{"id":39,"date":"2020-07-19T10:34:58","date_gmt":"2020-07-19T10:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ridemission.com\/?p=39"},"modified":"2020-08-03T07:14:51","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T07:14:51","slug":"how-to-bleed-brakes-by-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ridemission.com\/how-to-bleed-brakes-by-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Bleed Brakes By Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How To Bleed Brakes By Yourself<\/h1>\n
Ride Mission<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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If you have an older car, then one of the things that you may have to have done is bleeding the brakes. But can you save money on the repair costs<\/strong> by bleeding your brakes yourself? With a little bit of knowledge, you actually can. <\/span><\/p>\n

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How To Bleed Brakes By Yourself<\/p>\n

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But you first have to know how<\/strong> to tell when your brakes need bleeding and what sort of tools and information you\u2019ll need to do the work yourself. <\/span><\/p>\n

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The Signs Of Brakes That Need Bleeding<\/span><\/h3>\n

There are signs that your brakes could require bleeding, and they are connected with the replacement of brake pads. Obviously, if you hear a grinding sound<\/strong> when you are using your brakes or if the brake goes to the floor when you stop at lights, then replacing your brake pads might be a really good idea. But if you have recently replaced your brake pads and you still get a spongy feeling in a brake pedal that tends to go lower than it should, then you probably need to bleed your brakes.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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The Mechanics Behind Brake Bleeding<\/span><\/h3>\n

The reason that brake bleeding is required is directly linked<\/strong> to the replacement of brake pads. <\/span><\/p>\n

When the brake pads become too thin, the brake fluid level drops extremely low in the master cylinder reservoir, which causes air bubbles to get pumped into the brake lines. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, even one or two bubbles can cause your brakes to feel springy and spongy. <\/span><\/p>\n

The process of bleeding the brakes is what gets those air bubbles out<\/strong> of the brake line and returns your brakes to their normal state. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, you do not just want to get the air out of the brake lines, you also need to replace the brake fluid. You have to replace the old fluid with fresh stuff because it becomes contaminated with dirt and metal particles from the moving parts in the master cylinder due to the space that the air bubbles have provided. It is able to absorb moisture from the air, which lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid. These contaminants must be removed<\/strong> because otherwise the brake fluid will degrade.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have antilock brakes then it is even more important that you get rid of the contaminated fluid and replace it with fresh stuff, while bleeding the brakes at the same time to remove the problem. That\u2019s because ABS is much more prone to these contaminants and the effects that they cause than a non-ABS system. This is due to the hydraulic pump that operates at extremely high pressure, forcing lots of brake fluid through very small valves. The foaming that results can make bleeding an ABS system more difficult, but it is still possible. However, the reason that it is vital to bleed the ABS system specifically and replace the fluid is that the particles that air bubbles let in can be extremely damaging<\/strong> to the valves and the pump itself. <\/span><\/p>\n

With some vehicles, you are going to have to<\/strong> go to a garage, or get your hands on an ABS scan tool to cycle the pump and valves and get rid of the air if you want to bleed the ABS controller. But if you bleed the brakes in the first place, this shouldn\u2019t happen. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get into the process of bleeding your brakes. <\/span><\/p>\n

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How to Bleed Brakes by Yourself<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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You are going to need a few things<\/strong> for this: a wrench that is the same size as the bleeder bolts, a small piece of tubing, fresh brake fluid, a turkey baster and someone to help you. <\/span><\/p>\n

You will also need to get the vehicle up into the air<\/strong> somehow and remove all four wheels. In some cases, you might not have to remove the wheels, but it depends upon whether you have enough room to use the wrench on the bleeder valves with the tires still on the vehicle. <\/span><\/p>\n