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Brake bleeding

Featured Replies

Is there something I forgot to do when I bleeded my brakes today? I just did loosened the bleed valve, hooked up my tube, kept depressing the pedal each wheel until i saw new fluid. Then just close it up. After doing all 4 filled up the brake fluid 3/4 full(pads, and rotor are worn, coming in the mail........) I know there was something I forgot to do. Car seemed OK, pedal didn't bottom out like before. And the resovoir fluid was brown? and red came out at each wheel :eek: but just depressed pedal till new colour stuff came out and depressed like 5 more times out the new stuff each wheel. Still I can't lock up my wheel. So hopefully getting new ceramic pads, and new plain brembo rotors (all 4) will fix my issue. But still is there something I am forgetting to do?? Thanks.

Is there something I forgot to do when I bleeded my brakes today? I just did loosened the bleed valve, hooked up my tube, kept depressing the pedal each wheel until i saw new fluid. Then just close it up. After doing all 4 filled up the brake fluid 3/4 full(pads, and rotor are worn, coming in the mail........) I know there was something I forgot to do. Car seemed OK, pedal didn't bottom out like before. And the resovoir fluid was brown? and red came out at each wheel :eek: but just depressed pedal till new colour stuff came out and depressed like 5 more times out the new stuff each wheel. Still I can't lock up my wheel. So hopefully getting new ceramic pads, and new plain brembo rotors (all 4) will fix my issue. But still is there something I am forgetting to do?? Thanks.

Unless you have one of those special one man bleader kits with a check valve, this is generally best done with a helper. Was the end of the hose submersed in a bottle of clean brake fluid so as to not suck air back into the line when you let off the brake? Depress pedal slowly but not to the floor completely? Tighten the bleed valve and then release the pedal? Took me a few tries to get it right. I don't think yours is an issue of pads and rotors either.

Yes, unless you have speed bleeders or a vacuum bleed device, it really takes two people to do it.

 

Press brake pedal down sloly. Open the bleed valve so fluid comes out. While pedal is held down, close bleeder. Slowly let brake pedal up. Repeat until no air bubbles come out and clean fluid comes out.

 

The Subaru wheel bleed order is the opposite of most other vehicles.

 

I have heard it is not a good idea to let the pedal go all the way to the floor during this operation.

Is there something I forgot to do when I bleeded my brakes today? I just did loosened the bleed valve, hooked up my tube, kept depressing the pedal each wheel until i saw new fluid. Then just close it up. After doing all 4 filled up the brake fluid 3/4 full(pads, and rotor are worn, coming in the mail........) I know there was something I forgot to do. Car seemed OK, pedal didn't bottom out like before. And the resovoir fluid was brown? and red came out at each wheel :eek: but just depressed pedal till new colour stuff came out and depressed like 5 more times out the new stuff each wheel. Still I can't lock up my wheel. So hopefully getting new ceramic pads, and new plain brembo rotors (all 4) will fix my issue. But still is there something I am forgetting to do?? Thanks.

 

The reservoir was still brown because the sediment was stirrred up. I think when you first press the brak pedal a little fluid is pushed back into the reservoir from the lines.

 

Unless you have air in the lines, a bleed won't make much difference in brake feel.

 

The pedal bottoming out 'before' indicates that you are at limit of wear of pads, or that the pads are retracting too much, or that your master cylinder is not retracting fully.

 

I suspect that the worn rotors and pads are making the caliper piston extend beyond maximum extension, and that the master cylinder can push enough fluid donw ther ina sngle stroke to lock them up.

 

Sounds like you gained maybe an 1/8th pedal stroke by bleeding. It'll probably al be good whn you get your new pads/rotors.

  • Author

Thanks guys. Well when I bled each wheel I did it fairly fast and did bottom out the brakes. But doesn't matter going to redo the bleeding again because it looked really bad the fluid, once my brakes come in the mail. So before I tighten the bleeder, bottom out the brake pedal? Oh and forgot to mention, I had my dad filling the resovoir as I pumped the brakes.

  • Author

Ok, this time each wheel when we tightened the bleeder, we had the pedal depressed to the floor. AND we tryed DOT 4 fluid this time. synthetic. NOW i can lockup my brakes :banana:

Ok, this time each wheel when we tightened the bleeder, we had the pedal depressed to the floor. AND we tryed DOT 4 fluid this time. synthetic. NOW i can lockup my brakes :banana:

'Twas the technique NOT the synthetic. Happy braking!

Thanks guys. Well when I bled each wheel I did it fairly fast and did bottom out the brakes. But doesn't matter going to redo the bleeding again because it looked really bad the fluid, once my brakes come in the mail. So before I tighten the bleeder, bottom out the brake pedal? Oh and forgot to mention, I had my dad filling the resovoir as I pumped the brakes.

 

The brakes are in the mail?

 

Thats a new on one the check is in the mail

 

:-p

 

nipper

  • 5 years later...

Quick noob question; Can someone please list the order of the wheels you bleed? i know its bass ackwards from other vehicles but i cant remember the order for the life of me. Thanks guys.:burnout:

Cars used to be fairly the same. Now it really depends upon the location of the ABS pump and the additional plumbing for it on where to start.

 

It gravity bleeds really well.

A thought on changing brake pads.........be sure to lube well all slide surfaces of pads on the rail, as well as lube the slide pins. It is important.

 

Last Spring, my Subie wasn't stopping well. I pulled the calipers off to find one of my slide pins locked up with rust, with brake pad worn severely on one side, so the pad couldn't press well against the rotor. Lubing the pin, and changing pads fixed the problem.

i always think of it this way, start from the farthest cylinder from the master cylinder that is the first place the air will go. also a lot of the time it is necessary to bled the brakes twice because it is hard to get all the air out.

i always think of it this way, start from the farthest cylinder from the master cylinder that is the first place the air will go. also a lot of the time it is necessary to bled the brakes twice because it is hard to get all the air out.

 

 

That is the old way, ABS pumps have changed the rules.

ah that could explain why i can't get all the air out of my step dads 97 lego brighton

That is the old way, ABS pumps have changed the rules.

 

What year did Subaru start using ABS as standard? Just curious.

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