Your method of changing brake fluid?

BUDFORCE

BUDFORCE

BUDFORCE

Soldato
Joined
3 May 2012
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I have done it several times on motorcycles but the braking systems are generally much simply, I have done it once on a car with ABS and honestly it was just awkward.

I went round jacking up one wheel at a time, starting with the rear, open the brake fluid cover, used a cheapo suction kit from amazon and went round each wheel sucked a good bit of fluid through topping up as I went.

What is your preferred method?
 
Mines much the same. I have a bottle with a clear line attached to the bleed nipple. I suck out as much of the old fluid as possible from the reservoir and replace with new. Then just pump the brake untill new fluid comes out the caliper. Rinse and repeat.

I can't see how it can't be a less faffy than that.
 
Brookert said:
Mines much the same. I have a bottle with a clear line attached to the bleed nipple. I suck out as much of the old fluid as possible from the reservoir and replace with new. Then just pump the brake untill new fluid comes out the caliper. Rinse and repeat.

I can't see how it can't be a less faffy than that.
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This^ Either this is an easy job, or i am a better rubbish mechanic than i think i am, it just requires 2 people (one of whom can be totally unskilled such as a 5 year old son :p)
 
I pay someone to do it for me, I’ve changed my brake fluid previously but then discovered I hadn’t bled the system correctly and had a slightly scary near miss because of it.

I’m happy to attempt most jobs on a car given the right tools but have decided with hindsight to leave safety critical stuff like brakes to the professionals.
 
I use an extractor to suck it through the bleed nipple. Can do it on your own that way.
It's a lot easier than the pump the peddle method.

Attach pump, pump handle a couple of times, open bleed nipple, close nipple when you see new fluid.
Repeat for each corner and clutch.
 
Brookert said:
Mines much the same. I have a bottle with a clear line attached to the bleed nipple. I suck out as much of the old fluid as possible from the reservoir and replace with new. Then just pump the brake untill new fluid comes out the caliper. Rinse and repeat.

I can't see how it can't be a less faffy than that.
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I used the same method when I used to service my own vehicles. I just made sure to have a mate on hand to press the brake pedal when I was doing a car.
 
Either way by a kit for pressurising the master cylinder with a spare tyre let down to ~15PSI. Then go round each caliper and bleed keeping an eye on the reservoir level.

Alternatively using a hand vacuum pump at the caliper end and drawing fluid through. Can depend on the reservoir cap design to which kit I use.

Just be aware of what your doing and test peddle thoroughly before trying to drive and then test again. I replaced the entire brake line install on my 23 year old RX7 in a weekend and still remember it used 22 fittings of different designs. No leaks since.
 
I'm happy to do most servicing jobs on a car, but changing brake fluid is always something I will pay someone else to do :) I know how to do it but on the occasions that I've done it, I'm paranoid that I haven't removed all of the air properly. Paying someone else gives me some peace of mind.
 
Plastic pipe with a one way valve in it's length that was meant for a catheter attached to the nipple. Stick the end in a jar & pump the pedal.
 
Iamzod said:
Plastic pipe with a one way valve in it's length that was meant for a catheter attached to the nipple. Stick the end in a jar & pump the pedal.
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This is a great approach, removes the need for someone else to pump the pedal. How did you get the one way valve and pipe?
 
Jez said:
This is a great approach, removes the need for someone else to pump the pedal. How did you get the one way valve and pipe?
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If you want to do it that way then the simplest way is with speed bleeder nipples like these:

https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/goodridge-speed-bleeder-bleed-nipple-g-bn

They are a great addition for track cars where you regularly want to bleed out cooked fluid. Probably not that cost effective on a regular car that has brake fluid changes every few years though.
 
It takes less than 20 mins to replace brake fluid. Start at furthest wheel from Master cylinder, open bleed screw with pipe attached (ideally into a bottle that already holds some brake fluid), open the res and pour some new fluid in. Crack the nipple and get your assistant to press the pedal down, lock up the nut, release pedal. Repeat. Then repeat for each wheel getting closer to MC.
 
Yea I like the idea of the tube with the one way valve, I'll give it a go.

I need to do the Mrs fiesta it's waaay overdue probably heading towards 6-7 years since it was last done
 
1. Remove as much fluid as possible from the master cylinder reservoir *without* draining it completely, top back up with fresh fluid. Not 100% necessary, but reduces the mount of old fluid you've got to draw through the system.
2. Vacuum bleed to draw through fresh fluid.
3. mavity bleed to finish, as I find the vacuum bleeders are good for drawing high quantities through very quickly, but never seem to give amazing pedal feel. mavity bleed sorts that.
4. Repeat on all corners.
 
+1 for removing most of the old fluid from the reservoir and refilling with fresh before bleeding, this saves lots of unnecessary pumping.

I wish they did brake fluid in a couple of different colours. I bleed the brakes on both of our cars every 2 years regardless of mileage and the old fluid is always still very clean and barely distinguishable from new fluid. It would be good to have 2 colours to alternate between in order to clearly see the new fluid coming through.
 
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