the brakes, who knows. All I know is that the valves in the controller stick open. and its a very very hard pedal. So it just got unhooked for now.

yeah, I'm the unlucky son of a bitch. Doing it this way fucked up my ABS controller, and its a $600.00+ part. Right now the abs is just unhooked, and the "ABS" light is lit on the dash, but who knows, maybe the controller just failed right after I bled the brakes, who knows. All I know is that the valves in the controller stick open. and its a very very hard pedal. So it just got unhooked for now.


This would be my luck too. So I alway crack the bleeder screw to.