I don't know anything about my vehicle. Except checking my oil. Until I went to Walmart because of my son went there to have his oil change. I had been going to Jiffy Lube for an oil change. But Jiffy Lube now charges from $39.99 to $112.00. So Walmart charges $49.00. Then on my receipt says Transmission Service. Am always afraid of what would cost me for any repair of my 2018 Nissan Versa .I bought my vehicle brand new. I always give a thumbs up for a dirty mechanics. Without them though they can be very pricy at the shop or at the dealer. Dirty Mechanics have their knowledge to fix any cars. Most people drive expensive cars with a tie. Yet they know nothing how to repair cars. I'd rather give a thumbs up and give them outstanding 100% of their dirty jobs. Thanks so much for your talent Eric. Not just men can learn how to repair cars even women can do the same thing. Women drive too. Anyone who owns cars should learn the basic repair. Am learning more even just watching this video.
For getting this job done, Toyota dealer asks me for 125$. I knew this is something that anybody could do by him/her self because I was confident enough that I could find an educational video like this. Thank you so much for this video ! Absolutely excellent !!
You can save a lot of money Doing it yourself. Even a project like replacing brake fluid can cost you a few hundred dollars or more; when all you need do it yourself is fluid, tubing & empty bottle. Amazing
This is one of the best TH-cam videos I've ever watched. I didn't think about the audio quality once until I decided to do this review. There was no wind noise, no mumbling, I understood every word, there was no rambling about irrelevant crap, no silly arm movements (I'm sorry Scotty). It was just valuable information presented in an easy to understand manner.
You saying “he or she” means so much to me as a lady that works on my own cars. Might seem like just a small thing to most but to me it really meant the world ❤
You sure are a very selfless(Not selfish) guy and are so keen and eager to impart with all the knowledge that you have about the braking system !!Thanks Bud eric !!!
Thanks so much. I researched this procedure ages ago and bought all the stuff to replace my brakes and then never got around to it all. Watching again refreshing my memory and there are some reassuring tips in here. I have to do this on my own and it's great to understand some pitfalls that could go wrong so I can watch out for them. Cheers again.
Seeing videos of your old shop, or you just moving into this ones just makes me feel nostalgic of the days when I could only afford an old car, and couldn’t afford to have somebody else fix it. I didn’t know anybody to show me how to work on cars. Thank you for all your hard work and making vids to help people like me. My situations have changed since then, but I will forever be grateful for you helping when I needed it.
I saw this in a GM manual back in the 80s and have done it ever since . I ve tryed to tell people about it but they just dont believe brakes can be bled by one person . Its good to finally see it done by a professional Mechanic. Only difference I do is I use a glass jar instead of plastic bottle , since the glass doesnt disintegrate.
Eric, you are a star. This video showed me where I was going wrong but not only that, you talked to the average guy who fixes his own car in a way that made sense of it all. Thank you.
I'd agree with Eric that you would want to flush the old fluid from the master cylinder to the shortest line so to get clear fluid first. For newer car with ABS/VSA module, all brake lines go thru the ABS/VSA module so depending on where that module is, that is the shortest line to the front wheel. Some of them are located on the left side of the engine bay while other are located on the right hand side. Flush the line shortest to the front wheel first to get rid of the old fluid from the master cylinder. Then flush the rear wheels to get rid of the old fluid from the main lines and lastly the last front wheel. To prevent breaking the bleeder valve, do not force it open with excessive force, it should come out easily without using a hammer. If it is stuck, try the liquid wrench first and let it sits to get rid of the rusts around the valve, it never fails to open for me. These valves are either made of aluminum or soft metal like brass, they are easily damaged. If you break the valve, you have to change out the caliper or try to extract the old valve using an extractor bit (after soaking it liberally with liquid wrench.) Cracking the brake line does not get rid of the old fluid in the caliper and you risk adding air into the brake lines.
I hate to be "that guy" who corrects Eric, BUT... If the bleeder is INOP, yes you can bleed from the banjo bolt, BUT any air pockets PAST the banjo bolt will NOT be eliminated! (The bleeder is at the highest point on the caliper.) All fluid that is both above the banjo, AND downstream of it, will not be removed! This might be "good enough" for a simple fluid flush, when the pedal feel is adequate, but if the caliper has been disconnected, and allowed to go dry, you cannot get an acceptable pedal this way. What I've found necessary to do is: 1) Disconnect the caliper from the bracket 2) Remove brake pads. 3) Wedge something (like a LARGE socket) so that the piston(s) cannot move. 4) Rotate caliper so that banjo bolt is facing up, and is at the highest point on the caliper. 5) Bleed as usual. Hope this helps!
This is true. I tried bleeding from the bolt/brake hose and it took forever with no results. The next day I lifted the caliper, as if i were changing the brake pads, and zip tied it upside down and got a hard pedal with in 5-6 pumps. But i still have to give credit to Eric for the suggestion because if not for this video i would have been stuck.
Replicated your bleeding bottle with one modification: a one way valve in the hose, right behind the bleeding nipple. They sell those at the aquarium shop. Thanks for your videos.
I REALLY need to add something: If you have a lot of miles on your master cylinder,do not push the brake pedal all the way to the floor! The seals inside the master never"sees" the very end of the cylinder bore. That where a lot of rusty crap probably is.If the seals get into that area,you may damage the seals inside and ruin the master cylinder. Same goes if you have a buddy pump the pedal. Put your other foot under the pedal to prevent going all the way down. Dave in Seattle.
Good point. I made a "pedal stopper" buy getting an 8 ft 2"X4" piece of wood at Home Depot. Then I had them cut it into different sized pieces for tire chocks and the stopper.
I love how extra informative and specific your videos are, man. You really are a great teacher. Liked the way you show yourself topping off the master cylinder after flushing each brake. I always enjoy your videos and they really have helped me in the long run. Please keep doing videos, man. Extremely fun-ducational!
Hey Eric. Been watching since these videos came out. I cant even begin to thank you for being my only car friend over the years. I sometimes come back and rewatch these old videos. i lobe how far you've come.
I drain the fluid from the master cylinder and refill. I go for ten minute ride stop and go. back and repeat. Same for my power steering fluid and never had a problem ever with brakes or steering. The power steering you may want to do a few or four times.
Excellent video. Clear and concise. Getting out the old brake fluid can also prevent calipers from seizing up. Rust can form in the caliper due to the frequent temperature changes because any water in the system will migrate to that hot spot. Bleeding gets rid of old fluid and any water that might have accumulated there. I learned the hard way concerning seized up calipers.
I know this is an old comment - but what I think you should worry about more than Brake fluid being a concern for the calipers seizing up, is having all the caliper guide pins seizing up. Make sure you grease up your caliper guide pins REALLY WELL lol. They’ll never fail like that
Eric you just friggin saved me! First time ever changing fluid and when I tried loosening the nipples on the rear calipers both sheared off! I bled them using the brake lines themselves and it worked, haha! Thanks! I have to go to work delivering pizzas in about 30 minutes, now.
2008 Impreza 2.5i here. Removed my caliper, cleaned, rebuild the seals and pistons, painted red. Bleed the brakes by braking bleeder screw while I had pressure on pedal (2x4 wood pressed on brake pedal by mooving the seat forward to apply pressure), then closing bleeder screw before releasing pedal. Then realease pedal, and reapply pressure, crack bleeder, repeat. Did this 20 times for each wheel. Brake feel somewhat spongy now though (I saw no bubbles in the end). Bleeder facing up (made sure I choosed the right caliper for each sides). I used the folowing greases (Permatex copper antisieze on the caliper holder metal surfaces that take the abuttment clips. Kleenflow Eze-slide on abuttment clip crevisses, on ears of pads, on surface of pad shims, on surface of caliper pistons. Used Niglube RX2 (orange colored) on caliper pins and on caliper piston rubber boots... And used a very small amount of renolit rubber grease on the square seals... that is, the pink-red stuff that subaru includes the OEM subaru caliper seals rebuild kit). Any idea why my brakes feel kinda spungy ??? I did only the front calipers, ended up bleeding around 250 mL out (but even the old fluid looked pretty clear). BTW, I torqued everything to specs (caliper holder 59.9 ft-lbs, slider-pin bolts 20 ft-lbs, banjo bolt 13.3 ft-lbs, bleeder screw 13.3 ft-lb), made sure there is no leaks around banjo bolts nor bleeder screws). I did use hose pliers to pinch my brake hoses. The brake work fine, and the brake pedal travel does not go all the way to the floor, but it does feel a bit more spungy than it used to before. I had to do this job as I initially had a seized caliper piston on driver side.
Good video, popped up as a recommended video. Another option (particularly useful for air or "leaky bleeders"), use a vacuum tool. Most are sold with a container and lid with 2 ports. Pieces of tubbing instanced in that lid, like your 20oz bottle makes for an easy 1 person job. As for the bleeders.... I know we all like nice clean break parts at the end of a job, however..... take a bit of beak grease and cake it around the base of that bleeder. Not too much, it don't need to look like a birthday cake, but.... water can't rust shut what water can't get too. Can't tell you how many times I've had to heat them to open them, when the last guy coulda just spent 10 seconds and a fingers worth of grease.
My family mechanic told me my brake fluid was a little dirty and can be changed when I have time and money. I will do the turkey basting method. Thanks ETCG!
The problem with that, though - also for @Savage Patriot - is the fluid in the lines - which is still dirty - is the only fluid that matters! The reservoir fluid - now clean with that method - won't get into the lines and calipers (sufficiently) to do what it's supposed to do. If you could blend the old and the new it wouldn't be too bad, but that won't happen. So, despite Eric not pointing it out - and saying some mechanics do it - that's not sufficient.
Fender covers a great idea. Great to clean the outside of the master brake cylinder. I do both. The old brake fluid looked rusty, dirty. I'm glad you bled each wheel (I don't want the rusty, air contaminated fluid to cause rusting inside a brake caliper, brake piston, and cause future problems).
i just want to say, Ive watched dozens of Erics videos, and he is so descriptive and has so many helpful tips, that Now i always watch his video about the service im doing that day, I almost always learn some simple trick to save money or time. Thank you
many thanks Eric.ive just refreshed my vw t4 brake fluid.brakes were bit spongy.fluid looked black.followed your method one by reservoir first had to use a 11mm socket to slacken 2 nipples just enough to loosen without loosing fluid.so could crack off with 11mm spanner.hardest bit was jacking van with 4 axle stands making sure they all steady.lot weight in my camper van.brilliant videos eric.your a cool guy.steve
what tool do you recommend? i have a "motive" brake bleeder but the thing is nearly useless. i'm forever fidgeting with the cap to get a good seal & hold pressure. drives me nuts.
+EricTheCarGuy 30,000 miles? I know some people who are probably driving around with the same fluid for at least 100,000 miles. I agree it should be changed more often that any other fluid just because it attracts moisture from the air. I like to suck out as much as I can from the reservoir first. For that I get a cheap marinade injector from the dollar store. These look like something you would find in a doctor's office but with a bigger needle. That works good for getting all the way to the lowest point you can reach in the reservoir. Don't force it or anything and cause damage in there. Lastly be very careful with that especially if it has or had brake fluid in it. Don't leave it in the kitchen. That is not a problem for me since we don't use those in our kitchen. I like to keep a container handy to expel the fluid into, preferably glass so the fluid won't leak out. I like frappuchino bottles just because I sometimes have an empty one in the garbage. You can use a metal container also and maybe even plastic but brake fluid melts some plastics. If you are like me and have a cat or other pet keep it inside the house until the messes if any are cleaned up because this stuff is like antifreeze and just as toxic. Any pet unfortunate enough to ingest that will die a slow and horrible death unless taken to the vet immediately. It doesn't take much of it or antifreeze.
10:50 should have fer-sure been mentioned at the beginning of the video. Note level of fluid in master before doing anything with the old fluid!! Otherwise compressing brake pad cylinders could overflow the MC.
Excellent video. I would only add the advice to only use NEW fluid from a factory sealed container. Once the seal is broken you should not re-use that container in the future. Throw the unused fluid away. Moisture can gradually enter the unused brake fluid and contaminate it. Under pressure, any water in a brake system turns to steam and will compress. That leads to a spongy brake pedal and corrosion in the system.
so my 87 0lds should not be used anymore with the original fluid in it that still works quite well in the brake department where do you people come up with your reasoning, and as stated earlier the brakes are original,
I worked for Ford for decades , They had a pressure bleeder and no one used it. I did found it much better than any other method . I now have a 73 VW type 3 . I don't have a pressure bleeder and do change the fluid in the reservoir at least once a year and need to change all the fluid so I'm using penetrating oil of the caliper bleeders just in case since we don't have road salt here and last time I bleed the system was 1998 because I replaced the rubber hoses and also the rear wheel cylinders. Once I know I can open the bleeders and drain the old fluid out I will rebuild the calipers. On these VW's you have to bleed the fronts first because if you don't it creates some issue with the master. There are now speed bleeders that seal at the threads and once opened don't allow air to be drawn in , you just crack the bleeder and pump and the check ball does the work . When on fellow at ford decided to use the pressure bleeder he picked up the air hose instead of the pressure bleeder hose , what a mess. William
Good stuff, but there are a couple of things I feel I must say. The best time to change your brake fluid is every time you change your brakes. Never compress the caliper with the bleeder closed and the hose unclamped. The nastiest, rust-filled, sludged brake fluid in the entire system is in the calipers. You never want to push that shit fluid back up through the combination valve and ABS system, into the master cylinder. Drain/refill the master cylinder reservoir, as you showed at the beginning. _Gently_ clamp the hose to prevent backflow. It doesn't take much because the fluid passage is no bigger than the hard lines. Open the bleeder, compress the piston, and unclamp the hose. With a full master cylinder reservoir and the cap off, let the caliper sit where it mounts with the bleeder open until it drips with no air coming out. Then close the bleeder. After you have finished changing all the brakes, top of the reservoir, close the lid, and gently pump out all the caliper pistons. The remove the lid and top it off again. Leaving the lid off, open the bleeder on the wheel furthest from the master cylinder and let it drip until the fluid is clean and bubble-free. Then work your way towards the master cylinder one wheel at a time. Working from furthest to closest clears the most air and dirty fluid out of the longest line first. It reduces the possibility of leaving air and dirty fluid in the system by dealing with the biggest line volume first and successively smaller volumes of brake line. A thorough gravity bleed can be every bit as effective as pressure bleeding and won't stress the master cylinder like pedal pumping will. It just takes longer. I would often gravity bleed as I worked, in the shop, so that it was already flushed when I was finished with reassembly. I was a brake mechanic in a brake shop chain, where I moved quickly up to shop foreman / assistant manager and then to shop foreman / store manager. I worked for that company for several years. They took proper repair procedure very seriously there. I always made the region's highest score on the annual certification test, and was often the one who was called when one of the other shops had a car they couldn't fix.
+Al Brautigam Good to hear from Honest , Hard working Professionals like, you give me confidence for the so many times I trust my car to Pros like you to do the job necessary and do it right. Cost is secondary to me. Having peace of mind rolling on Highways ,especially in the middle of night is why cost is secondary to me. Good to hear from you , keep up the good reputation we all should strive for, at work.
Al Brautigam - Thank you, I gravity bleed too! Just maintain master cyl. fluid level. No need for this silly pump it up-hold-pedal to the floor (where it may have never been... ever, potentially damaging the seals).
worked great, so easy, thanks for the vid, the one thing i'd add is to drill a second vent hole in the bottle cap to release pressure, when i did it, the bottle pressurized and expanded and i think some of the dirty fluid went back into the line. just opened the cap to relieve the pressure and continued on. by drilling a smaller vent hole in the cap, would prevent the bottle from becoming pressurized.. Thanks for the vid hope my tip helps.
nice video. you said you can also bleed at the line. in theory that sounds good. however, in reality that doesn't remove air from the caliper piston area
My bleeder cap dry rotted and fell a part. I could not find replacement cap at reasonable price. So, I made my own cap with clear vinyl tubing (aquarium tubing). Just all pieces, heat up one end just enough to slightly melt and pinch with plier. That worked great. I wasn't sure if it will withstand heat from brake, but apparently bleeder area doesn't get that hot.
I invented the same exact thing (clear tube and vacuum hose). I haven't had a problem sucking air. Theres so much fluid in the hose that acts as a buffer. I've never seen air get past it and go back in. Either way, I can't imagine doing this WITHOUT a clear tube. It lets you see the fluid color and any air bubbles coming out.
Good video. You sure look a lot younger back then, of course we all did. If I took my car to a shop to have the brake fluid changed and all they did was change the brake fluid in the master, I’d feel cheated ifI found out. The brake fluid in the calipers takes the worst “beating” from heat and water contamination.
saw a guy when i was walking down the street the other day injecting himself with brake fluid and i asked him what the hell was he thinking and he just turned around and said, its ok i can stop when i want
Thanks dude! Awesome video and VERY informative. Thank the lord for people like you. You have saved me quite a bit of money over the years. What a money saver you are. Stay blessed and keep doing what you do ETCG. Peace be with you…
The interesting difference between your process and what I've been seeing by others: bleeding the left front first. The reason you give actually makes more sense.
As the fluid absorbs air it also lowers the boiling point of the fluid closer and closer to the 'wet' boiling point spec for the fluid you're using. This is a serious issue if you're racing or really abuse your brakes.
I recently just put my 'real ass' adult pants on and have been scanning youtube to try and learn all the things my paternal figures should have taught me but didn't. I don't think you're videos are very entertaining or overly informative but damn if they don't contain all the information needed to understand and do certain things. You're easily one of my favorite youtube guys at this point. Keep up the good work, brother!
You've got the deductive reasoning skills of a toddler. Did you burn yourself out on drugs or was it the booze that gotcha? "Should have but didn't', implies that they should have taught me them but, for some unknown reason, they didn't. I just told you the reason. Don't think so hard next time, I don't want you to hurt yourself.
Don't pass your flawed logic off as a mistake on my end. That just isn't how things work. 'Should have' quite literally implies that they should have done something but that they didn't. Presumably, there's a reason that they didn't, which I've already explained to you. Go get your GED, you might learn something.
Going to do my brakes this weekend, your suggestion of loosening the brake line or banjo bolt is very much appreciated as I have one bleed nipple which has been rounded off by previous owner, Thanks again for the tip.
I'm not sure why manufacturers don't put one way bleeding valves on. Wouldn't that make more sense since it's not good for it to suck the air in? Was just wondering, or should I say pondering.
I don't think there is such a valve because you need to loosen the bleeder valve to release air in the system as opposed to a one way valve which allows something to only flow in one direction. Therefore brake fluid would always come out, you wouldn't be able to stop it. Install it the other way? Well that's pretty much what a bleeder valve is.
@@jacksonpuckett6115 All they would have to do is put a cap on the one way valve. I have plenty on the aircraft I work on. That way whenever pressure is applied it wouldnt leak out. Seems like an easy fix right? But car manufacturers dont look to make it easy to fix on your own, they want to keep you coming back to the dealership for more.
I guess we also have to take into account it's hydraulic out vs air coming in. And air can make it's way into a liquid, right? I don't think there is such a valve that would allow liquid out, while blocking air coming in. So a bleeder valve is basically the only method? Which if the system isn't allowed to run dry then you shouldn't have air going in anyway. I don't know. Im just a dumbass mechanic, I don't get paid to think.
@@jacksonpuckett6115 I honestly wasn't trying to be a smartass. But it could be as simple as whenever pressure is relieved the suction back through the system pulls on a stopper (such as a rubber ball) or a spring loaded valve (to provide backpressure whenever pressure is relieved from the cylinder stopping air from entering). But hey what do I know I only fix helicopters for a living lol.
You really know an easy way to do this. I do not know it was that easy. This is something that I need to do, where I can save money because I have a big repair, replacing "Timing Cover Gasket" is leaking. So, this will help me save a little money, and I plan to do my breaks myself. Then, it makes the repair (that I can't do) a little more affordable.
Makes sense to flush the front lines first, for the same reason as replacing the fluid in the master cylinder first: Get as much dirty fluid out with as little fuss as possible before pushing the rest through the rear lines.
Can you just siphon the master with turkey baster fill with new fluid then a few months later do the same and would this over time fill the whole system with newer fluid?
I'm guessing this will only mix new fluid with old as the old fluid has no where to go(?) The way that ETCG is doing it, the new chases out the old by allowing the old to be forced out at the bleeder valves. I could be wrong
The old will - for the most part - stay in the lines, and THAT'S the only fluid that matters, that does what it's supposed to do. You'll find that very little of the new fluid gets from the reservoir to the lines to dilute the dirty. Eric should have pointed that out with respect to doing the short-cut route. If you could blend them, that would be different.
Did this 10 mins ago and everything went smoothly. The only gotcha was that while the front brakes had an 8 mm wrench, the rear required a 7 mm socket as the bleed valve was inside a valley and was obviously smaller. The tube was one with a 5 mm inner diameter and it was the perfect size. On a 2008 1.2 petrol Fiat Grande Punto - say what you want about Fiat, it's been going strong for 131k with minimal work required :) The biggest was a head gasket replacement that cost all of 119 EUR (133 USD) all included.
Lol - Wait, that "dealer" method of just replacing the exposed fluid in reservoir is a joke! The fluid in the cylinders and pipes is the only fluid that is important! The bit on top doesn't get used! lol Thanks Eric for "going the extra mile" and doing the proper job. lol
@@MegaMetinMetin Because when you press the brakes, fluid pushes the pistons. When the pistons are pushed out, fluid has to move where the fluid once was.
AbsIlutelt chrUe golden truth spoKen. The 'downstrream' fluid is wat is pinning your shoes on them jrums or the shooting to squeeze the "padz" over each side uv the roDorz ★ Please please someone save me with advice or information (Eric?): If we have a standard tranzmishin automobile do we need to be doing an extension of all this braKe fluid cycling work at the hyDraUlıc clutch slave cylinder (& leaping into the car to press/pump the clutch pedAl over and again)¿? As +Ed info, fur the 2yota Echo, clutch masTer cylinder iZ running off same reservoir as brakes- connected with a aluminum metal line or pipe to the master cylinder that's got the bottle-resorvoir
@@MegaMetinMetin @Legzuz RX300 Great ¿ never a bad question as it makes us think and not just fall into a routine of doings thing'z certain way 'just becoz' exactly what others below said, with the added explanation that the whole system has to to braKeoil/fluid-tight, for hydraulic pressure to be effective and to prevent water (which can come from presence of air) from rusting out internals
Thanks for this helpful video! one question: to avoid drawing in air through the bleeder screw after you loosen it, and you pump the pedal, don't you put some kind of lubricant around the bleeder screw threads to avoid this issue? Someone told me about this, but I am not sure if this is valid. Thanks!
If you have someone pumping while you’re bleeding, I don’t think that’s necessary. I like to have my assistant pump the brakes a couple times, then I ask them to smoothly apply pressure right down to the firewall as I undo the bleed screw. Before they let up, I retighten the screw and repeat. This approach has always been perfect for me.
Eric, so about the bleeder, are you not closing it between each brake cycle because you replaced the fluid in the reservoir with new fluid? If not why would you not close it?
As for the bleeder screws I always use teflon tape on the threads. Not only does it prevent air from seeping back in during the bleed but prevents them from seizing next time they need servicing.
Eric, I have a 2012 Honda Civic LX that is approaching 50,000 miles. the brake fluid is getting dark in color and i want to change it. Do I have to take special precautions to keep from setting an ABS light?
Mr. Gigi Yup. Anyone who takes chances with their brakes due to cleanliness issues is a fool. Some people think working in a dirty shirt like that is tough and manly. One chunk of crap from that shirt in the brake fluid could lead to loss of life. Why Eric? Why. You can’t afford soap and clean rags? I cleaned my engine most of the way (and the engine compartment) with $1.00 worth of Ajax super degreaser dish soap diluted in spray bottles. Before you work on brakes, like everything mechanical, clean it all up first. Too bad, it’s part of working on cars, not just housework. I had an old timer ask me if my living room looks like those car parts.
You just saved my day and me a lot of money thank you so much. I used to have a great friend who was a mechanic and I could ask him anything. He was killed in a car accident several years ago and I have been on my own on mechanic work since. I subscribed and thumbs up.
Another good reason to clean the area around the master cylinder filler cap is that you absolutely do not want any dirt particles whatsoever getting into a high-pressure hydraulic system. Dirt, being an abrasive, will score the master cylinder bore and piston over time and introduce leaks. When I have the filler cap off I usually cover it with a clean paper towel when I'm not pouring fluid into it. The same applies to the clutch hydraulic cylinder if you have a hydraulic clutch.
ABS was standard on Subarus since early 90s. In 1995 they introduced traction control, and this car in the video is a 1997 or 1998. So it most certainly is the way to do the ABS cars.
Yes and no. On certain cars, for example VWs and Audis, you can use a scan tool to bleed the ABS pump. It’s actually pretty neat because it can essentially bleed all your brakes at once if you have bleeders attached at all the wheels. And bleeding the ABS is a good idea although not strictly necessary unless you have air in the system.
Good for rough fluid replacement, but he is introducing a lot of air into the system. With the bleed nipple open every time the pedal is released, air is sucked in around the bleed nipple threads. Nipple should be tightened before releasing brake pedal.Also should be more careful about pouring brake fluid into master cylinder, tip the container gently at the edge of the opening, not pour it in from 6 inches above which also will introduce entrained air into master cylinder before you even start.Also squeeze bulb of turkey baster before putting into master cylinder, otherwise you are introducing air when you squeeze the bulb. Air that is entrained this way will stay there for a long time. I think he may be causing more problems than he is fixing.
Michael McLernon you're wrong. if air was being introduced, there would be visible air bubbles moving down the clear tube whenever he steps on the pedal
that's why he puts that tube in the nipple. When he releases the pedal he still has around a foot of fluid in that tube. He then closes the valve and only then takes the tube off. No air is being introduced. Your second point about pouring fluid from 6 inches is valid though.
Do NOT bleed brakes by opening up where the brake line goes into the caliper. This will introduce air into the system. There is fluid in the caliper itself, that's why you need to only use the bleeder valve.
My brakes were drawing air by the tube fitting. In order to solve that, I pumped the brake 10 times (to get clean fluid) and the eleventh time I pumped it with a stick, which I put against the seat to apply continuous pressure on the brake. Worked great! No more air.
When cycling fluid and not bleeding air, you can work however you like, front to back or rear to front. I choose to do rear to front, specifically farthest from master cylinder till I see clean fluid then I start "cycling" or bleeding other cylinders till clean fluid goes. I find this gets all the dirty fluid out the slowest, but it gets the lines fresh all in one go essentially. But that's how I did mine and there's nothing wrong with how you do yours. As long as there's clean fluid in the end that's all that matters.
I'll be honest, I've never fully changed the brake fluid in any car I've owned. And every car I've had was traded in with over 250,000 miles. What I have done forever is use a turkey baster in the reservoir and exchange fluid about every other 15,000 mile oil change. I've never had any problems. I do the same with power steering fluid, but the car I have now has electric steering - which I didn't even know was a thing until I got this car. I was at the dealership and couldn't find the power steering fluid, then I found out why.
Honestly most cars nowadays have a pretty well sealed brake system and usually the fluid will last a very long time. I've seen plenty of cars with over 200k miles on the original brake fluid. My car had 210,000 miles on the original brake fluid and it still looked like brand new fluid. I only flushed it for peace of mind but all the old fluid still looked very clean.
bsolutely true. In my old car which Ii gave it away at 170k miles I never did a brake fluid flush simply because I did'nt know it had to be done. The fluid was topped off during oil changes and NEVER had a problem with the brakes. Think of it , it was a 1997 car. Cars these days are built far better so doing a brake flush is not required. In fact my new car (purchased in 2013) does not even recommend a brake fluid flush or inspection for Schedule-1 maintenance (normal driving conditions) . For Schedule-2 (harsh driving conditions) it says "Inspect: Inspect and clean, repair, adjust, fill up, or replace if necessary" every 5000 miles.
Lets say some idiot(me) filled the reservoir with power steering fluid? i siphoned what I hoped was all of it. And tried cleaning the inside of the reservoir as best I could. I then filled it up with fresh BRAKE fluid this time and bled all for corners. Is my brake system/ABS fubared? I did drive it and it currently stops on a dime. Is my bank account going to take a hit?
Johnny CincoCero Only time will tell if the power steering fluid caused harm to the rubber seals in the master cylinder and calipers/wheel cylinders. What I would do is one month after this happened, flush the system again to remove any possible remaining power steering fluid contamination.
If you completely flushed all the lines and replaced with fresh fluid then everything should be fine. Although, since you posted this a year ago and haven't replied since, maybe we should assume that more than just your bank account took a hit - lol?
Eric...liquid wrench on the bleeders 1 hour before bleeding. Then moisten with a little (clean!) brake fluid on the bleeders and wipe them, then a spritz of mild detergent solution and another wipe (pinching and twisting the [CLEAN] rag around the bleeder and getting the residue out of the threads and seam at the bleeder/caliper junction). Or better yet, moisten the bleeders with brake fluid a week before you work on the brakes, then clean before starting the bleeding procedure. You are setting up novices to break them all the time. Or use the “original mechanics” method, a hair blow dryer. Even just a little warmth helps stop most bleeders from breaking. That guy in the comment who broke two is thanking the “expert” who failed to help him solve a basic and important problem. And the dirt in the master cylinder you are refilling...I’m blind in one eye and I can see the one piece inside the reservoir near the top, not to mention those dirty gloves while topping it off. Dealership? I cannot believe how many of your videos you are working on filthy assemblies. You mention cleaning the reservoir to see in, but never mention to KEEP DIRT OUT OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. You need to put the cap back on every moment you are not filling/checking it. The cap has a breather set up, if it is plugged, you clean it or get a new cap. At least we aren’t looking up your nose for half the videos anymore. I decided I am not watching guys who show themselves (especially from below, and instead of showing the work more) for like half the video. It is obviously an egocentric practice. You need to watch fordtechmakuloco and performance engine so YOU can learn how to work on cars. Sorry dude, but I’m sick of amateurs being duped into listening to poor advice. You should know better. If you break off a bleeder, you should not use the line to bleed. You should fix it. Telling people that it is just a silly bother will get some novice or his friends or family killed. You explain how the bottle method stops air from getting in, how is that prevented at the bolt? I have never seen anyone spray brake parts cleaner all over the reservoir area of the engine compartment. Do you even know what all it is spraying/dripping on? Carrying all that dirt onto the assemblies below it? And how about the brake fluid dripping out of the turkey baster? They are both great for wire insulation and seals. Really bad advice. Too bad real mechanics don’t review and comment on all these TH-cam howto auto videos. PS...I worked at a machine shop that did all the work for the San Diego city bus system.
I made myself a similar ghetto bottle setup years ago. The only difference is that I put a coat hanger through the cap so I could hang it off of the caliper. I also used it to bleed hydraulic clutch lines. Worked fantastic when you're solo.
I enjoy watching your videos however you gave bad advice when you suggested to use the banjo bolt and a leu of the broken bleeder. Once you loosen the banjo bolt air can get into the caliper and get up on top under the bleeder and without being able to open the bleeder you will never get the air al and they will not be able to get a pedal and drive the car until the replace that caliber and properly bleed it...
TexasGreats air will enter instantly as soon as it is loosened, fluid from the caliper will run out and it will gulp air just like loosening a cap on a sideways water bottle .There is a way to do it but you would need a power bleeder..then you could loosen it slightly and the escaping fluid would be pressurized keeping air from entering.
This comment she be posted at the top. I cringed when he suggested this. If you break a bleeder valve, remove and replace the damn thing, then bleed the system properly. There is no point in bleeding the lines if your caliper is full of air. The bleeder valves aren’t placed randomly. They are installed in a strategic location in order to allow air to be removed from the system. The banjo bolt is FAR from this strategic location and will absolutely not allow for proper bleeding.
+Chris Epler Not all spark plugs are easy to get to. It all depends on the motor and the vehicle. On another note I will never go to the dealership for anything. Too many times have I encountered them saying they're doing things and not doing them, though the customer still gets charged. Other times I've encountered customers coming in for second opinions when dealerships tell them they need new parts and this wasn't the case. They were just trying to make money.
I'm willing to bet that dealers only remove what's in the master cylinder (like Eric says), not bleed the rest out of the brakes themselves, and charge $100 or more in labor. Hahah it's so ridiculous it's comical.
Where is the rocket science? I have been working on my own vehicles for 30+ years and I have always avoided this job because the urban myths say this is something best left to the experts. Thanks Eric, really good video.
Yeah, but it's barely any more work to crack the bleeders. Also, you might have air in the lines and not realize it...boy will your brakes feel better once you get it out!
If you mean out of the reservoir only, you won't be replacing the bad fluid that's in the lines, and that's the actual fluid that's doing the work. Not the reservoir fluid.
Then reason form starting at the rear as stated in most factory service manuals is because the longest line with the most dirty fluid is the rear, unless is a model with a middle point valve. OIn the little bottle is enough only with the tip submerged in a couple of inches of fluid. You don't need to have a foot and a half in the bottle.
always like the content. as a fleet mechnic I've always had a vacuum bleeder. I've ran into some problems before using this system but after watching this months ago Its really speed upy process bleeding from the caliper bolts.
There is no God, there is only EricThecarguy and ChrisFix and the greater You Tube and the greater internet and the greater computers and the greatest Electricity.
outstanding!! cracking the line instead of the bleeder when the bleeder breaks off blew my mind worthy of a quick tip vid i'd say if its not already thanks eric
I don't know anything about my vehicle. Except checking my oil.
Until I went to Walmart because of my son went there to have his oil change. I had been going to Jiffy Lube for an oil change. But Jiffy Lube now charges from $39.99 to $112.00. So Walmart charges $49.00. Then on my receipt says Transmission Service. Am always afraid of what would cost me for any repair of my 2018 Nissan Versa .I bought my vehicle brand new.
I always give a thumbs up for a dirty mechanics. Without them though they can be very pricy at the shop or at the dealer. Dirty Mechanics have their knowledge to fix any cars. Most people drive expensive cars with a tie. Yet they know nothing how to repair cars. I'd rather give a thumbs up and give them outstanding 100% of their dirty jobs.
Thanks so much for your talent Eric.
Not just men can learn how to repair cars even women can do the same thing. Women drive too.
Anyone who owns cars should learn the basic repair.
Am learning more even just watching this video.
For getting this job done, Toyota dealer asks
me for 125$. I knew this is something that anybody could do by him/her self because I was confident enough that I could find an educational video like this. Thank you so much for this video ! Absolutely excellent !!
When you search for videos when working on your car, just find the EricTheCarGuy one and start watching. It's the best one, always.
This guy really relaxes me about braving the diy repairs I ever do.
Be brave and strong, young Joey. What looks easy for him MAY actually be easy. But he has experience, tools and the magic of video. Let us pray.
great
You can save a lot of money Doing it yourself. Even a project like replacing brake fluid can cost you a few hundred dollars or more; when all you need do it yourself is fluid, tubing & empty bottle. Amazing
This is one of the best TH-cam videos I've ever watched. I didn't think about the audio quality once until I decided to do this review. There was no wind noise, no mumbling, I understood every word, there was no rambling about irrelevant crap, no silly arm movements (I'm sorry Scotty). It was just valuable information presented in an easy to understand manner.
You saying “he or she” means so much to me as a lady that works on my own cars. Might seem like just a small thing to most but to me it really meant the world ❤
lol women. so emotional
@@mattkeeler7385and most men wouldn't have it any other way. Sorry you like dating dudes.
@@mattkeeler7385that’s the beauty of women. Learn to appreciate differences, that’s how we all grow
@@mattkeeler7385 and insecure
Lol men. Can't stand when a woman shows emotion, cuz they've been conditioned by society to suppress all of their own
You sure are a very selfless(Not selfish) guy and are so keen and eager to impart with all the knowledge that you have about the braking system !!Thanks Bud eric !!!
Thanks so much. I researched this procedure ages ago and bought all the stuff to replace my brakes and then never got around to it all. Watching again refreshing my memory and there are some reassuring tips in here. I have to do this on my own and it's great to understand some pitfalls that could go wrong so I can watch out for them. Cheers again.
Seeing videos of your old shop, or you just moving into this ones just makes me feel nostalgic of the days when I could only afford an old car, and couldn’t afford to have somebody else fix it. I didn’t know anybody to show me how to work on cars. Thank you for all your hard work and making vids to help people like me. My situations have changed since then, but I will forever be grateful for you helping when I needed it.
I saw this in a GM manual back in the 80s and have done it ever since . I ve tryed to tell people about it but they just dont believe brakes can be bled by one person .
Its good to finally see it done by a professional Mechanic.
Only difference I do is I use a glass jar instead of plastic bottle , since the glass doesnt disintegrate.
Eric, you are a star. This video showed me where I was going wrong but not only that, you talked to the average guy who fixes his own car in a way that made sense of it all. Thank you.
I'd agree with Eric that you would want to flush the old fluid from the master cylinder to the shortest line so to get clear fluid first. For newer car with ABS/VSA module, all brake lines go thru the ABS/VSA module so depending on where that module is, that is the shortest line to the front wheel. Some of them are located on the left side of the engine bay while other are located on the right hand side. Flush the line shortest to the front wheel first to get rid of the old fluid from the master cylinder. Then flush the rear wheels to get rid of the old fluid from the main lines and lastly the last front wheel. To prevent breaking the bleeder valve, do not force it open with excessive force, it should come out easily without using a hammer. If it is stuck, try the liquid wrench first and let it sits to get rid of the rusts around the valve, it never fails to open for me. These valves are either made of aluminum or soft metal like brass, they are easily damaged. If you break the valve, you have to change out the caliper or try to extract the old valve using an extractor bit (after soaking it liberally with liquid wrench.) Cracking the brake line does not get rid of the old fluid in the caliper and you risk adding air into the brake lines.
I hate to be "that guy" who corrects Eric, BUT...
If the bleeder is INOP, yes you can bleed from the banjo bolt, BUT any air pockets PAST the banjo bolt will NOT be eliminated! (The bleeder is at the highest point on the caliper.) All fluid that is both above the banjo, AND downstream of it, will not be removed! This might be "good enough" for a simple fluid flush, when the pedal feel is adequate, but if the caliper has been disconnected, and allowed to go dry, you cannot get an acceptable pedal this way.
What I've found necessary to do is: 1) Disconnect the caliper from the bracket 2) Remove brake pads. 3) Wedge something (like a LARGE socket) so that the piston(s) cannot move. 4) Rotate caliper so that banjo bolt is facing up, and is at the highest point on the caliper. 5) Bleed as usual.
Hope this helps!
Wonderful observation.
This is true. I tried bleeding from the bolt/brake hose and it took forever with no results. The next day I lifted the caliper, as if i were changing the brake pads, and zip tied it upside down and got a hard pedal with in 5-6 pumps. But i still have to give credit to Eric for the suggestion because if not for this video i would have been stuck.
Replicated your bleeding bottle with one modification: a one way valve in the hose, right behind the bleeding nipple. They sell those at the aquarium shop. Thanks for your videos.
I REALLY need to add something: If you have a lot of miles on your master cylinder,do not push the brake pedal all the way to the floor! The seals inside the master never"sees" the very end of the cylinder bore. That where a lot of rusty crap probably is.If the seals get into that area,you may damage the seals inside and ruin the master cylinder. Same goes if you have a buddy pump the pedal. Put your other foot under the pedal to prevent going all the way down. Dave in Seattle.
Good point. I made a "pedal stopper" buy getting an 8 ft 2"X4" piece of wood at Home Depot. Then I had them cut it into different sized pieces for tire chocks and the stopper.
Great addition, thanks
Very good point...cheers
thank you sir!
Thank you for your kind support.
Put some grease around the bleeder screw thread. Then you know it's not sucking air.
This car guy is awesome. I use the same thing.
Great idea
I love how extra informative and specific your videos are, man. You really are a great teacher. Liked the way you show yourself topping off the master cylinder after flushing each brake. I always enjoy your videos and they really have helped me in the long run. Please keep doing videos, man. Extremely fun-ducational!
Hey Eric. Been watching since these videos came out. I cant even begin to thank you for being my only car friend over the years.
I sometimes come back and rewatch these old videos. i lobe how far you've come.
I showed a lot of brake fluid change videos but, your video is more helpful and easier then everyone. Thank you so much for your helpful video.
I drain the fluid from the master cylinder and refill. I go for ten minute ride stop and go. back and repeat. Same for my power steering fluid and never had a problem ever with brakes or steering. The power steering you may want to do a few or four times.
Excellent video. Clear and concise.
Getting out the old brake fluid can also prevent calipers from seizing up. Rust can form in the caliper due to the frequent temperature changes because any water in the system will migrate to that hot spot. Bleeding gets rid of old fluid and any water that might have accumulated there.
I learned the hard way concerning seized up calipers.
I know this is an old comment - but what I think you should worry about more than Brake fluid being a concern for the calipers seizing up, is having all the caliper guide pins seizing up. Make sure you grease up your caliper guide pins REALLY WELL lol. They’ll never fail like that
Eric you just friggin saved me! First time ever changing fluid and when I tried loosening the nipples on the rear calipers both sheared off! I bled them using the brake lines themselves and it worked, haha! Thanks! I have to go to work delivering pizzas in about 30 minutes, now.
Hehe... “Nipples...” 😏
Lol. Sorry. I’m too old for this carrying on.
Did it work? ) did you come back from the pizza 🍕
I guess not he never replied 😢😮
Love the delivery. Just want all mechanics to be as informative & trustworthy like you (especially, to us females) Keep doing your thing
2008 Impreza 2.5i here. Removed my caliper, cleaned, rebuild the seals and pistons, painted red. Bleed the brakes by braking bleeder screw while I had pressure on pedal (2x4 wood pressed on brake pedal by mooving the seat forward to apply pressure), then closing bleeder screw before releasing pedal. Then realease pedal, and reapply pressure, crack bleeder, repeat. Did this 20 times for each wheel. Brake feel somewhat spongy now though (I saw no bubbles in the end). Bleeder facing up (made sure I choosed the right caliper for each sides). I used the folowing greases (Permatex copper antisieze on the caliper holder metal surfaces that take the abuttment clips. Kleenflow Eze-slide on abuttment clip crevisses, on ears of pads, on surface of pad shims, on surface of caliper pistons. Used Niglube RX2 (orange colored) on caliper pins and on caliper piston rubber boots... And used a very small amount of renolit rubber grease on the square seals... that is, the pink-red stuff that subaru includes the OEM subaru caliper seals rebuild kit). Any idea why my brakes feel kinda spungy ??? I did only the front calipers, ended up bleeding around 250 mL out (but even the old fluid looked pretty clear). BTW, I torqued everything to specs (caliper holder 59.9 ft-lbs, slider-pin bolts 20 ft-lbs, banjo bolt 13.3 ft-lbs, bleeder screw 13.3 ft-lb), made sure there is no leaks around banjo bolts nor bleeder screws). I did use hose pliers to pinch my brake hoses. The brake work fine, and the brake pedal travel does not go all the way to the floor, but it does feel a bit more spungy than it used to before. I had to do this job as I initially had a seized caliper piston on driver side.
One of the best mechanics on social media. Thank you Eric for sharing your knowledge
Good video, popped up as a recommended video. Another option (particularly useful for air or "leaky bleeders"), use a vacuum tool. Most are sold with a container and lid with 2 ports. Pieces of tubbing instanced in that lid, like your 20oz bottle makes for an easy 1 person job. As for the bleeders.... I know we all like nice clean break parts at the end of a job, however..... take a bit of beak grease and cake it around the base of that bleeder. Not too much, it don't need to look like a birthday cake, but.... water can't rust shut what water can't get too. Can't tell you how many times I've had to heat them to open them, when the last guy coulda just spent 10 seconds and a fingers worth of grease.
I like the fact you gave an option to stop the change process when reservoir was emptied and refilled. That is good enough for my situation.
and why did you need to do that?
My family mechanic told me my brake fluid was a little dirty and can be changed when I have time and money. I will do the turkey basting method. Thanks ETCG!
The problem with that, though - also for @Savage Patriot - is the fluid in the lines - which is still dirty - is the only fluid that matters! The reservoir fluid - now clean with that method - won't get into the lines and calipers (sufficiently) to do what it's supposed to do. If you could blend the old and the new it wouldn't be too bad, but that won't happen. So, despite Eric not pointing it out - and saying some mechanics do it - that's not sufficient.
Fender covers a great idea. Great to clean the outside of the master brake cylinder. I do both. The old brake fluid looked rusty, dirty. I'm glad you bled each wheel (I don't want the rusty, air contaminated fluid to cause rusting inside a brake caliper, brake piston, and cause future problems).
i just want to say, Ive watched dozens of Erics videos, and he is so descriptive and has so many helpful tips, that Now i always watch his video about the service im doing that day, I almost always learn some simple trick to save money or time. Thank you
many thanks Eric.ive just refreshed my vw t4 brake fluid.brakes were bit spongy.fluid looked black.followed your method one by reservoir first had to use a 11mm socket to slacken 2 nipples just enough to loosen without loosing fluid.so could crack off with 11mm spanner.hardest bit was jacking van with 4 axle stands making sure they all steady.lot weight in my camper van.brilliant videos eric.your a cool guy.steve
Check your service manual but it's a good idea to replace your brake fluid about every 30K. How To Replace Brake Fluid - EricTheCarGuy
what tool do you recommend? i have a "motive" brake bleeder but the thing is nearly useless. i'm forever fidgeting with the cap to get a good seal & hold pressure. drives me nuts.
Vince Cannava
you dont have to have a seal on the bleeder bottle at all.
L.Y.A.O LYAO you do have to seal the bleeder cap that fits on the master cylinder. Other wise there is no pressure. no pressure = no brake bleeding.
+EricTheCarGuy 30,000 miles? I know some people who are probably driving around with the same fluid for at least 100,000 miles. I agree it should be changed more often that any other fluid just because it attracts moisture from the air. I like to suck out as much as I can from the reservoir first. For that I get a cheap marinade injector from the dollar store. These look like something you would find in a doctor's office but with a bigger needle. That works good for getting all the way to the lowest point you can reach in the reservoir. Don't force it or anything and cause damage in there. Lastly be very careful with that especially if it has or had brake fluid in it. Don't leave it in the kitchen. That is not a problem for me since we don't use those in our kitchen. I like to keep a container handy to expel the fluid into, preferably glass so the fluid won't leak out. I like frappuchino bottles just because I sometimes have an empty one in the garbage. You can use a metal container also and maybe even plastic but brake fluid melts some plastics. If you are like me and have a cat or other pet keep it inside the house until the messes if any are cleaned up because this stuff is like antifreeze and just as toxic.
Any pet unfortunate enough to ingest that will die a slow and horrible death unless taken to the vet immediately. It doesn't take much of it or antifreeze.
+Vince Cannava I was going to say that sucks but it seems you are trying to push the fluid through.
10:50 should have fer-sure been mentioned at the beginning of the video.
Note level of fluid in master before doing anything with the old fluid!! Otherwise compressing brake pad cylinders could overflow the MC.
Excellent video. I would only add the advice to only use NEW fluid from a factory sealed container. Once the seal is broken you should not re-use that container in the future. Throw the unused fluid away. Moisture can gradually enter the unused brake fluid and contaminate it. Under pressure, any water in a brake system turns to steam and will compress. That leads to a spongy brake pedal and corrosion in the system.
thats not a problem with modern airtight containers
Comma say that brake fluid should not be used 3 years after it's manufacture date even if the bottle has never been opened.
And by throw away, dispose of it properly at a hazardous waste center. This stuff is murder on the environment.
so my 87 0lds should not be used anymore with the original fluid in it that still works quite well in the brake department where do you people come up with your reasoning, and as stated earlier the brakes are original,
Yep. I just run the whole bottle through and recycle a little more. Better to let new fluid scavenge out crud on its way through the system.
Thanx Eric.
The way you explain things using just a few words, but crystal clear, is really helpful.
Cheers
I worked for Ford for decades , They had a pressure bleeder and no one used it. I did found it much better than any other method . I now have a 73 VW type 3 . I don't have a pressure bleeder and do change the fluid in the reservoir at least once a year and need to change all the fluid so I'm using penetrating oil of the caliper bleeders just in case since we don't have road salt here and last time I bleed the system was 1998 because I replaced the rubber hoses and also the rear wheel cylinders.
Once I know I can open the bleeders and drain the old fluid out I will rebuild the calipers. On these VW's you have to bleed the fronts first because if you don't it creates some issue with the master.
There are now speed bleeders that seal at the threads and once opened don't allow air to be drawn in , you just crack the bleeder and pump and the check ball does the work .
When on fellow at ford decided to use the pressure bleeder he picked up the air hose instead of the pressure bleeder hose , what a mess.
William
From all relevant videos i watched, this was the most descriptive as well as informative. Thanks!
He does the job the most simple way , and easy way, it’s why I’m here
ERIC!!
What you do is AWESUM! MORE POWER TO YOU AND May GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
Good stuff, but there are a couple of things I feel I must say.
The best time to change your brake fluid is every time you change your brakes. Never compress the caliper with the bleeder closed and the hose unclamped. The nastiest, rust-filled, sludged brake fluid in the entire system is in the calipers. You never want to push that shit fluid back up through the combination valve and ABS system, into the master cylinder.
Drain/refill the master cylinder reservoir, as you showed at the beginning. _Gently_ clamp the hose to prevent backflow. It doesn't take much because the fluid passage is no bigger than the hard lines. Open the bleeder, compress the piston, and unclamp the hose. With a full master cylinder reservoir and the cap off, let the caliper sit where it mounts with the bleeder open until it drips with no air coming out. Then close the bleeder.
After you have finished changing all the brakes, top of the reservoir, close the lid, and gently pump out all the caliper pistons. The remove the lid and top it off again. Leaving the lid off, open the bleeder on the wheel furthest from the master cylinder and let it drip until the fluid is clean and bubble-free. Then work your way towards the master cylinder one wheel at a time. Working from furthest to closest clears the most air and dirty fluid out of the longest line first. It reduces the possibility of leaving air and dirty fluid in the system by dealing with the biggest line volume first and successively smaller volumes of brake line.
A thorough gravity bleed can be every bit as effective as pressure bleeding and won't stress the master cylinder like pedal pumping will. It just takes longer. I would often gravity bleed as I worked, in the shop, so that it was already flushed when I was finished with reassembly.
I was a brake mechanic in a brake shop chain, where I moved quickly up to shop foreman / assistant manager and then to shop foreman / store manager. I worked for that company for several years. They took proper repair procedure very seriously there. I always made the region's highest score on the annual certification test, and was often the one who was called when one of the other shops had a car they couldn't fix.
+Al Brautigam Good to hear from Honest , Hard working Professionals like, you give me confidence for the so many times I trust my car to Pros like you to do the job necessary and do it right. Cost is secondary to me. Having peace of mind rolling on Highways ,especially in the middle of night is why cost is secondary to me. Good to hear from you , keep up the good reputation we all should strive for, at work.
Al Brautigam - Thank you, I gravity bleed too! Just maintain master cyl. fluid level. No need for this silly pump it up-hold-pedal to the floor (where it may have never been... ever, potentially damaging the seals).
thank you a lot!
if you change your brake fluid regularly it won't get that bad
Excellent post! I will follow your directions next time I do a brake job. Since I drive 30k to 40k a year, I do a lot of brake jobs!
Eric is the man, supplies a tangible service to humanity.
worked great, so easy, thanks for the vid, the one thing i'd add is to drill a second vent hole in the bottle cap to release pressure, when i did it, the bottle pressurized and expanded and i think some of the dirty fluid went back into the line. just opened the cap to relieve the pressure and continued on. by drilling a smaller vent hole in the cap, would prevent the bottle from becoming pressurized.. Thanks for the vid hope my tip helps.
nice video. you said you can also bleed at the line. in theory that sounds good. however, in reality that doesn't remove air from the caliper piston area
Good point.
Great video Eric. I love when you do videos like these - basic maintenance videos for us DIYers that need some extra guidance.
My bleeder cap dry rotted and fell a part. I could not find replacement cap at reasonable price. So, I made my own cap with clear vinyl tubing (aquarium tubing). Just all pieces, heat up one end just enough to slightly melt and pinch with plier. That worked great. I wasn't sure if it will withstand heat from brake, but apparently bleeder area doesn't get that hot.
lambition heat shrink would probably work as well.
90% of the caps are gone in the first year in our country we have miles and miles of gravel roads
I invented the same exact thing (clear tube and vacuum hose). I haven't had a problem sucking air. Theres so much fluid in the hose that acts as a buffer. I've never seen air get past it and go back in. Either way, I can't imagine doing this WITHOUT a clear tube. It lets you see the fluid color and any air bubbles coming out.
Good video. You sure look a lot younger back then, of course we all did.
If I took my car to a shop to have the brake fluid changed and all they did was change the brake fluid in the master, I’d feel cheated ifI found out. The brake fluid in the calipers takes the worst “beating” from heat and water contamination.
saw a guy when i was walking down the street the other day injecting himself with brake fluid and i asked him what the hell was he thinking and he just turned around and said, its ok i can stop when i want
wut
Stan don't get it?
I hope he didn't put air into the system.
ᅚ wow what a fail
Stupid joke.
Thanks dude! Awesome video and VERY informative. Thank the lord for people like you. You have saved me quite a bit of money over the years. What a money saver you are. Stay blessed and keep doing what you do ETCG. Peace be with you…
remember to put your reservoir cap back on while you pump, especially with gm drum/ disc master cylinder reservoir. those splash out evervwhere
Won't that cause negative pressure in the cylinder, which will prevent the brake fluid from flowing out the bleeder valves?
He means put it on loose not screw it back on
All of your videos are better than all the others ! I promise you are my go to guy !!!
The interesting difference between your process and what I've been seeing by others: bleeding the left front first. The reason you give actually makes more sense.
my 7th gen honda says to do driver's front first
As the fluid absorbs air it also lowers the boiling point of the fluid closer and closer to the 'wet' boiling point spec for the fluid you're using. This is a serious issue if you're racing or really abuse your brakes.
I recently just put my 'real ass' adult pants on and have been scanning youtube to try and learn all the things my paternal figures should have taught me but didn't. I don't think you're videos are very entertaining or overly informative but damn if they don't contain all the information needed to understand and do certain things. You're easily one of my favorite youtube guys at this point. Keep up the good work, brother!
You've got the deductive reasoning skills of a toddler. Did you burn yourself out on drugs or was it the booze that gotcha? "Should have but didn't', implies that they should have taught me them but, for some unknown reason, they didn't. I just told you the reason. Don't think so hard next time, I don't want you to hurt yourself.
Is it really this hard for you to admit you fucked up? Show me on the doll where the bad man touched you.
Don't pass your flawed logic off as a mistake on my end. That just isn't how things work. 'Should have' quite literally implies that they should have done something but that they didn't. Presumably, there's a reason that they didn't, which I've already explained to you. Go get your GED, you might learn something.
'Should have' is past tense. Keep hurling insults because you don't understand English though. It's working out so well!
Damn, i've run out of popcorn...should have stocked more...
11:20 those tips are definitely the reason I keep coming back!
Dude informational ain't he🙌
Going to do my brakes this weekend, your suggestion of loosening the brake line or banjo bolt is very much appreciated as I have one bleed nipple which has been rounded off by previous owner,
Thanks again for the tip.
"I am not aiming for museum quality here." Hell, it certainly is best quality advice.
I'm not sure why manufacturers don't put one way bleeding valves on. Wouldn't that make more sense since it's not good for it to suck the air in? Was just wondering, or should I say pondering.
Money.
I don't think there is such a valve because you need to loosen the bleeder valve to release air in the system as opposed to a one way valve which allows something to only flow in one direction. Therefore brake fluid would always come out, you wouldn't be able to stop it. Install it the other way? Well that's pretty much what a bleeder valve is.
@@jacksonpuckett6115 All they would have to do is put a cap on the one way valve. I have plenty on the aircraft I work on. That way whenever pressure is applied it wouldnt leak out. Seems like an easy fix right? But car manufacturers dont look to make it easy to fix on your own, they want to keep you coming back to the dealership for more.
I guess we also have to take into account it's hydraulic out vs air coming in. And air can make it's way into a liquid, right? I don't think there is such a valve that would allow liquid out, while blocking air coming in. So a bleeder valve is basically the only method? Which if the system isn't allowed to run dry then you shouldn't have air going in anyway. I don't know. Im just a dumbass mechanic, I don't get paid to think.
@@jacksonpuckett6115 I honestly wasn't trying to be a smartass. But it could be as simple as whenever pressure is relieved the suction back through the system pulls on a stopper (such as a rubber ball) or a spring loaded valve (to provide backpressure whenever pressure is relieved from the cylinder stopping air from entering). But hey what do I know I only fix helicopters for a living lol.
Thank you Eric for the simple and easy way to do it and you are so helpful to me and to the people.
Thanks again and may God bless you.
You really know an easy way to do this. I do not know it was that easy. This is something that I need to do, where I can save money because I have a big repair, replacing "Timing Cover Gasket" is leaking. So, this will help me save a little money, and I plan to do my breaks myself. Then, it makes the repair (that I can't do) a little more affordable.
Makes sense to flush the front lines first, for the same reason as replacing the fluid in the master cylinder first: Get as much dirty fluid out with as little fuss as possible before pushing the rest through the rear lines.
Thank you Eric, now am sure that I can flush my brake system single handed, it doesn't take two people after all.
Can you just siphon the master with turkey baster fill with new fluid then a few months later do the same and would this over time fill the whole system with newer fluid?
I'm guessing this will only mix new fluid with old as the old fluid has no where to go(?) The way that ETCG is doing it, the new chases out the old by allowing the old to be forced out at the bleeder valves. I could be wrong
kinda, yeah. People do their power steering fluid similarly.
But personally I'd only use that method for brakes if bleeder screws were stuck.
The old will - for the most part - stay in the lines, and THAT'S the only fluid that matters, that does what it's supposed to do. You'll find that very little of the new fluid gets from the reservoir to the lines to dilute the dirty. Eric should have pointed that out with respect to doing the short-cut route. If you could blend them, that would be different.
You're the man, Eric. and thanks to you, I am now a Hydraulics master!
Any tips for ABS systems or is it the same process?
It's the same. You won't notice the ABS
eric, thank you! i did a land cruiser 97 model. no more spongy brakes. and we sell a lot of these rigs and its a common problem.
Did this 10 mins ago and everything went smoothly. The only gotcha was that while the front brakes had an 8 mm wrench, the rear required a 7 mm socket as the bleed valve was inside a valley and was obviously smaller. The tube was one with a 5 mm inner diameter and it was the perfect size. On a 2008 1.2 petrol Fiat Grande Punto - say what you want about Fiat, it's been going strong for 131k with minimal work required :) The biggest was a head gasket replacement that cost all of 119 EUR (133 USD) all included.
Lol - Wait, that "dealer" method of just replacing the exposed fluid in reservoir is a joke! The fluid in the cylinders and pipes is the only fluid that is important! The bit on top doesn't get used! lol Thanks Eric for "going the extra mile" and doing the proper job. lol
Why it is there then
@@MegaMetinMetin Be reservoir it by name. That is because. Name it says the purpose.
@@MegaMetinMetin Because when you press the brakes, fluid pushes the pistons. When the pistons are pushed out, fluid has to move where the fluid once was.
AbsIlutelt chrUe golden truth spoKen. The 'downstrream' fluid is wat is pinning your shoes on them jrums or the shooting to squeeze the "padz" over each side uv the roDorz
★ Please please someone save me with advice or information (Eric?): If we have a standard tranzmishin automobile do we need to be doing an extension of all this braKe fluid cycling work at the hyDraUlıc clutch slave cylinder (& leaping into the car to press/pump the clutch pedAl over and again)¿?
As +Ed info, fur the 2yota Echo, clutch masTer cylinder iZ running off same reservoir as brakes- connected with a aluminum metal line or pipe to the master cylinder that's got the bottle-resorvoir
@@MegaMetinMetin
@Legzuz RX300
Great ¿ never a bad question as it makes us think and not just fall into a routine of doings thing'z certain way 'just becoz'
exactly what others below said, with the added explanation that the whole system has to to braKeoil/fluid-tight, for hydraulic pressure to be effective and to prevent water (which can come from presence of air) from rusting out internals
Thanks for this helpful video! one question: to avoid drawing in air through the bleeder screw after you loosen it, and you pump the pedal, don't you put some kind of lubricant around the bleeder screw threads to avoid this issue? Someone told me about this, but I am not sure if this is valid. Thanks!
If you have someone pumping while you’re bleeding, I don’t think that’s necessary. I like to have my assistant pump the brakes a couple times, then I ask them to smoothly apply pressure right down to the firewall as I undo the bleed screw. Before they let up, I retighten the screw and repeat.
This approach has always been perfect for me.
Eric, so about the bleeder, are you not closing it between each brake cycle because you replaced the fluid in the reservoir with new fluid? If not why would you not close it?
Me agrada ver este amigo ! ! ! explica perfectamente bien claro ! ! !
Gracias Eric.
As for the bleeder screws I always use teflon tape on the threads. Not only does it prevent air from seeping back in during the bleed but prevents them from seizing next time they need servicing.
Just broke a bleed nipple today - never thought about loosening the brake line - great tip - thanks dude!!!
Eric, I have a 2012 Honda Civic LX that is approaching 50,000 miles. the brake fluid is getting dark in color and i want to change it. Do I have to take special precautions to keep from setting an ABS light?
Great vid...the last scene when you touched the rubber diaphragm with that dirty rubber glove made me cringe a little however.
Eric works on dirty crap and gets filth everywhere. Eric is a very bad mechanic. I wouldn’t say anything, but brakes and steering are safety issues.
@@5400bowen And are increddibly sensitive to dust contamination, and there is plenty of dirt around the valves. Really, really, really sensitive.
Mr. Gigi Yup. Anyone who takes chances with their brakes due to cleanliness issues is a fool. Some people think working in a dirty shirt like that is tough and manly. One chunk of crap from that shirt in the brake fluid could lead to loss of life. Why Eric? Why. You can’t afford soap and clean rags? I cleaned my engine most of the way (and the engine compartment) with $1.00 worth of Ajax super degreaser dish soap diluted in spray bottles. Before you work on brakes, like everything mechanical, clean it all up first. Too bad, it’s part of working on cars, not just housework. I had an old timer ask me if my living room looks like those car parts.
Thanks for uploading Eric!
You just saved my day and me a lot of money thank you so much. I used to have a great friend who was a mechanic and I could ask him anything. He was killed in a car accident several years ago and I have been on my own on mechanic work since. I subscribed and thumbs up.
Another good reason to clean the area around the master cylinder filler cap is that you absolutely do not want any dirt particles whatsoever getting into a high-pressure hydraulic system. Dirt, being an abrasive, will score the master cylinder bore and piston over time and introduce leaks. When I have the filler cap off I usually cover it with a clean paper towel when I'm not pouring fluid into it. The same applies to the clutch hydraulic cylinder if you have a hydraulic clutch.
Nobody has answered the following question asked several times by people on this channel: if you car has ABS brakes, is the procedure still the same?
+GymChess yes
Yes. Just make sure you're fooling with the brake fluid line and not the ABS line.
ABS was standard on Subarus since early 90s. In 1995 they introduced traction control, and this car in the video is a 1997 or 1998. So it most certainly is the way to do the ABS cars.
I've done this same procedure on cars with ABS and never ran into any issues.
Yes and no. On certain cars, for example VWs and Audis, you can use a scan tool to bleed the ABS pump. It’s actually pretty neat because it can essentially bleed all your brakes at once if you have bleeders attached at all the wheels. And bleeding the ABS is a good idea although not strictly necessary unless you have air in the system.
Good for rough fluid replacement, but he is introducing a lot of air into the system. With the bleed nipple open every time the pedal is released, air is sucked in around the bleed nipple threads. Nipple should be tightened before releasing brake pedal.Also should be more careful about pouring brake fluid into master cylinder, tip the container gently at the edge of the opening, not pour it in from 6 inches above which also will introduce entrained air into master cylinder before you even start.Also squeeze bulb of turkey baster before putting into master cylinder, otherwise you are introducing air when you squeeze the bulb. Air that is entrained this way will stay there for a long time. I think he may be causing more problems than he is fixing.
Michael McLernon lol you're an idiot, congratulations!!!
Michael McLernon you're wrong. if air was being introduced, there would be visible air bubbles moving down the clear tube whenever he steps on the pedal
that's why he puts that tube in the nipple. When he releases the pedal he still has around a foot of fluid in that tube. He then closes the valve and only then takes the tube off. No air is being introduced. Your second point about pouring fluid from 6 inches is valid though.
Yup.
Oops, John John and mclernon are right.
Do NOT bleed brakes by opening up where the brake line goes into the caliper. This will introduce air into the system. There is fluid in the caliper itself, that's why you need to only use the bleeder valve.
What size hose I must use to bleed my brake fluid?
1/4 in
8mm inner diameter or less + zip tie
My brakes were drawing air by the tube fitting. In order to solve that, I pumped the brake 10 times (to get clean fluid) and the eleventh time I pumped it with a stick, which I put against the seat to apply continuous pressure on the brake. Worked great! No more air.
When cycling fluid and not bleeding air, you can work however you like, front to back or rear to front. I choose to do rear to front, specifically farthest from master cylinder till I see clean fluid then I start "cycling" or bleeding other cylinders till clean fluid goes. I find this gets all the dirty fluid out the slowest, but it gets the lines fresh all in one go essentially. But that's how I did mine and there's nothing wrong with how you do yours. As long as there's clean fluid in the end that's all that matters.
Crack it loose!
Start pumping!
Why am I reminded of Devo when I hear that.
I'll be honest, I've never fully changed the brake fluid in any car I've owned. And every car I've had was traded in with over 250,000 miles. What I have done forever is use a turkey baster in the reservoir and exchange fluid about every other 15,000 mile oil change. I've never had any problems. I do the same with power steering fluid, but the car I have now has electric steering - which I didn't even know was a thing until I got this car. I was at the dealership and couldn't find the power steering fluid, then I found out why.
Honestly most cars nowadays have a pretty well sealed brake system and usually the fluid will last a very long time. I've seen plenty of cars with over 200k miles on the original brake fluid. My car had 210,000 miles on the original brake fluid and it still looked like brand new fluid. I only flushed it for peace of mind but all the old fluid still looked very clean.
bsolutely true. In my old car which Ii gave it away at 170k miles I never did a brake fluid flush simply because I did'nt know it had to be done. The fluid was topped off during oil changes and NEVER had a problem with the brakes. Think of it , it was a 1997 car. Cars these days are built far better so doing a brake flush is not required. In fact my new car (purchased in 2013) does not even recommend a brake fluid flush or inspection for Schedule-1 maintenance (normal driving conditions) . For Schedule-2 (harsh driving conditions) it says "Inspect: Inspect and clean, repair, adjust, fill up, or replace if necessary" every 5000 miles.
i have a 87 olds beater with 450000 miles original fluid,original brakes, whats the big deal about changing fluid.
Lets say some idiot(me) filled the reservoir with power steering fluid? i siphoned what I hoped was all of it. And tried cleaning the inside of the reservoir as best I could. I then filled it up with fresh BRAKE fluid this time and bled all for corners. Is my brake system/ABS fubared? I did drive it and it currently stops on a dime. Is my bank account going to take a hit?
Johnny CincoCero Only time will tell if the power steering fluid caused harm to the rubber seals in the master cylinder and calipers/wheel cylinders. What I would do is one month after this happened, flush the system again to remove any possible remaining power steering fluid contamination.
If you completely flushed all the lines and replaced with fresh fluid then everything should be fine. Although, since you posted this a year ago and haven't replied since, maybe we should assume that more than just your bank account took a hit - lol?
Eric...liquid wrench on the bleeders 1 hour before bleeding. Then moisten with a little (clean!) brake fluid on the bleeders and wipe them, then a spritz of mild detergent solution and another wipe (pinching and twisting the [CLEAN] rag around the bleeder and getting the residue out of the threads and seam at the bleeder/caliper junction). Or better yet, moisten the bleeders with brake fluid a week before you work on the brakes, then clean before starting the bleeding procedure. You are setting up novices to break them all the time. Or use the “original mechanics” method, a hair blow dryer. Even just a little warmth helps stop most bleeders from breaking. That guy in the comment who broke two is thanking the “expert” who failed to help him solve a basic and important problem. And the dirt in the master cylinder you are refilling...I’m blind in one eye and I can see the one piece inside the reservoir near the top, not to mention those dirty gloves while topping it off. Dealership? I cannot believe how many of your videos you are working on filthy assemblies. You mention cleaning the reservoir to see in, but never mention to KEEP DIRT OUT OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. You need to put the cap back on every moment you are not filling/checking it. The cap has a breather set up, if it is plugged, you clean it or get a new cap. At least we aren’t looking up your nose for half the videos anymore. I decided I am not watching guys who show themselves (especially from below, and instead of showing the work more) for like half the video. It is obviously an egocentric practice. You need to watch fordtechmakuloco and performance engine so YOU can learn how to work on cars. Sorry dude, but I’m sick of amateurs being duped into listening to poor advice. You should know better. If you break off a bleeder, you should not use the line to bleed. You should fix it. Telling people that it is just a silly bother will get some novice or his friends or family killed. You explain how the bottle method stops air from getting in, how is that prevented at the bolt? I have never seen anyone spray brake parts cleaner all over the reservoir area of the engine compartment. Do you even know what all it is spraying/dripping on? Carrying all that dirt onto the assemblies below it? And how about the brake fluid dripping out of the turkey baster? They are both great for wire insulation and seals. Really bad advice. Too bad real mechanics don’t review and comment on all these TH-cam howto auto videos. PS...I worked at a machine shop that did all the work for the San Diego city bus system.
You available for any mechanic work in San Diego now brother? Lol
@@ivanbaltman8411 nope, got out of that snake pit 12 years ago…in Hawaii now.
I made myself a similar ghetto bottle setup years ago. The only difference is that I put a coat hanger through the cap so I could hang it off of the caliper. I also used it to bleed hydraulic clutch lines. Worked fantastic when you're solo.
I enjoy watching your videos however you gave bad advice when you suggested to use the banjo bolt and a leu of the broken bleeder. Once you loosen the banjo bolt air can get into the caliper and get up on top under the bleeder and without being able to open the bleeder you will never get the air al and they will not be able to get a pedal and drive the car until the replace that caliber and properly bleed it...
TexasGreats As soon as the banjo bolt is loosened air enters doesn't matter where the break pedal is at.
TexasGreats air will enter instantly as soon as it is loosened, fluid from the caliper will run out and it will gulp air just like loosening a cap on a sideways water bottle .There is a way to do it but you would need a power bleeder..then you could loosen it slightly and the escaping fluid would be pressurized keeping air from entering.
This comment she be posted at the top. I cringed when he suggested this. If you break a bleeder valve, remove and replace the damn thing, then bleed the system properly. There is no point in bleeding the lines if your caliper is full of air. The bleeder valves aren’t placed randomly. They are installed in a strategic location in order to allow air to be removed from the system. The banjo bolt is FAR from this strategic location and will absolutely not allow for proper bleeding.
Wrong, Texas.
Nice analogy DiMartino.
Always ask what if you don’t have a owners manual?
Google is your friend
they charge almost 200 bucks for this wtf!!!
+spind4 Toyota dealer wanted $330 to change my spark plugs. ROFL! They are irridium but come on, $250 in labor?
+Chris Epler it's freakin sad. charged $450 when i was poor as f*** for removing a broken bolt to be replaced on my serpentine tensioner
+Chris Epler Not all spark plugs are easy to get to. It all depends on the motor and the vehicle. On another note I will never go to the dealership for anything. Too many times have I encountered them saying they're doing things and not doing them, though the customer still gets charged. Other times I've encountered customers coming in for second opinions when dealerships tell them they need new parts and this wasn't the case. They were just trying to make money.
I'm willing to bet that dealers only remove what's in the master cylinder (like Eric says), not bleed the rest out of the brakes themselves, and charge $100 or more in labor. Hahah it's so ridiculous it's comical.
In their defense, broken bolts are a pain in the ass.
You are the first you tube mechanic that actually gets dirty!
Where is the rocket science? I have been working on my own vehicles for 30+ years and I have always avoided this job because the urban myths say this is something best left to the experts. Thanks Eric, really good video.
You the MAN!!
Thanks alot
So can I take the old fuild out and just refill it and call it a day ?
Yeah, but it's barely any more work to crack the bleeders. Also, you might have air in the lines and not realize it...boy will your brakes feel better once you get it out!
barely any more work other than buying a jack, 4 axle stands and removing all wheels. OK.jpeg
and training your dog to pump the pedal for you
If you mean out of the reservoir only, you won't be replacing the bad fluid that's in the lines, and that's the actual fluid that's doing the work. Not the reservoir fluid.
Jon Lajoie's brother!
Then reason form starting at the rear as stated in most factory service manuals is because the longest line with the most dirty fluid is the rear, unless is a model with a middle point valve. OIn the little bottle is enough only with the tip submerged in a couple of inches of fluid. You don't need to have a foot and a half in the bottle.
always like the content. as a fleet mechnic I've always had a vacuum bleeder. I've ran into some problems before using this system but after watching this months ago Its really speed upy process bleeding from the caliper bolts.
"I'm gonna break out my special tool"
That master cylinder reservoir looks like a urine sample cup at the pre-employment drug screening.
There is no God, there is only EricThecarguy and ChrisFix and the greater You Tube and the greater internet and the greater computers and the greatest Electricity.
SouthMainAuto is another good channel.
and Scotty Kilmer
Rev your engines!!!!
Yes ,there is no God...except Allah!
jean Zakari
Racist
Fantastic! I feel like I can do this on my own rather than take it to a shop and pay lots of money. Thanks for giving me the confidence.
outstanding!! cracking the line instead of the bleeder when the bleeder breaks off blew my mind worthy of a quick tip vid i'd say if its not already thanks eric
As long as the system is intact and the fluid is not contaminated, I would only change the fluid in the reservoir