I want to change ALL the brake fluid in my 89 iroc, what would be the most effective way at getting out all air and getting clean fluid to every corner. I know basics of bleeding brakes, I took autos and i just graduated June 6th, so I'm not totally clueless (i know farthest corner first and so on). I just want to know the most effective way. Thanks.

 

anyone?

 

How's the brake fluid you have now? Really nasty?

I just bled make brakes (not full like you want to do) and noticed the old stuff and the new stuff didn't mix when the old fluid was dumped into the container when it was done carefully.

Also some places sell blue brake fluids. Don't recall if the blue was DOT3 however. When you start getting blue from the caliper/cylinder, move to the next.

 

Dot 3 brake fluid is clear. I just flushed my system completely. It actually is not hard at all as long as you have one of these..

Just hook it up to an air compressor and to the bleeder and hit the button, then watch it till it gets clear...

 

lets put it this way, the oil from my last oil change was blacker, but not very much....

 

You should change your fluid every 2 years. Its funny owners manuals dont metion it in the US. Its in owners manuals in europe.

 

Fewer lawyers in Europe?

That's a reason people aren't told a lot of things over here. I can see in this case a moron suing GM for either: DOT3 ruining the paint or forgetting to put the cover back on the res tight and getting killed or hurt.

 

DOT3/4 fluid can come clear, yellow or blue.


if you swap fluid from one color to another, you can tell when you have fresh fluid....

but if its totally black and old, any color will work, just keep pushing/pulling(depending on your method) fluid thru until its all clean.

 

OK, here is the method that I use....

I've gotten nervous about water contamination etc... First always keep the lid shut/sealed to prevent moisture contamination - it leaches moisture from the air not through the piping.

When ever I work on the brakes or every few years, I do the following:
- Remove all fluid from brake resivoir with a turkey baster. Take it down to the point where there is only a slight amount of fluid left in the holes at the base.
- Clean resivoir with a clean rag.
- Refill
- Reseal

At that point, I figure, a lot of the moisture in the system has been removed. Then if I'm working on the brakes I bleed the system to the point that clean fluid is coming out.

Its not a 100% flush, but its the quick and dirty alternative and it works for me.

Since the fluid eventually mixes and water will diffuse into the new fluid you just put in, you could actually repeat this procedure again to remove more moisture later.

You can also combine this with a full bleed job and it will get fresh fluid to the rear faster than if you didn't replace the stuff in the resivoir. Plus it also allows me to clean out all the sludge that builds on the insides of the resivoir.

 

thanks for all the help, i will be doing that this week if not today because i had some rear brake problems and lost a lot of fluid....i thought it was leaking oil at first and then i smelt it and i was thinking "that smells like brake fluid", took off the rear drum and noticed the piston blew out of the wheel cylinder (i had a minor problem earlier that day, the lugs came off the wheel and the wheel almost fell off the car, the rotor almost fell off and the brake pads were all messed up