Topic: trying to bleed brakes on my car and cant figure out how to.

[97 saturn]

please advise on how to do.,what am i forgetting to do.

[barrie1]

Hi 97Saturn and Welcome to the Forum. Please give us some info on exactly which type of bleeding tools you are useing on this car. 

[dash]

No expert here, but I generally let gravity do the work, open bleeders (on the calipers) and let them drip, ensure that you maintain enough brake fluid in reservoir. Else for speed it is a two person job, one to pump brakes and hold pedal down, while the other opens the bleeder and closes prior to re pumping.     

[ktm525]

No expert here, but I generally let gravity do the work, open bleeders (on the calipers) and let them drip, ensure that you maintain enough brake fluid in reservoir. Else for speed it is a two person job, one to pump brakes and hold pedal down, while the other opens the bleeder and closes prior to re pumping.     

This is my favourite method too. A little clear tubing running into 4 empty beer bottles (preferably a clear bottle like Newcastle). Sit back and work on the last two bottles as you "work" on your car.

[tortoise]

This is my favourite method too. A little clear tubing running into 4 empty beer bottles (preferably a clear bottle like Newcastle).

As a bonus, you get to drink Newcastle.  Great beer!

[articsteve]

please advise on how to do.,what am i forgetting to do.

What exactly have you been doing?   As long as you have not hit the brake pedal while a bleeder valve is open you won't have messed it up.

[PJungnitsch]

Speedbleeders are really nice, basically bleed nipples with one-way valves that make the job one person and much simpler.

https://www.speedbleeder.com/

They also sell a catch container for the fluid, the really useful part is the surgical tubing which grabs the bleeder nipple much better than regular tubing.

When pumping the brake pedal, put a 2X4 or some small block under it so the pedal doesn't go quite to the floor, some master cylinders will screw up the rubber seals if you go all the way down.

Some master cylinders are very tough to bleed properly, I found that starting the engine and letting it run during the process helped get recaltriant bubbles out of the system.

Worst comes to worst, Midas and such will pressure bleed a system quite cheaply.

[articsteve]

On BMWs, Porsche and I assume most other German cars you need a pressure bleeder which is quite different than a speed bleeder.  The annoying thing about a pressure bleeder is that all cars don't use the same reservoir interface.

I agree about not pushing the pedal all the way down on older cars.

[tpl]

I think on newer BMWs like mine that you need the computer plugged in and the engine running to bleed the brakes.   Because of the DSC the braking system has hydraulic pressure available even when you are not touching the pedal for the DSC to work.  My Bentley workshop manual is a little hazy on this procedure but thats what it appears to say.  That any pipe from the "master cylinder" to a wheel cylinder can be pressurized and depressurized at a milliseconds notice

I ould therefore assume that ANY car that can apply the brakes itself without human foot on the pedal must have a similar procedure.

[articsteve]

What year is your Bimmer?  That sounds like pure hell for the wallet.  Won't be owing another used Bimmer now that the oil only gets changed once every half century and brake jobs are dealer only.   

My S70 had ABS, traction control and for the first time Volvo stability control, which was very advanced at high speed I must say.  Quite remarkable I thought.  I had no issues with my pressure bleeder as all it does is increase hydraulic pressure to a maximum of 10 psi.   I'll keep a look out for brake bleeding issues on the Bimmer boards for newer models.

[ktm525]

On BMWs, Porsche and I assume most other German cars you need a pressure bleeder which is quite different than a speed bleeder.  The annoying thing about a pressure bleeder is that all cars don't use the same reservoir interface.

I agree about not pushing the pedal all the way down on older cars.

German brake systems defy the laws of gravity? I haven't tried a gravity bleed on a modern German car but have done it on some domestics. Do the Euro's have some sort of extra safety device?

[articsteve]

The only time I've done a gravity bleed is if I'm repairing one wheel and don't have another person to step on the pedal so I just put up with the long wait and that was a domestic pickup.   I should have said used Bimmers and Porsche; preowned as some like to say.

As far as pressure bleeders go they are they only way that I know to refill brake fluid into the clutch hydraulic/slave system.

[ktm525]

So you are talking about drain/refill of the clutch slave which piggybacks onto the brake reservoir. My 03 Passat had a drain for the slave and I changed the fluid using a gravity feed by keeping the brake reservoir topped up. I haven't checked the new Volvo.

[tpl]

Artic. Its a 2003 xi  with the full works dsc/abs/atc/ttc/3dollarbill  electronics.  One does NOT need to bleed the brakes to change pads or discs but it is due for its 2nd brake fluid replacement in the winter and I'll be interested to see if the non-dealer guy I go to has the kit to do it...I'll try to stay and watch.

I reread the manual.  Just the basic bleeding if one is completely sure that no air has got into the master cylinder, just use a pressure bleeder. If one is not sure or if the brake fluid is being replaced then it needs "low viscosity Dot4, a pressure bleeder and the BMW computer plugged in to actuate stuff to get the fluid replaced".

[articsteve]

the BMW computer plugged in to actuate stuff to get the fluid replaced".

Sounds very evil.   

[tpl]

yes it sure does.... the manual says that IF air gets into the precharge pump and the bits and pieces that control the DSC the only way to get it out is with the computer controllings all teh valves and stuff. As you said earlier... not so good for the wallet