Replacing brake fluid.

"Ret." gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

The stuff that comes out is rarely - if ever - as clean and fresh looking as that which goes in. Even changing every two years, you'll see a difference.

Same difference. You're effectively bleeding through sufficient fluid that all the old has been drained out and replaced by new.

From the first corner, until you've drained the reservoir, refilled it, then a bit more.

Then, from each additional corner, enough to clear the pipework to that corner.

The ABS block might have a specific procedure to bleed - so long as you don't allow air in, you shouldn't need to follow that, though it might be worth doing if there's "dead ends" in it, rather than just "high points".

Well, you COULD put LHM in... That's nice bright green...

Seriously, you'll never manage to totally replace it all, so don't sweat it - so long as the vast majority has been replaced, you'll be fine. If they really did do different colours as you suggest, then you'd end up with a muddy generic in the reservoir after a few changes.

Hmm - last time I did it I was unable to see any difference (assuming that I continued long enough to get all the old stuff out!). I use one of these 'one way valve' bleeders so that you don't have to keep re-tightening the bleed screw after each downward stroke of the brake pedal. I usually do the job myself - which means that I can't actually see the fluid coming out as I'm sat in the car pumping. I'll have to get my wife to sit in the car and pump the pedal while I watch for the subtle change of colour!

I'll let you know how I get on - the car is due for a major service at the end of this month and I've been buying in all the consumables in readiness.

It's a fairly standard 'rear nearside, rear offside, front nearside, front offside, on the 75.

LOL! I've already got a litre of Dot 4 ready.

Yes - you're probably right.

Kev

Not an answer, but I recently wanted to change my brake fluid. I rang around first to check prices. Local garage - £70 ! National Tyres - £40. Local brake specialist £30. IMO £25 to avoid all that grovelling around was worth every penny and I was in there 15 minutes. :-)

Andy C

I've got a Gunson Easybleed. This uses air pressure from the spare wheel to push fluid through - so you can watch it come out of each nipple. Works well once you've got the hang of it. And of course fine for one man use.

Perhaps the majority of the old fluid is in the reservoir. So pumping that out first - a household spray thingie works well for this - and perhaps retracting the caliper pistons before bleeding too - means you'll have less old fluid in the system.

"Ret." gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

You could always compare with what's going in, y'know...

I've always found them a waste of time.

If you don't have an assistant to hand that's capable of understanding "When I say down, slowly press the pedal down and hold it there until I say up", then they're probably not capable of understanding how to get you out when you drop the car off the jack onto your foot...

"Dave Plowman (News)" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Invaluable in some situations - especially clutches - but still not as good as the two-man method, imho, the majority of the time.

Or just a big syringe/turkey baster.

Regarding draining the reservoir, I prefer not to let it get empty while pumping, so instead I empty it from the top with a syringe and refill with fresh fluid before starting the bleeding process.

That's what I use!

Kev

I did think about getting hold of one of those - but having to remove your spare wheel, then let much of the air out to get the right pressure for the Easibleed - then re-inflating it again, just seems a bit of a hassle. The clear tube with a one-way valve built into it that I have (which I am pretty sure was also a Gunson product although the packaging has long gone), is very effective.

I use an old turkey baster for that!

- and

True - but it the pads don't require replacing it's another load of hassle for a minor benefit.

Kev

I'm surprised. Mine works extremely well. Just push the clear tube onto the nipple, slide the circular clamp down over the part of the tube which is on the nipple to hold it in place - then slacken off the nipple and start pumping. No need to keep re-tightening and re-loosening the nipple during the process.

LOL!

Kev

I have this over-riding compulsion not to pay people for jobs that I am perfectly capable of doing myself - plus, if I do it myself, I *know* it's been done!

Kev

Not sure I'd want to use a cooking implement for this. ;-) Spray thingies get thrown out after use - unless you manage to find re-fills.

If you are working on your own and if you don't use a pressure method then it is pretty much essential to remove the bleed nipple and grease its threads or you have a high likelihood of drawing air back in along the threads when you lift the brake pedal.

I agree over most things, but brake bleeding is a PITA on the ground. I also have no doubt it was done properly.

Andy C