How to Bleed Brakes

Learn how to bleed brakes and how you can bleed your brakes by yourself with this guide from our Comanche service center. Your brake maintenance isn’t just your pads and rotors. It encompasses a variety of smaller repairs that help keep your overall brake system fine-tuned. Bleeding your brakes isn’t as complicated as you may think, and our service ccenter can easily help you with your brakes services. Read on below to learn more about how to bleed brake lines!

Why is Bleeding the Brakes Important?

Bleeding the brakes may sound like a big project, but it’s really just an important part of caring for your car’s brakes at the end of the day. Over time, the moisture resistance of brake fluid wears down, and your brake fluid will begin to absorb water. Air can also get into your brake system, causing the brake pedal to feel “soft” or “spongy” when you press down on it. When you bleed brakes, you remove any trapped air. This gives your brakes a much firmer feel.

How to Bleed Brakes By Yourself 

You’ll need brake fluid, a box-end wrench, a fluid holder and tubing, and an assistant to help you bleed your brakes by yourself. Here are the steps to get started on how to bleed brakes by yourself:

Step 1: 

Check your owner’s manual to make sure you have the correct brake fluid for your make and model. There are many different types of brake fluid out there, so it’s important to know which is right for your specific vehicle. Your owner’s manual will also tell you what the replacement intervals are for your brake fluid. 

Step 2: 

On solid and level ground, jack up your car. Remove all of the wheels. 

Step 3: 

Next, find the four caliper bleeding screws and loosen them. If they don’t loosen immediately, don’t twist hard with the wrench. Instead, spray the screw with penetrating oil and wait about 30 minutes. Then, give it another try. If the screw strips or snaps, don’t go any further. Bring your car to our service center right away.

Step 4: 

After the screws are loosened, 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 to avoid air bubbles. 

Step 5: 

Pop the hood and check the master cylinder reservoir’s brake fluid level. Make sure your car has the appropriate amount of fluid. While you’re bleeding the brakes, leave the master cylinder cap unscrewed but still resting on top of the reservoir. You’ll want to bleed the brake furthest from the master cylinder, but your vehicle may require a different order. You can check your owner’s manual or ask our technicians for guidance.

Step 6: 

Secure the end of a piece of clear tubing (about 1/4 inches in diameter) over the first bleeder screw. Put the other end of the tubing into a receptacle of some sort, such as a plastic bottle. You can also purchase a cheap brake bleeding kit from any auto store or order one online that’ll have these items. Just make sure that the tubing needs to be long enough that you can place the catch container above the bleeder screw’s height. This way, any air caught in the tube won’t move back into the brake caliper.

Step 7:

Make sure you have someone to help for the next step. Make sure the car engine is off, and ask the person helping you to pump the brake pedal several times until they feel resistance pushing back against the pedal. Make sure that the person helping you keeps 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. Next, inspect the fluid level in the master fluid reservoir. You may need to add fresh fluid while doing this.

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 the person helping you 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. Don’t use all of your strength. Just apply enough pressure to make sure they’re secure.

Get Your Brake Services Done at Bayer Auto Group Today

Now you have a better idea of how to bleed brake lines for yourself. If you’re noticing that your pedals are spongy when you’re pressing down on them and you’re not sure how to proceed, schedule an appointment with our service center and explore our service specials. We can also take care of all of your tire services near Abilene with friendly and speedy service.