Most car owners are familiar with the standard factory recommended car maintenance schedules, including fluid changes, tire rotations, inspections, tune-ups, and more. But there is a vital part of routine car maintenance that is not as familiar to most people, so it is commonly overlooked. We are talking about having your car brakes bled. Continue reading to learn more about bleeding car brakes, and when you should have yours done.
To get straight to the point, automotive service experts recommend having your car brakes bled every two to three years. You can choose to have a licensed mechanic perform the service along with your scheduled brake services, or you can try to do it yourself.
But keep in mind, the latter is not recommended for those without experience. Not only can it be quite messy, it can be dangerous. So why do you need to bleed car brakes on a routine basis like this?
This guide will help you with the art of bleeding the brakes. In normal operation, you do not need to bleed the brake system. Yet, there are some situations that will require bleeding it:. You will experience these issues:. Air stays in the brake system until you bleed the system. The caliper pistons need enough hydraulic pressure to clamp the brake pads against the rotor. Bleeding a brake system at home ranges from easy to impossible.
The following things define the difficulty:. That way, you can determine whether to do it yourself or bring your car to a shop. Bleeding your brakes is a straightforward process. Once you've loosened each bleed screw, snug it back up again; you'll be bleeding one brake at a time, and the other screws need to be closed so no air gets sucked into the system.
Air bubbles are the enemy of brakes systems; they make your brake pedal feel mushy and reduce the system's performance.
STEP 4: Get the hood up and check the fluid level in the brake master cylinder reservoir. Its location is likely shown in your owner's manual. Make sure you've got the correct fluid for your vehicle see step 1. During brake bleeding, the master-cylinder cap should be left unscrewed but still in place atop the reservoir.
Each brake must be bled in the correct sequence. Generally, you bleed the brake most distant from the master cylinder first, but some cars require a different order. Make sure the tubing is long enough so that you can hang the catch container above the height of the bleeder screw; this will keep any air trapped in the tubing from sneaking back into the caliper.
STEP 6: It's time to get your able assistant involved. Have them maintain pressure on the pedal. STEP 7: While the assistant maintains pressure on the pedal, open the bleeder screw a small amount. Fluid will pass through the clear tube, and the pedal will begin dropping toward the floor. Have them continue pressing the pedal towards the floor. STEP 9: Repeat steps six through eight at least five times at that wheel location until the stream of fluid flowing through the clear tubing is free of air bubbles.
STEP Now repeat steps six through 9 at the remaining three brake locations in the proper sequence. That means moving from the wheel farthest away from the master cylinder to the one next closest and so on.
STEP When you've completed bleeding all four brakes, ask your assistant to apply full effort to the brake pedal followed by an abrupt release of that effort. Observe the motion of the fluid in the master-cylinder reservoir.
If there is a substantial fluid eruption, there are air bubbles still trapped in the system.
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