First Time Brake Bleeding

[Pauloil]

just did new front calipers on my v70xc and painted them red!! just bled the fronts, but while working I did push brake pedal down to prevent leakage, the whole time, with an old wooden scraper I had around. that way, no dripping occurred.

[confused_al]

I believe there is a wheel order to do. LF, RF, LR, RR.

That is the correct sequence...
http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/index.ph ... bs-brakes/

should I just put the bottle on the ground. I would require less new brake fluid (shorter tubing). And really, I think the bubbles will still be pushed out - but I dunno.

The bottle should be at or higher than the bleeder valve so that no air would escape back into it.

[instarx]

I believe there is a wheel order to do. LF, RF, LR, RR.

That is the correct sequence...
http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/index.ph ... bs-brakes/

should I just put the bottle on the ground. I would require less new brake fluid (shorter tubing). And really, I think the bubbles will still be pushed out - but I dunno.

The bottle should be at or higher than the bleeder valve so that no air would escape back into it.

1) The backwards sequence is only for 1987 and prior years with ABS. The normal RR, LR, RF, LF sequence is for all other Volvos. Since your car is well past 1987, use the normal sequence.
http://www.swedishbricks.net/700900FAQ/ ... html#Brake Bleeding Sequences

2) Just put the container on the ground. No air will leak into the brake line because the end of the tube is in brake fluid. You CAN put it anywhere you want, but there is no need to have it at any particular level.

[confused_al]

Please check the sequence from VADIS or VIDA.

[instarx]

Here is how I do a one man brake bleed:

1 ) take off the brake cylinder cap and fill the reservoir
2 ) go to the wheel you want to bleed and remove it
3 ) remove the caliper's bleed nipple rubber cap, wipe off any dirt, and push on a short plastic tube
4 ) drop the end of the tube in a clear bottle or jar on the floor with an inch or two of new brake fluid in it
5 ) make sure the end of the tube is under the liquid
6 ) loosen the bleed screw about 1/8 of a turn
7 ) open the passenger door and pump the brake pedal gently by hand while watching the plastic tube under the car
8 ) the tube will fill with brake fluid, and then some air bubbles will be seen being pumped out into the bottle/jar
9 ) when there are no more air bubbles pump a few more times to be sure, and then stop pumping
10) go to the wheel and close the bleed screw, remove the tube, replace the cap, and put the wheel back on the car.
11) check the level in the master cylinder and fill with clean fluid if needed
12) repeat as necessary for any other wheel you want to bleed, progressing RR, LR, RF, LF*
13) replace the reservoir cap and check the pedal for firmness before driving
14) bottle up all the old fluid and take it to a recycling center.

That's it. Its easy.

* Actually this order isn't even important if you are just replacing calipers. Just bleed each wheel as you go.

[LamboSE5]

1) The backwards sequence is only for 1987 and prior years with ABS. The normal RR, LR, RF, LF sequence is for all other Volvos. Since your car is well past 1987, use the normal sequence.
http://www.swedishbricks.net/700900FAQ/ ... html#Brake Bleeding Sequences

2) Just put the container on the ground. No air will leak into the brake line because the end of the tube is in brake fluid. You CAN put it anywhere you want, but there is no need to have it at any particular level.

Yea, #(2) makes sense anyway. Only fluid can get back into the tube as long as it's submerged.

Edit:
Oh, didn't see page 2. Thanks for the step by step!

Yea I was thinking, if I changed both front calipers; I'd have the 'new' ones ready to go (I might even "prime" them, pour brake fluid into where the brake line goes) then, remove the brake line from the first caliper - and pop on the new one. Then go the second caliper I wanted to replace and do the same. And then go through the steps for bleeding after they're both done being replaced. Don't see why not, as long as they both get bled.

Thanks again.

[JDS60R]

Just some information for future use.

Do I need to flush (replace) brake fluid - yes -every 2 years
Brake fluid has absorbed enough water in about 2 years to need replacement as it falls short of spec. Many are light on the brakes and therefore do not "feel" the need to change the fluid on a performance standpoint. But the water still remains and is what rusts the metal components that are in contact with it. Change it every 2 years for safety (spec) and longevity reasons.

Should I pump the master cylinder all the way down to pump out the fluid - No
Only pump the brake pedal the normal amount you do on a daily drive. Contaminants can bond to the unused portion of the Master cylinder bore and when you run the seal over this surface you begin to damage the seal.

Can fluid get back into a caliper when the end of the hose is in a jar of brake fluid - Yes
The now open threads on the bleeder nipple serve as a pathway for air to enter the line and sometimes the caliper/cylinder. It normally only enters the caliper when you quickly release the brake pedal and the fluid is sucked back along with some air.

How do I avoid these issues.
1. Clamp off any lines while replacing a caliper. If replacing the line also then clamp the line and replace the caliper. Then replace the line with the caliper in place to minimize the bleed down time (and entrance of air) into the lines.

2. Pressure bleed. You can build a pressure bleeder for under $30 and can buy one for around $50. This forces the fluid through the master cylinder and when you open a brake bleed the fluid comes out and no air is allowed in due to the fluid and pressure in the pressure bleeder.

3. Use the 2 man method and meet your neighbor - or even have a friend over to help. (one pumps the MC while the other controls the bleed nipple.

If you must use the one man method then only open the bleed nipple minimally (just enough to let the fluid flow) and pump the MC within its normal range and be slow on releasing the pedal.

The brake fluid temp rarely gets to the point that you would notice you are out of spec and the one man bleed method has been used successfully for years. That being said. Some have found themselves in critical situations where having brake fluid in spec would have aided them significantly. Some have also drawn air into the caliper using the one man method too quickly.

[instarx]

And then go through the steps for bleeding after they're both done being replaced. Don't see why not, as long as they both get bled.

Yep, that will work.
No real need to prime the calipers, their internal volume is small. Just remember not to let the master cylinder go empty during any of this or you will have extra work to do.

Clearly there are people here who have different ideas on brake bleeding. For example, I would never clamp a brake hose. Clamping can damage the hose and offers no benefit. Brake lines aren't part of some air-sucking vacuum system that gobbles up air and distributes it throughout the car. The only air that gets into the system when you remove a brake fitting is the tiny bit that gets in the end of the fitting when you expose it to air. Also, look at the brake hose routing in the wheel well. It is not an accident that all brake hoses have an arch in them higher than their end points. They are designed to trap air that might get into the system. Clamping is not necessary.

[regent]

In my experience, I have always used a Motiva Power Bleeder on my cars, and the sequence I adhere to is from the farthest caliper to the nearest. Do not let the reservoir level drop too low, and do not exceed 15 PSI of air pressure. For North American cars (with LH Steering arrangement), this would mean: starting with RR, then RL, then FR, and ending with FL.

As for the VADIS procedure, I made several unsuccessful attempts to attach it (the Brake Fluid Change Procedure contains Bleed Instructions for this MY.)

For whatever reason, the site does not allow me to attach files any more, so I have contacted the Mod to this effect and asked to help resolve.

In the interim, I can email you the file, if you wish to provide an email address.
Hope we'll get get a handle on this sooner.

Thanks

[regent]

Here is the Procedure in VADIS