My native language is Spanish, so I want try translate this to English as good I can. After some errors and mistakes I commit in the process, this is the resume to my knowledge:
Discard leaks. Press pedal several times and check if the reservoir level go down. Look around the wheels and below car looking for drip and marks.
Checking Master Brake Cylinder:
Disconnect brake lines. Cap outlets. Fill reservoir. Press pedal.
The pedal go down and deep? Bad master brake cylinder, so replace it.
The pedal stop and keep pressure? Master brake cylinder is good. Proceed to bleed the system.
Symptom: large brakes. No instant stop after apply brakes.
Problem: Brake fluid old (must be changed every 2 year) or contaminated.
Solution: flush and refill brake fluid.
Procedure: with a medical syringe, suck all the old brake fluid as you can. Refill and bleed (two person method) each wheel. Now, the MOST important thing nobody mention in any forum or internet is the properly order including the internal and external bleed port (not bleed both ports can result in 90% less brake power or spongy brakes):
This is the sequence with external and internal ports:
Symptom: Spongy or large pedal. The pedal go deep and don't apply brakes. (this procedures apply too when you letting air in the system).
Problem: air in the system.
Solution: bleed master cylinder; bleed ABS; bleed calipers.
Bleed master cylinder:
This method can be performed mounted on car following this instruction.
Bleed ABS system (This process can be performed several times, but consume a lot of power from your battery and you can overheat your ABS pump. Try to do no more than 5 times)
Bleed calipers (Same explained above. Don't forget external and internal ports)
Consider leaks, caliper/pads problems if any of this procedures fix your problems.
Check this video to understand how perform Master Cylinder Bleeding process.
This video explain the process to bleed the calipers with only 1 bleed port.
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Discard leaks. Press pedal several times and check if the reservoir level go down. Look around the wheels and below car looking for drip and marks.
Checking Master Brake Cylinder:
Disconnect brake lines. Cap outlets. Fill reservoir. Press pedal.
The pedal go down and deep? Bad master brake cylinder, so replace it.
The pedal stop and keep pressure? Master brake cylinder is good. Proceed to bleed the system.
Symptom: large brakes. No instant stop after apply brakes.
Problem: Brake fluid old (must be changed every 2 year) or contaminated.
Solution: flush and refill brake fluid.
Procedure: with a medical syringe, suck all the old brake fluid as you can. Refill and bleed (two person method) each wheel. Now, the MOST important thing nobody mention in any forum or internet is the properly order including the internal and external bleed port (not bleed both ports can result in 90% less brake power or spongy brakes):
This is the sequence with external and internal ports:
- Rear Right external port.
- Rear Right internal port.
(Fill brake fluid reservoir)
- Rear Left external port.
- Rear Left internal port.
(Fill brake fluid reservoir)
- Front Right external port.
- Front Right internal port.
(Fill brake fluid reservoir)
- Front Left external port.
- Front Left internal port.
(Fill brake fluid reservoir)
Symptom: Spongy or large pedal. The pedal go deep and don't apply brakes. (this procedures apply too when you letting air in the system).
Problem: air in the system.
Solution: bleed master cylinder; bleed ABS; bleed calipers.
Bleed master cylinder:
This method can be performed mounted on car following this instruction.
- Fill brake fluid reservoir
- Disconnect 2 brake lines.
- Conect a Master Cylinder Bleeder Kit
- 2 hose to the brake cylinder outlets and the other side (using 2 to 1 adaptor) to the reservoir. Make sure the hose immerse in brake fluid
- Push pedal slowly halfway, then wait 10 seconds (or wait to see the little air bubbles go almost to the reservoir), then release slowly
- Repeat until the hose don't show more air bubbles. Each time you can press the pedal deeper.
- Close reservoir cap
- Reconnect brake lines quickly trying to avoid let empty the reservoir again. Fill if is necessary
Bleed ABS system (This process can be performed several times, but consume a lot of power from your battery and you can overheat your ABS pump. Try to do no more than 5 times)
- Set the car level and apply parking brake
- Fill brake fluid reservoir
- Connect your car to computer using VAG-COM (this can be performed with LITE version)
- Click on [03 - ABS Brakes]
- Click on [Basic Settings - 04]
- Set on Group 001
- Click on [Go!]. Then follow instructions. The sequence must be: Press the pedal and hold. The ABS pump is auto activate for 10 seconds. Then release the pedal. Open Front Left External and Front Right External bleed port at the same time (connect the same hose to the Bleeder Kit in both sides with the other side of each hose in a container to avoid shed in floor or on the system). Click "Next-OK". The ABS pump is auto activate for 10 seconds again and bleed brake fluid and air to the bleed ports. Fill brake fluid reservoir again. Push, hold 1 second and release the pedal 10 times. Close the bleed ports and finish the procedure with VAG-COM doing "Done-Go Back".
- Fill brake fluid reservoir
Bleed calipers (Same explained above. Don't forget external and internal ports)
Consider leaks, caliper/pads problems if any of this procedures fix your problems.
Check this video to understand how perform Master Cylinder Bleeding process.
This video explain the process to bleed the calipers with only 1 bleed port.
For the past 4 hours my wife has patiently been exercising her calves on the pedal with the Motive completely out of the equation but all I'm getting is air.
