Suck and fill for brake fluid???

[LotI]

Originally Posted By: gregk24
Ok, well how often should the fluid be changed anyway? It was last done about 2.5 years ago.

RTFM.

Page 199: "independent of the maintenance minder display, replace the brake fluid every 3 years"

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: LotI
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Ok, well how often should the fluid be changed anyway? It was last done about 2.5 years ago.

RTFM.

Page 199: "independent of the maintenance minder display, replace the brake fluid every 3 years"


I dont have one. So thanks for clarifying.

 

[supton]

I'd do every 2 years or so. 3 years isn't the kiss of death--witness the vast number of 10+ year old cars motoring happily along with 10+ year old fluid.

I bought a Mityvac, and I like it. Vacuum out the master cylinder, refill, then do each wheel. IMO I'm not sure that order matters if you do something like once/year--seems like the worst fluid is at the wheel cylinders. Only downside to the Mityvac is all the air bubbles in the line while it's doing its job--but it's less risky than using an untrained helper.

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I'm not clear yet on the impact of ABS. I'd think fluid would circulate through just fine without cycling the pump, 'cept whatever is in the ABS unit may stay there. Which I'm not sure is all that much to worry about. It's well sealed, and lightly used, so I'd think its fluid is not massively degraded.

I did the Mityvac thing on my fleet this fall. Jetta and Camry seemed to go ok, but my Tundra seemed to not like it. Slow flow and the pedal did not firm up quite like it did in the others.

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I might buy some of those speed bleeders. The original bleeders on my vehicles aren't going to stay looking nice forever.

 

[LotI]

Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: LotI
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Ok, well how often should the fluid be changed anyway? It was last done about 2.5 years ago.

RTFM.

Page 199: "independent of the maintenance minder display, replace the brake fluid every 3 years"


I dont have one. So thanks for clarifying.

2006 Honda Accord Manuals

 

[LotI]

Originally Posted By: supton
I'd do every 2 years or so. 3 years isn't the kiss of death--witness the vast number of 10+ year old cars motoring happily along with 10+ year old fluid.

I bought a Mityvac, and I like it. Vacuum out the master cylinder, refill, then do each wheel. IMO I'm not sure that order matters if you do something like once/year--seems like the worst fluid is at the wheel cylinders. Only downside to the Mityvac is all the air bubbles in the line while it's doing its job--but it's less risky than using an untrained helper.

*

I'm not clear yet on the impact of ABS. I'd think fluid would circulate through just fine without cycling the pump, 'cept whatever is in the ABS unit may stay there. Which I'm not sure is all that much to worry about. It's well sealed, and lightly used, so I'd think its fluid is not massively degraded.

I did the Mityvac thing on my fleet this fall. Jetta and Camry seemed to go ok, but my Tundra seemed to not like it. Slow flow and the pedal did not firm up quite like it did in the others.

*

I might buy some of those speed bleeders. The original bleeders on my vehicles aren't going to stay looking nice forever.

Honda's service manual speaks nothing of the ABS system. Other manufacturers have made it difficult by making the tech cycle the ABS pumps using the factory scan tools.

 

[Bgallagher]

It wont fully bleed the system but it will exchange the fluid if you do the turkey baster every 3 weeks for 3-4 times. I just did it and the first it was pretty dark, second was looking cleaner and the third is is noticeably cleaner, One more time and I will be happy with it.

If you have done brake work recently or have a mushy brake pedal you dont really need to bleed the system. If you are looking to change out the majority of the fluid than the baster system works just fine.

 

[LotI]

Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
It wont fully bleed the system but it will exchange the fluid if you do the turkey baster every 3 weeks for 3-4 times. I just did it and the first it was pretty dark, second was looking cleaner and the third is is noticeably cleaner, One more time and I will be happy with it.

If you have done brake work recently or have a mushy brake pedal you dont really need to bleed the system. If you are looking to change out the majority of the fluid than the baster system works just fine.

I completely disagree. The contaminants, water and air in the system will not be in the master cylinder reservoir. Yes, it contains the majority of the fluid but it's not the most important part of the fluid. I see flotsam and logan when I flush a system.

Some, very little, fluid will move back and forth from the master to the wheel cylinders(or calipers) but we're talking mL of fluid every time you step on the brakes.

I have done the baster method(Mityvac) and it is probably better than nothing. I know my dealer did the suck and fill method because the master cylinder on my '12 Accord can't be completely emptied because of the baffle. The front fluid was clear and new and the stuff in the back that can't be reached was darker and had floating debris. The receipt from the work said they used 1pt of fluid. I used almost a quart properly flushing the system using a home-made pressure bleeder.

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: LotI
I have done the baster method(Mityvac) and it is probably better than nothing.


That was my point. Bleeding is the best way to do it but even doing the baster method helps. It is better than nothing but I do agree with what you're saying.

 

[DaHen]

Was able to use the good old turkey baster method to replace the brake fluid in the reservoir on all my previous vehicles. But on this 2006 Altima their is a plastic obstruction of some sort that blocks any attempt to get the basters hose down into the fluid. I've used small diameter hoses, but still can't it into the fluid.

Thought of drilling through that obstruction, but afraid I'd get bits of plastic into the fluid. Does anyone know of a work-around that I could try?

 

[KrisZ]

ABS units should not need bleeding, unless someone messed with the system and introduced air. So for me, I just do the normal brake fluid flush and then during a rainy day or during winter, brake with sufficient force to activate the ABS. Do it several times and you just cycled new fluid into the ABS unit.

I know it's not ideal, but still a good and cheap way to keep the brake fluid fresh in the entire system.

 

[Vikas]

then how is this any different than just replacing the brake fluid in the reservoir? the fluid from the ABS unit is NOT flowing when you apply the brakes and the ABS is activated? my assumption is that in a braking system fluid will NEVER flow whether you have ABS or not. The ABS pump builds up the pressure but there is no flow as measured by fluid oz / second unit.