The dealer wants $160 to do a brake system flush/fill. I replaced all my rotors/pads but my fluid is 11 years old, and my brakes are still spongy.


Is this a fair price for this?


I could do it myself but seems like a PITA with all the corrosive fluid and needing 2 people. I also hear you need some special equipment to empty and completely purge the ABS system of brake fluid. The most I've done with brakes fluid wise is replace a caliper and bleed.


Anyone know how much money it is just for me to buy all the fluid? How much fluid is in the entire brake system?

 

Buy a pump. $35 at Harbor Freight.

https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...der-92924.html

I'm going to do mine this weekend.

Supposedly it will take 5 quarts.

 

Just make SURE that the fluid reservoir stays full. If air gets into the ABS body you may need the dealer to run a purge cycle on it to flush the air out.

Get the HF pump, suck out the reservoir first, then refill.

Start at the passenger rear, the driver rear, the passenger front then driver front.

If you don't want to suck, you can blow

Get a brake reservoir cap (buy or junk yard) screw on either a schrader valve or air line fitting, pressurize SLOWLY to blast out the fluid.. order isn't important. Again, make sure the reservoir always has fluid.

 

I just suck most of the fluid out with a turkey baster, then refill the MC with new fluid. Then, I bleed each wheel until clean looking fluid comes out. Just be sure to refill the MC before doing another wheel.

 

^^^ this^^^ this is a scheduled maintenance item..

 

The vacuum or pressure pot method simply allow one person to the job vs needing two.

You could also get the special bleeder valves with a check valve and get the same results.

But the big issue is don't let air into the ABS block.

 

Everything everyone said above applies!! WATCH your reservoir levels constantly....Don't even let your level get close to the bottom as it can still suck in some air.......by starting @ left rear then right rear etc. you will be bleeding the longest lines first....which will shorten your reservoir refills!!!!!

 

I can do it by myself when needed with only a piece of hose.....put a piece of hose on the bleeder, put the other end in a bottle of brake fluid. You can then open the bleeder and let the old fluid drain out. It only takes pedal a few pedal pumps. Air won't be sucked in because you have the end of the hose in fluid.

 

I have read in manuals the preferred method is pressurize the brake system to change the fluid.

There are a few reasons, the first being pure speed. The second reason is that if you pump the brakes to empty the line you are not flushing the debris/water but in essence moving it back and forth. This can kill seals in the master cylinder. If you vacuum/pressure pot the line fluid moves in one direction AWAY from the seals.

All the methods listed above will work. And with modern dual circuit brake systems its generally not an issue.

 

couple of qts should do ya. Don't over think it, its not hard with the cheap pump or an empty soda bottle filled with new stuff and a hose