Messed up Brake Bleeding

[MiniNick]

Hi,

After riding high since replacing all the calipers and hoses successfully, i went about bleeding the brake system since the old stuff looked like golden syrup!

Sadly though i messed up this relatively simple task, by letting the reservoir run below the MIN level!

I immediately felt it on the pedal go light followed by much swearing. Now i then went about re-bleeding the whole system and with the engine off the pedal is nice a firm, but as soon as i start the engine the first pump of the brakes the pedal drops to the floor but subsequent rapid pumps it firms back up (i feel i might be writing some erotic novel with this language!! LOL).

So can I simply continuing bleeding the system to fix this, or have i got air in the ABS module etc and need to do a FORSCSAN ABS bleed?

Any help is much appreciated.

Cheers

Nick

Its a MK7 2007 FWD LWB (Motorhome)

[metalworker0]

if it has ABS .. and you empty reservoir .. then forscan must be used to bleed the system, so operating the ABS pump as you bleed, note it puts three litres through it this way .. so you must save the stuff to use again if clean.

all the best.mark

[MiniNick]

Mark

That's for the confirmation. I thought that might be the case.

Seems I might need to buy a lot of brake fluid and a pressure bleeder. Fun times!! Lol

Cheers

Nick

[metalworker0]

well you don't need to buy a lot .. as because you bled it before, its clean system now .. as you do each wheel re-use .. as its something like £12.00 a litre for Dot 5.1 last time i bought the stuff.

all the best.mark

[knobby1]

Mark
Seems I might need to buy a lot of brake fluid and a pressure bleeder. Fun times!! Lol Cheers Nick

You don't need a pressure bleeder...Forscan uses the ABS pump to bleed the system.

Lord Knobrot (Smithy)

[MiniNick]

Mark
Seems I might need to buy a lot of brake fluid and a pressure bleeder. Fun times!! Lol Cheers Nick

You don't need a pressure bleeder...Forscan uses the ABS pump to bleed the system.

Lord Knobrot (Smithy)

I did think that from the other forum posts, but the warning it gives before running the sequence says set the pressure to 2 bar so I assumed that it must be required.

Cheers

Nick

[dumper]

If you are going to re use brake fluid do not put it straight back in as when bleeding the system it air rates the fluid you can reuse it but it needs to stand for a time not sure how long we never reused it at work on the company vans different if you’re paying for it yourself if you put it straight back in it will never bleed properly

[T350camper]

Be very careful which grade of brake fluid you choose. Dot 4 and Dot 5 are not compatible. Dot 4 is glycol based, while dot 5 is silicone based. They must not be mixed! The wrong fluid also leads to seal failure and all kinds of other pain.

Unless you intend to attempt the Nurburgring in under 10 minutes, Dot 4 will cope adequately with brake temperatures. Confirm what is in the system before you begin (I assume it will be Dot 4). If changing the grade you need to flush the system several times.

Good luck

[MiniNick]

Cheers for all the info.

Sticking with DOT 4, although we have downgraded from fancy DOT 4 to plain old standard DOT 4

I would be lucky to go round a roundabout over 30mph let alone the Nurburgring!! Not sure they can do a lap time in days.

[MiniNick]

So a slight update.

I have carried out a Forscan brake bleed (selecting Brake Master Cylinder) and i think i heard some air running through the pump. Which i thought was a good sign (air being pushed out). I then repeated the process (once). But the problem still remains.

The bleed pushed about 0.2l out per caliper.

Is it just a process of repeating this until it solves itself or have i done something more dramatic that might have actually broken something?

I wonder should i select Master Cylinder, ABS Unit or brake fluid under the Forscan Bleed options?

[dumper]

Not used foscan I’d bleed abs pump and if that didn’t work I’d do the brake fluid operation

[CCCars]

So a slight update.

I have carried out a Forscan brake bleed (selecting Brake Master Cylinder) and i think i heard some air running through the pump. Which i thought was a good sign (air being pushed out). I then repeated the process (once). But the problem still remains.

The bleed pushed about 0.2l out per caliper.

Is it just a process of repeating this until it solves itself or have i done something more dramatic that might have actually broken something?

I wonder should i select Master Cylinder, ABS Unit or brake fluid under the Forscan Bleed options?

Did you get your brakes sorted as I have exactly the same problem, I have Forscan so will try this next using the ABS unit option, pedal was getting a bit spongy so after fitting all new brake pads I did a conventional bleed good firm pedal until I started the engine and it went right down!

Graham

[knobby1]

So a slight update.

I have carried out a Forscan brake bleed (selecting Brake Master Cylinder) and i think i heard some air running through the pump. Which i thought was a good sign (air being pushed out). I then repeated the process (once). But the problem still remains.

The bleed pushed about 0.2l out per caliper.

Is it just a process of repeating this until it solves itself or have i done something more dramatic that might have actually broken something?

I wonder should i select Master Cylinder, ABS Unit or brake fluid under the Forscan Bleed options?

Did you get your brakes sorted as I have exactly the same problem, I have Forscan so will try this next using the ABS unit option, pedal was getting a bit spongy so after fitting all new brake pads I did a conventional bleed good firm pedal until I started the engine and it went right down!

Graham

If the rotors aren't great or worn a bit strange, it may take a while for the pads to "wear in"...then they should come good. Bleeding won't hurt if the fluid hasn't been changed in a while....it should normally be changed every 2 years or so.

Lord Knobrot (Smithy)

[CCCars]

Thought I'd replied but must have forgotten to click submit!
Van is low miles and all new pads, it's been well bled with new fluid so all good there.
So I went to do an ABS bleed but the Forscan instruction was to start with the offside rear nipple open, hose attached led to a catch bottle after I pressed OK it then said to pump the brake pedal every 2 seconds which I did until I was afraid of emptying the reservoir so gave up, at no time did the ABS pump kick in as others have said it would.
The brakes were marginally better so went for a run to the local garage to fill up with diesel before the price went up now trump is bombing the sh1t out of Iran again! the brakes felt much better but still a bit spongy.
The next day I had an appointment to get my a/c looked at so did that then went on a tour around all the local garages but none had a computer that could do an ABS bleed so ended up making an appointment at the local Ford dealers for them to put it on their diagnostic machine.
So left it with the dealer who took it on a road test and pronounced it all good, no need for diagnostics or huge expense of the diagnostics £240 including an hours labour!!
Anyway the brakes do seem to be fine now, don't understand how but there we are, the EBC pads are great Ultimax 2 DP1917 and DP1918 the original pads had plenty of meat on them but stopping power was just terrible, the front ones were Ford so probably originals the backs of the rears were so badly corroded that no markings were visible.

Graham