Bleeding the brakes is an important step in replacing and maintaining the braking system of a disc brake vehicle, and all vehicles for that matter. This procedure allows the braking system to function properly reducing the chance of an accident or malfunction.
Instructions
- 1
Secure the vehicle on a set of jack stands and use a lug wrench to remove the lug nuts from the wheels and remove the wheels. Do this one wheel at a time and keep the respective lug nuts with the wheel they came from. This will avoid mix ups later and ensure you re-install the wheels correctly.
2Locate the brake calipers and follow it up the high side to look for the brake lines. These can be metal or rubber and will be submerged in brake fluid at the end. Follow the brake line to the brake bleeding screw and bleed the brakes correctly using the following method.
3Wear protective eye gear, as the brake fluid may spray up into your eyes, before proceeding with the process. Wherever the brake line was disconnected, it will need to be bled. Apply the brake several times with the engine off to remove residual vacuum from the power booster. Fill the master cylinder reservoir with brake fluid and check the fluid often during the bleeding process to make sure there is enough fluid.
4Have a helper depress the brake pedal and then loosen the brake bleeding screw or nut with the appropriate tool, usually a wrench or screwdriver. Allow air and brake fluid to escape. Repeat this process until nothing comes out. Repeat the same process on each brake line for every wheel.
