Getting your brakes serviced encompasses a variety of small repairs that keep the overall brake system fine-tuned. Bleeding your brakes is one of those repairs. If you have air trapped in your car’s brake system, you may be curious how to bleed brake lines. It’s not a complicated process, but it is time-consuming, especially if you don’t consider yourself to be the “handy” type. We highly recommend scheduling an appointment at the Acura of Johnston service center, but knowing how to bleed brakes by yourself is important information for every Des Moines driver. Come to Acura of Johnston for all of your brake repairs in des moines.
How to Bleed Brakes: The Importance of Bleeding
Bleeding the brakes may sound like a deadly undertaking, but it’s really just a simple part of caring for your car’s brakes. The moisture resistance of brake fluid wears down, and will begin to absorb water. Air can also get into the brake system, causing the brake pedal to feel “soft” or “spongy” when you press it. Learning how to bleed brakes yourself is just learning how to remove any trapped air, and giving your brake pedal a firmer feel.
How to Bleed Brakes By Yourself
If you want to learn how to bleed brake lines at home, you’ll need brake fluid, a box-end wrench, a fluid holder and tubing, and an assistant. After gathering all of the materials you need, follow these steps:
Step 1:
Check your owner’s manual to make sure you have the correct brake fluid. There are a few different types of brake fluids, so it’s important to get the right one for your vehicle. The owner’s manual will also tell you what the replacement intervals are for brake fluid.
Step 2:
Put your vehicle on solid and level ground then jack up your car, and remove all of the wheels.
Step 3:
Find the four caliper bleeding screws and loosen them. Do NOT force it– use penetrating oil and wait 30 minutes if the screws won’t loosen. You don’t want to strip the screws.
Step 4:
Once you’ve loosened the screws, tighten them again. Bleeding your brakes is a slow process and you need to bleed one brake at a time. The other three screws need to be tight in order to avoid air bubbles.
Step 5:
Pop the hood and check the master cylinder reservoir’s brake fluid level. You can locate this in your owner’s manual. Be sure your car has the appropriate amount of fluid, and while you’re bleeding the brakes, leave the master cylinder cap unscrewed but still resting on top of the reservoir. Start with the brake furthest from the master cylinder.
Step 6:
Secure a piece of clear tubing (about 1/4 inches in diameter) over the first bleeder screw. Then put the other end of the tubing into a receptacle of some sort, such as a plastic bottle. You can also get a bleeding kit from any auto store or online — that’ll have these items. Be sure the tubing needs to be long enough that you can place the catch container above the bleeder screw’s height. This keeps air grome getting caught in the tube and moving back into the brake caliper.
Step 7:
You’ll need an assistant for this next step. Make sure the car engine is off, and ask your assistant to pump the brake pedal several times until they feel resistance pushing back against the pedal. Instruct them to keep pressure on the pedal. Meanwhile, open the bleeder screw a bit. Fluid will move through the tube and the pedal will start dropping closer to the floor. Make sure your assistant continues to apply pressure.
Step 8:
Have your helper notify you immediately before the pedal reaches the floor. When they do, close the bleeder screw right away. Then, inspect the fluid level in the master fluid reservoir. You may need to add fresh fluid.
Step 9:
Repeat the previous two steps about five times at the same bleeder screw, or until the fluid stream no longer has any bubbles.
Step 10:
Then, repeat steps 7, 8, and 9 on the other three bleeder screws in the correct order — starting with the screw further away from the master cylinder and moving to the one closest to it.
Step 11:
After you’ve finished bleeding your brakes, instruct your helper to apply the brakes, then quickly release the pedal. While they do that, watch the fluid in the master cylinder reservoir. If the fluid is bubbling significantly, there’s still air in the system and you’re not quite done. However, if the fluid is moving only slightly, you’ve bled the brakes fully.
Step 12:
Before putting the wheels back on your car, tighten each of the bleeder screws. Again, don’t use all of your strength — just apply enough pressure to make sure they’re secure.
Brake Repair Des Moines at Acura of Johnston!
If you are ready for a brake repair Des Moines or you’re not ready to perform the steps on how to bleed brake lines yourself in Cedar Rapids, then come to Acura of Johnston. Schedule your service appointment online or over the phone. Or contact us if you have any questions about how to care for your Acura. Learn how to tune your car for spring!
