[stomas]

Hi everybody, first time poster although I've browsed the site for help in the past.

While DIY'ing the 60K maintenance on our '12 TDI Lux I seem to have botched something when attempting the brake flush. I was doing the flush via a vacuum bleed using a Mityvac. I started by sucking out the old fluid from the master cylinder reservoir and replacing that with clean fluid. I then proceeded to vacuum fluid from the front passenger caliper. As I was evacuating that line I was expecting fluid to start draining from the reservoir which it didn't. The brake system at this point was, for all practical purposes depressurized and the car disabled. I tried to do the normal 2 person pressure bleed but no fluid was being pushed through the system nor was anything draining from the reservoir. I was told that I had to bleed the calipers in a specific sequence starting with the rear passenger caliper. I tried that as well, first vacuum bleed (which did produce fluid until it ran dry), then pressure bleed which produced nothing.

Aside from having the car towed to a dealership, what can I do here? What did I miss from the beginning? I was unable to find any articles detailing this procedure on a T3 Touareg. Thanks in advance.

 

[TREGinginCO]

Everything I've ever been told is that your pressure bleed the brakes - never vacuum.

Mine has always been done with the system connected to the reservoir.

Bleed right rear first, then left rear, right front and drivers front...... bleeding each line until the new, clean fluid shows up.

Never had an issue.

 

[182RG]

Aside from having the car towed to a dealership, what can I do here? What did I miss from the beginning? I was unable to find any articles detailing this procedure on a T3 Touareg. Thanks in advance.

Wrong tool. You need one of these:

http://motiveproducts.3dcartstores.com/0100-European-Bleeder_p_115.html

You don't want to vac fluid from the bleeder screws. You want to pressurize the system with the power bleeder.

 

[Built4Sin]

Wrong tool. You need one of these:

Motive Products European Brake Bleeder 0100

You don't want to vac fluid from the bleeder screws. You want to pressurize the system with the power bleeder.

That's exactly what I used; make sure like that model its the European model for the correct brake housing cap.

Works like a champ, 15psi and you're done in minutes per side. You don't even have to remove the wheels!

 

[stomas]

Thanks for the responses. Just ordered a Motive power bleeder, hopefully that'll do the trick.

 

[noobytoogy]

As an aside, you don't tow Touaregs, you put them on a flat bed if you need to recover them anywhere.

Hope you get it sorted.

 

[stomas]

OK, so I got a Motive pressure bleeder same day from Amazon. I attached it, pumped it up to 15 PSI and opened the bleeder valve and, nothing came out. No air, no dirty fluid, nothing. In addition to that, the pressure on the bleeder held steady @ 15 PSI so I know nothing was getting pushed through the system. Am I missing a step here or is it more likely that something in the system is damaged?

 

[BeemerMikeTX]

You don't want to vac fluid from the bleeder screws. You want to pressurize the system with the power bleeder.

Why? I've been vacuum bleeding (with an air-compressor-driven Mityvac) cars and motorcycles for years with no adverse results. Is there something specific about Touareg brakes that makes vacuum bleeding not advisable?

 

[Built4Sin]

Are you sure you're opening the bleeder all the way? Just make sure to not up the pressure in an attempt to "force the fluid"! That could literally blow the plastic housing apart.

Here's. Quick pic from one of Columbus's posts about the order:

 

[182RG]

Why? I've been vacuum bleeding (with an air-compressor-driven Mityvac) cars and motorcycles for years with no adverse results. Is there something specific about Touareg brakes that makes vacuum bleeding not advisable?

More problems with vac than pressure, with leaks around bleeder screws. See below:

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ing-brakes-with-mityvac-hand-vacuum-pump.html

I tried it once with my Mityvac, even dialing down the regulator on the air feed. Still had issues. With the Motiv, never a problem. $60 isn't that much of an investment.

 

[182RG]

OK, so I got a Motive pressure bleeder same day from Amazon. I attached it, pumped it up to 15 PSI and opened the bleeder valve and, nothing came out. No air, no dirty fluid, nothing. In addition to that, the pressure on the bleeder held steady @ 15 PSI so I know nothing was getting pushed through the system. Am I missing a step here or is it more likely that something in the system is damaged?

There is a VAGCOM process for bleeding the ABS pump. I guess it's possible that you vacuumed it dry the first attempt, and there is air, or a valve in the ABS closed preventing the fluid from flowing? Not sure.

 

[BeemerMikeTX]

More problems with vac than pressure, with leaks around bleeder screws. See below:

Any success bleeding brakes with MityVac hand vacuum pump? - Corvette Forum

I tried it once with my Mityvac, even dialing down the regulator on the air feed. Still had issues. With the Motiv, never a problem. $60 isn't that much of an investment.

Yes, if you turn the bleeder screw too far out you can get air leakage past the threads, but as long as brake fluid is flowing you are still bleeding your brake system. I thought there may be some technical/design reason for not bleeding the Touareg brake system with vacuum. Apparently not.

 

[Reneaut86]

I am late to this party but just had the same thing happen to me while bleeding the brakes on my 2013 hybrid. I was using the motive pressure bleeder and followed the prescribed sequence. I thought everything went well but found the brake pedal hit the floor. I also tried to manually bleed after the pedal went to the floor and had fluid running at the right rear tire, not much on left rear and nothing from right front. Stopped after that. Were you able to fix yours or did you tow it to the dealer?