How-To: Bleeding Brakes

23756 Views 15 Replies 7 Participants Last post by MP81, Aug 31, 2018

ottoman32

Discussion Starter · Jun 17, 2018

Bled mine today on my 2016 Cruze LT. Its pretty straight forward, might have to remove the wheels, I did since I needed to rotate them anyways. If you have never done it, you will need a 10mm, 11mm and 19mm socket, a torque wrench, some clear tube and an empty bottle and some DOT 3 brake fluid (I got a quart of prestone synthetic). Never let the reservoir get empty or you will have to start over.

Steps:

1. Starting with the right rear, locate bleeder screw cap. its about in the middle of the caliper behind the rotor. To loosen it, put a 11mm socket on it, and loosen it one turn. Put hose on, pump brakes about 20 times, add fluid to reservoir and keep doing this till fresh fluid comes out. After that, tighten up the screw and put cap back on. Repeat for left rear. Removing the wheel might be necessary.

2. For the fronts, start with the right front, use a 10mm socket and loosen one turn. It's the same as the rear, then do the left front.

3. Tighten all lug nuts to 95 ft-lbs.

4. Test drive for a block or two to make sure no air is in the system.

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snowwy66

· #2 · Jun 18, 2018 (Edited)

When you push the pedal down, fluid squirts out. When you let up on the pedal. Air is sucked in. Pumping the pedal 20 times with the bleeder open is NOT a good idea.

If you pump the pedal a couple of times with bleeder closed. Bubbles build in the fluid.

Proper procedure is to push pedal. Open bleeder. Let pedal sink. Tighten bleeder and let up on pedal. Repeat till no air comes out. That's a 2 man job.

Another procedure that only involves 1 man. Is to use a vacuum pump and pull the fluid through teh bleeder with bleeder open.

Another producer is to use a machine that forces fluid into the master reservoir while it forces it out the bleeder when open.

Using a hose and empty container is a good idea. I'm sure the procedure can be done without a 19mm socket taking the tires off. However, if you use the vacuum pump method. There's a container and hose already connected to the pump.

I'd also recommend using a 6 point socket to loosen bleeders first. As them buggers have a habit of freezing up and you'll round them out with a wrench before you know it.

AND

google the correct order for bleeding which tires. I'm not sure if that order is still correct these days.

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RichLo1

· #3 · Jun 18, 2018

Yea, OP, your going to have to re-do it the way snowwy66 described. Your worse off now than before you tried bleeding them.

Reactions: 1

Blasirl

· #4 · Jun 19, 2018

[h=1]DIY Flush Brake Fluid[/h]

alexhatcher

· #5 · Aug 21, 2018

It literally takes a few minutes if you have your kid or spouse sit in the car.

go over the motions (don't take foot off pedal until you 100% understand I said, "up"

and use a flare wrench. if its been a few years, hit the valve with some penetrating oil

MP81

· #6 · Aug 21, 2018

snowwy66 said:
google the correct order for bleeding which tires. I'm not sure if that order is still correct these days.

Generally furthest from the master is first, then next furthest, until you get to the closest...though the ABS valve can add some funkiness to it, depending on if it needs to be cycled or not.

Blasirl

· #7 · Aug 21, 2018 (Edited)

ottoman32 said:
Bled mine today on my 2016 Cruze LT.

I've looked at your garage and found no pictures, this post says you have an LT, another says you have a Limited and the third says you have a Gen II, What is the vehicle you are discussing here. I think this might be in the wrong forum and I will move it if it is. Let me know,

Robert

snowwy66

· #8 · Aug 21, 2018 (Edited)

MP81 said:
snowwy66 said:

google the correct order for bleeding which tires. I'm not sure if that order is still correct these days.

Click to expand...

Generally furthest from the master is first, then next furthest, until you get to the closest...though the ABS valve can add some funkiness to it, depending on if it needs to be cycled or not.

Abs is standard equipment these days.

When it first came out. It was taught right side left side. Course. It was also taught to NOT compress caliper when changing brake pads. Without bleeder valve open. Otherwise. Seals in the pump blow out from reverse flow of fluid.

I'm guessing the system has probably been redesigned since it's creation though.

Looking at instructions now. It requires pressure machine and scan tool. Along with old method of direction.

I'd have to read more up on it after work. But generally speaking. Abs shouldn't be touched by untrained. It's not the same simple system of yesteryear.

MP81

· #9 · Aug 21, 2018

I never even touched that thing when I bled all the brake lines on the Cavalier - then again, I had the ABS relay pulled, so it's not like it was operational, anyway.

snowwy66

· #10 · Aug 22, 2018

ABS didn't last long in the early years. Wasn't the greatest design when it came to no one knowing how to properly use the system. Think brake pedal pumping.

Not many lasted beyond 50k miles.

MP81

· #11 · Aug 22, 2018

The Cav's actually still worked...just not when I needed it to...but also did work when I did not need it to.

You know, like rolling up to a stop before the garage door and the ABS activates on dry pavement in the summer?

ottoman32

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 27, 2018

2016.5 built in july of 2016.

Reactions: 1

RichLo1

· #13 · Aug 31, 2018

MP81 said:
The Cav's actually still worked...just not when I needed it to...but also did work when I did not need it to.

You know, like rolling up to a stop before the garage door and the ABS activates on dry pavement in the summer?

Yep, the first sign of this happening to any of my cars/trucks I unplug the ABS sensors and just deal with the dash light being on. Way safer to deal with a yellow light on the dash than to roll backwards down a hill with the ABS 'pumping' non-stop with 0 actual braking being done until you hit a tree or parked car or house, or worse... I generally despise ABS and thus render it useless at the first sign of trouble.

snowwy66

· #14 · Aug 31, 2018

I'll tell you what.

It definitely don't work like it's supposed too.

Locked up the brakes last week from an idiot cutting me off to make a left turn into residential. Right in front of me.

Seen a couple of cars lock up this week on the freeway. Playing with their phones they almost rear ended in stopped rush hour traffic

Taxman

· #15 · Aug 31, 2018

MP81 said:
The Cav's actually still worked...just not when I needed it to...but also did work when I did not need it to.

At least all Cavaliers had ignition keys.
Don't want ABS?
Hit the brakes and turn the key off.

MP81

· #16 · Aug 31, 2018

Taxman said:
At least all Cavaliers had ignition keys.
Don't want ABS?
Hit the brakes and turn the key off.

It was a little easier just to pull the relay and have non-ABS brakes.

My IROC didn't have ABS and my Cobalt doesn't have ABS, so I was plenty used to not having any - and my wife didn't have ABS on her last Cobalt, so she was also (it was her vehicle prior to the Cruze, but I drove it plenty enough).

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