Whenever I take the wheels off on annual service to check brake pads etc on my wifes Maestro I always bleed some new brake fluid through each wheel nipple.
About half a dozen brake pedal depressions.
The total fluid used being about one small can of brake fluid.
I intend shortly to renew the complete brake fluid on my Vectra.
What approximately is the amount needed to completely renew it.
The haynes manual does not give a capacity.
Also is there anything different regarding bleeding with an ABS system.
The manual does give a specific which wheel in sequence to do but is there anything else to know. I have just bought a one man kit for a fiver, not pressurised but simply a container with a pipe sticking out which I presume to have a non-return valve in.
regards,
Alvin
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About half a litre in my experience. Straighforward enough job, but if you ever need to put new pads in with ABS, don't push the pistons back forcing the old fluid back into the system. The muck which settles in the bottom of the calipers will get pushed back into the pump and potentially cause premature wear in the future- expensive! Undo the bleed nipples to let the fluid out.
Regards
Mike
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Alvin
There were some posts about this in May. Search for Gunson Eezibleed.
I bought one and used it and "it does exactly what it says on the tin".
Don't know about the Vectra, only used mine on a Citroen Synergie (with ABS), with complete success.
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Alvin,
Top man with the bleeding routine each service. You are removing the fluid that is usually the most contaminated and ensuring the nipples stay free.
About 1lit will replace the fluid in normal systems. I usually draw off most of the fluid from the master cylinder first to save time pumping the whole lot through the system.
Not keen on those one-way kits. If they are cheaply made they will draw air into the system. Much better to spend about £13 on the Gunsons pressure bleeding kit that works from the spare tyre.
With the ABS system just ensure you follow any extra instructions in the manual carefully. Assuming your car is around 1997 with a Bosch or Kelsey Hayes system I don't think there are any extra bleed nipples or procedures.
It isn't absolutely essential to follow a particular sequence with the Gunsons pressure kit. However your car should be LH Rear, RH Rear, LH Front, RH Front.
David
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For those too hard-up (or tight) to buy the Gunson kit, I read an article on a motorcycle forum which described how to make a pressurized bleeder using an old inner-tube. The idea was to cut a section out of the tube, including the valve, then to fold over and glue one of the open ends, leaving the other end to be stretched over the open reservoir and pressurized using a normal bike-pump. The same article also suggested that prior to a total change, it was easiest to soak up the excess fluid from the reservoir using a rag, 'tho some folk prfer turkey basters.
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You're right that any crafty method that gives some positive pressure to the master cylinder will work.
The advantage of the Gunsons kit is that it holds about half a litre of fluid so no need for watching the fluid level in the master cyl to stop it disapearing and forming a new air lock.
I use a horse syringe to suck out the old fluid first. Easier to get (and use) than the normal small ones. Couldn't understand why so many questions in Boots when you ask to buy a pack of syringes.
Where your inner tube method would score could be with an odd sized master cyl top where there is no suitable fitting in the Gunsons kit. For example that very large one on Japanese cars isn't standard with the kit. I would say a motorcycle inner tube would just go round those with a snug fit.
In fact I think I'll make one up at the weekend and give it a test...thanks.
David
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Thanks Mike,Darcy and David for the info.
I had previously gone to the search and noted your comments before regarding the Gunson easy bleed.
I had also noted the tip about drawing off the old fluid from the resovoir before starting and thought thats a good one. why hadn't I ever thought of it myself.
I have always previously used the jamjar and pipe with the wife providing the motive power with her right foot. She's driven cars all her life bit still never fails to say "Thats the middle one isn't it" when I shout for her to press the pedal down.
Alvin
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Alvin
Spooky! I used to hear those very words before I bought the Eezibleed
Has she got a sister called Katherine?
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Darcy,
No but women are all very similar (fortunately)
You should see my wife sitting beside me with a map in her hand.
She has to turn the map in the direction we are travelling even if its upside down to recognise which is left and which is right.
And North South East West directions generally mean nothing to a woman.
If the early explorers such as Columbas and Vasco da Gama had a woman helping them navigate the new world would still be undiscovered.
And please Martyn the Mod delete this message if you think there's any possibility of a woman reading it. I'm safe, the boss has gone to bed.
Alvin
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Alvin,
Careful Carole doesn't launch a six, sorry four, page lecture at you.
David
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Alvin wrote:
> No but women are all very similar (fortunately)
> You should see my wife sitting beside me with a map in her hand.
> She has to turn the map in the direction we are travelling even if its upside
> down to recognise which is left and which is right.
But Alvin, that makes infinite good sense! Once again it proves that women are intuitively more switched on than men. I'm going to let this post stand!
And David Woollard wrote:
>
> Alvin,
>
> Careful Carole doesn't launch a six, sorry four, page lecture
> at you.
How come Alvin only gets four, while I got six? (And if you think about it, the number of pages is academic, and relates to the size of paper and the distribution of words on pages!)
In fact, Carole's private correspondence was in no way a lecture, more an exposition on ... well, as I said, it was private. So that's *all* I'm saying.
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Alvin Booth wrote:
> You should see my wife sitting beside me with a map in her
> hand.
> She has to turn the map in the direction we are travelling
> even if its upside down to recognise which is left and which
> is right.
> And North South East West directions generally mean nothing
> to a woman.
I noticed that WH Smiths are now selling upside-down maps to cater for this demand. My mum's getting 1 for her xmas.
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Alvin wrote:
">If the early explorers such as Columbas and Vasco da Gama had a woman helping them navigate the new world would still be undiscovered.<"
So no Americans then? Oh dear, a real blow to civilisation.
HH
M
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Alvin, that's spooky. I thought it was only my wife who has no idea what the points of the compass are. Why is that?
There are loads of things that she is brilliant at, better than me in fact (and I'm not being patronising), but give her a map.....
It's not just driving either. If we are out walking I will automatically have some idea of the direction because of the sun. But to my wife it comes out of a cupboard in the morning, polishes the sky for a bit and then the fairies put it away again before we go to bed.
Mind you, I wouldn't change her for the world!
Ian
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Why not just gravity bleed the fluid. Open the nipple and let it drain. Abit slow but no chance of air being sucked in. Worked great on my Merc last weekend.
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Will
Don't you need some pressure to carry the air & crud out
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But surely this way the job would take ages!
But I suppose it would be OK for DIY, but not in the dealership where every minute is money! (70p per minute, +VAT infact!)
Rgds
David
(PS I don't set the hourly rate, so please don't blame me)
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Alvin,
Suggest you ask your local Vauxhall dealer for a price to do a fluid change.
Upto a few years ago it was suggested that the fluid was changed every year and is now every two years.
You might just be pleasantly surprised at the price and effectively "derisk" the process of playing with the brakes and ABS.
Hope this helps .........
Robert
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