Bleeding the brakes is an child's play employment for the owner to perform.
The brake course consists of pads or shoes, calipers or revolve cylinders, a crack cylinder and the brake lines that clutch the brake fluid. By exerting pressure on the brake pedal, hydraulic fluid puts pressure on the pads and shoes, expanding them against the rotors or drums. Sometimes brake fluid becomes contaminated or develops air bubbles in the system, resulting in a spongy or very low pedal. Air must be bled out of the lines to ensure instant and constant pressure on the brakes. A competent DIY vehicle owner can bleed his own brakes with a few simple tools, an assistant and some basic procedures.
Instructions
The commands are "pump them up" and "hold them." The driver should answer "up" when ready to push the pedal down. The driver can also say "down" when his foot has reached the floor. These extra commands from the driver help to time your procedure. Use them if you wish.
2. Locate and remove the master cylinder lid by unsnapping the lid retaining clips with a slot screwdriver, or simply pull the rubber cap off. Fill the brake master cylinder up with brake fluid to its prescribed limit. Leave the cap off or sitting on top of the master cylinder.
3. Instruct your assistant to sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle. Slide under the frame of the vehicle next to the farthest rear wheel from the driver's position (it will be the rear passenger-side wheel). Tell your assistant to "pump up the brakes slowly" three or four times and hold the pedal firmly. Use your brake line wrench to open the small bleeder valve (counterclockwise) on the rear of the brake backing plate. Move your drain pan under the wheel. Instruct your assistant to tell you when his foot has reached the floor. When he tells you so, tell him "hold it there." Brake fluid should be exiting out of the bleeder valve in a steady or bubbly stream. Shut off the bleeder valve by turning it clockwise.
4. Tell your assistant to "pump up the brakes" again and "hold them." Turn the bleeder valve out again, releasing the fluid. Keep performing this procedure with this wheel until you see no air bubbles or spurts exiting the bleeder valve. A steady stream of fluid must come out of the valve, with no bubbles or hissing sounds. Close off the valve and move to the next rear wheel. Perform the exact procedure on this wheel as you did on the other.
5. Use a step stool to replenish the the brake fluid in the master cylinder you used during the bleeding, before you bleed the front two brakes. Usually bleeding two wheels takes the level down far enough for a refill. If you have a small master cylinder, check the brake fluid level after bleeding one wheel. Don't restore the master cylinder lid yet.
6. Move to the front of the vehicle and start the same procedure on the right front (passenger side) wheel.1. Place the vehicle in park or neutral with the emergency brake set. Raise the hood. Lift the vehicle with the floor jack, and place four jack stands under the front and rear parts of the frame near each wheel.
7. Refill the master cylinder to the top again after you have bled all four wheels. Secure the lid on it. Use the floor jack to remove the jack stands. Test drive the vehicle and check for a hard, firm pedal.
