Automotive ABS flushing refilling for cheap

[alex16]

Is there any safe way to change my brake fluid, flush it completely and replace with DOT4? I want to improve the hydraulic system and raise the boiling point of the fluid, plus the car was manufactured 2 years ago and the fluid could stand a upgrade/replacement.


I wasn't sure what to buy to do it for cheap, maybe a new syringe to suck out all the old fluid in the master cylinder, then top it off with dot 4 Motul 600 RBF, then gravity bleed each wheel? Would this work?

http://www.amazon.com/Motion-Pro-08-0143...N5TSYXNV052VW62

Found this also.

 

[eljefino]

Don't suck out all the old fluid in the MC, you'll get air in the far end and you'll then have to bench bleed it.

 

[JHZR2]

Get a motive pressure bleeder. Some vehicles require operation of the ABS unit to flush it. I don't know... When I replaced an ABS pump once, it wasn't necessary. Still, consult your FSM.

 

[bdcardinal]

You can suck fluid out of the master to a point. I leave a bit in there, but try to get as much out of the reservoir as possible.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Don't suck out all the old fluid in the MC, you'll get air in the far end and you'll then have to bench bleed it.

It is not possible to siphon all fluid of Master Cylinder Reservoir in some cars, I couldn't do it in my E430, S2000, LS400. It always had some fluid left in the bottom of the reservoir.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Get a motive pressure bleeder. Some vehicles require operation of the ABS unit to flush it. I don't know... When I replaced an ABS pump once, it wasn't necessary. Still, consult your FSM.


A lot of the European cars require activation of the ABS pump to properly bleed the system.

 

[CT8]

You can suck all the fluid in the reservoir .It will not get air into the lines unless you pump the pedal or open the bleeder and let it drain. The m/c works kinda like a syringe. The m/c is amazing how it works.

 

[Brad_C]

The motive pressure bleeder is lovely. Prior to purchasing that, I used a cheap garden sprayer, a spare reservoir cap and some pneumatic fittings to make one. Cheap and relatively easy.

I only changed to the motive because some of the bits in my home brew jobbie were not up to the brake fluid and over a year or so they fell apart.

My whole braking system holds a couple of hundred mls of fluid at most. Every 2 years I put 2L in the motive and flush almost all of it through the brakes. Wasteful? Probably, but dilution is the best way to get most of the contaminants out. I also push back each piston a bit while I have the bleeder open. It helps with the stale fluid that sits around the seals. I'm not recommending it, it's just something I've always done. Probably not required or helpful to be honest.

For the ABS I put the car up on stands and run it up a bit. That makes the system think the front wheels are locked and runs the abs pump. With the bleeders cracked that allows the passing fluid to flush the ABS pump circuit out.

I've not figured a way to flush the rear ABS circuit effectively short of having some helpers spin the front wheels so it thinks the rear is locked. I've only done that once and it cost me a lot of beer and a promise never to ask them to do that again.

I suck as much fluid out of the reservoir as possible, but with my two compartment master it really only clears out one compartment. Thus just flushing a load of fluid through.

I can't gravity bleed my rears anyway because of the proportioning valve, so the motive is a must have for me.

A routine flush is more than most people do (let alone dealers), so you are already ahead of the game.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Get a motive pressure bleeder. Some vehicles require operation of the ABS unit to flush it. I don't know... When I replaced an ABS pump once, it wasn't necessary. Still, consult your FSM.


A lot of the European cars require activation of the ABS pump to properly bleed the system.


Im sure but not on my BMW.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Get a motive pressure bleeder. Some vehicles require operation of the ABS unit to flush it. I don't know... When I replaced an ABS pump once, it wasn't necessary. Still, consult your FSM.


A lot of the European cars require activation of the ABS pump to properly bleed the system.


Im sure but not on my BMW.


Must be pre 2006 or so? Most late models Euros need that
activation to do a thorough job.

 

[alex16]

Thank you guys!

Looking into a motive pressure bleeder, not sure which one to buy?


2014 Mitsubishi Mirage.

They have several on amazon, all say they fit Mitsubishi.

 

[alex16]

I looked into it some more and found the Motive Products 101 Brake System Power Bleeder is universal, This looks like it will work with my Master cylinder plus many other cars 2-3'' diameter


So I should suck out most of the current fluid, then fill with the dot 4, then pressure bleed?

 

[CT8]

Just changing out most of the fluid by bleeding on a regular basis and the ABS running as it does is good enough for us little people.

 

[KenO]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Get a motive pressure bleeder. Some vehicles require operation of the ABS unit to flush it. I don't know... When I replaced an ABS pump once, it wasn't necessary. Still, consult your FSM.


A lot of the European cars require activation of the ABS pump to properly bleed the system.


Im sure but not on my BMW.


Must be pre 2006 or so? Most late models Euros need that
activation to do a thorough job.


Depends. Sometimes you can bleed it, drive it, and bleed it again. The only time I've HAD to cycle the abs pump is if you let it drain itself dry. When we do things like, say, dropping a rear subframe - we unhook the rear brake lines and install plugs to keep the lines plugged. I have had to cycle the ABS pump on E36 M3's when trying to diagnose bleed issues with a few notable big brake kits, but those often turn out to be mechanical issues that're masking themselves as the feel of air in the lines.