Bleeding Your Own Brakes With a Hand-Held Vacuum Pump

Tools Needed for Bleeding Your Car's Brakes

• Hand-held vacuum pump
• New brake fluid (type recommended for your brake system)
• Floor jack
• Jack stand
• Lug wrench
• Line wrench (10mm or 11mm)
• Shop towels
• Teflon tape, if necessary
• Grease, if necessary
• Vehicle repair manual, if necessary

1.Four Tips for Successful Brake System Bleeding

1. Check the sequence the manufacturer recommends when bleeding your particular vehicle model and stick to that order. Consult your car owner's manual or vehicle repair manual.
2. Always use new brake fluid when bleeding the brake system: Once you open a container of brake fluid, it begins to accumulate humidity. So using brake fluid a few weeks old will rust components in your brake system at a rapid rate. That's why manufacturers recommend replacing the brake fluid in your car every two or three years.
3. To make your job easier, before you start bleeding a brake line, remove the bleeder screw from the caliper or wheel cylinder and apply some Teflon tape (about three turns) to the threads and replace the screw.
4. After connecting the tube fitting from the pump to the bleeder screw, cover the fitting and screw union with grease (any type). This will prevent introducing air bubbles into the stream that might confuse you with the regular air (if any) you want to purge out of the system.

• If you own a 1996 or older model with ABS system that connects to the four wheels, and you want to bleed air out of the brake master cylinder or hydraulic control unit (HCU), most likely you'll need a special adapter or device for the control module to purge air from the HCU.
• Also, if you need to work on a master cylinder that comes with the pressure modulator (aka ABS actuator) as part of the unit, you may need special equipment. For example, depending on your particular model, you may need a special electronic device or special scan tool to operate the solenoids, valves, and pump during the bleeding procedure. So you may need to take your vehicle to the shop for service.
• Consult the service manual for your particular make and model for more information, especially if you own a GM vehicle.

You don't necessarily need to bleed all four lines from the system. For example, if you replace a single brake caliper, wheel cylinder, or rubber hose, you only need to bleed that line.

However, you need to bleed all four brake lines if:

1. you had to remove or disconnect the brake master cylinder for repairs.
2. the fluid level dropped drastically in the reservoir.
3. you feel a spongy brake pedal.

Consult your car owner's manual or repair manual for more information

5. How to Bleed the Brake Master Cylinder

• Get your vacuum pump ready by connecting the pump's reservoir jar with a piece of tubing. Then attach a length of tubing of the appropriate size to the reservoir jar; you'll need to connect the other end of the tubing to the master cylinder's ports, in turn, during the bleeding procedure. Use tubing and adapters of the appropriate diameter that come with your kit. (Usually, manufacturers include a couple of plastic tubes and plugs with their units for bleeding as well.)

• Ask an assistant to hold the piece in place during the bleeding process with the push-rod end at a slightly higher angle than the opposite end. Or you can use a vise, but be careful not to damage the cylinder's body when securing it to the vise.

• Fill the cylinder reservoir with new brake fluid. Use the fluid type recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. During the bleeding procedure, don't let the brake fluid reach bottom to prevent air from entering the cylinder; otherwise, you'll need to start the bleeding process all over again.
• Unplug one of the cylinder ports and plug in the vacuum pump to it.

• Pump the cylinder until you see brake fluid free of bubbles entering the pump's reservoir jar.
• Disconnect the pump from the outlet port and tightly plug the port.

• Repeat the bleeding procedure in the other port(s).

• Now, with all the ports plugged, position the cylinder push-rod end at a slightly lower angle than the opposite end.

• Then, use a Phillips screwdriver or a punch to slide the cylinder push rod in and out about 1/8 inches. Repeat until you see no bubbles in the master cylinder reservoir.

• Raise the angle of the push-rod end again and bleed the cylinder again through the ports.
• Now you can install your new brake master cylinder.