How do you flush the brake fluid from system?

Just like bleeding but waiting until you see the new, clean fluid coming out. Can be easily done two man with no special tools or one man with a bleeding kit.

Jimbo

take turkey baster and syphon all fluid from master cyclinder reservoir. wipe down master cylinder reservoir with a clean towel. fill master cylinder reservoir with fresh brake fluid. bleed brakes starting with the brake farthest away from master cylinder. bleed each corner until the fluid coming out is clean.

------------- Alex

Can't the lint from a towel hurt the brake system? Because on my Escort the reservoir opening has a nylon mesh screen. Also the reservoir has two compartments, and there's no way a towel can clean out the second compartment. I had to use a syringe with a thin tube to empty it.

I think the idea in wiping out the resevoir is to remove any crud that may have collected on the bottom. If it looks clean, don't bother. The amount of old fluid that remains there is nothing compared to what's left in the system, expecially the ABS pump and calipers..=20

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Be sure to use either a vacuum or pressure bleeder to move fluid through the system. Don't pump the mastercylinder. Unless you can be sure of completely cleaning the reservoir I would be wary of wiping it with a paper towel. You might loosen some crud and move it into the system.

When I flush, I use ATE super blue or yellow brake fluid. I alternate the color each time (every 2 years). It's real easy to tell when the fresh fluid is coming through! Use a pressure bleeder if you can too. No need to be sticking any rags in the master cylinder. Just suck it out with the mentioned turkey baster.

'05 Subie WRX '02 Subie RS '99 Subie Outback Sedan Limited edition '98 Volvo V70 AWD

Use a paper towel. Make sure it pieces don't break off and get sucked into the MC. That would complicate things. The mesh screen should come out. I have no ideas on how to clean up the second compartment. I do know that if you don't clean the reservoir, it takes a substantial amount of brake fluid to flush the system clean. If you do clean the reservoir, a quart will do most cars.

------------- Alex

On my cars, mostly bought used, it is easy to tell old from new fluid because the old is much, much, much darker than fresh fluid.

You obviously flush regularly. On the cars I have bled, if I don't wipe down the reservoir I get more crud flowing through the system and it takes alot of fluid to flush that crud through the system. I prefer to stop that crud before it gets into the MC and through the system.

-------------- Alex

Most modern cars (since the early 80s anyway) have an aluminum master cylinder with a plastic reservoir that snaps onto the MC and seals by means of O-rings. You can pop the whole reservoir off the MC, flush it with Brakleen solvent, let it dry, put it back on, and re-fill it. Or remove the whole MC from the vehicle and rinse repeatedly with brake fluid (don't run Brakleen through an assembled MC).

Steve wrote: :

I'm afraid of cracking the plastic reservior where it slips into the grommets on the MC, and it seems that reserviors are a harder to buy tha MCs.