I want to bleed my brakes to get the old fluid out and get fresh fluid in. What is the best kit to get? This DIY er needs the advice from the experts
If you have compressed air handy,the best would be a diaphragm brake bleeder.
This has a rubber diaphragm that separates the brake fluid from the compressed air used to bleed the brakes so no moisture gets into the brake fluid.
But most diyer’s can’t justify paying the price for it because of the number of times they bleed brakes.
The cheapest would be a brake bleeder hose with a check valve.
Or, just stick a hose into a jar with a little brake fluid so when the brake pedal is released air doesn’t get pulled back into the brake system.
Tester
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Are there issues with bleeding brakes on cars with ABS? How is that handled?
The kit db4960 showed you is overkill for a dyi. I just use a cleat jar and something for it to sit on thet will get it higher than the bleeder.get a length of clear plastic tubing that will fit snugly over the end of the bleeder and long enough to go into the jar. Partially fill the jar and make sure the end of the tubing is submerged. Open the bleeder.
With the engine running,pump the brake pedal slowly and release slowly.keep the master cylinder full and when there is no air in the tubing, close the bleeder.
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On most vehicles with ABS, the brakes can be bled in the normal manner if the brake system hasn’t been opened up.
Tester
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Why must the engine be running?
Tester
It’s about $130 . . . how is that overkill?
And remember it’ll get used several times over the years
I wouldn’t use the kit db4960 shows.
There’s nothing that separates the brake fluid from the air that’s pumped into the bleeder. So any moisture in the air, the brake fluid is going to absorb it.
Tester
I went to harbor freight. they have one for like 20 bucks. just don’t let the fluid back up into the pump as the ethers (brake fluid) will eat the rubber components in the vacuum pump and then it’s gone.
since my pump is broken, I’m cheap as you all know and I just hook up the tubing and let it gravity flow into the plastic reservoir that came with the kit. Takes longer than vacuum but works. Maybe 15 to 30 minutes per tire.
When I’ve had the time, I’ve just let gravity to the work myself. It’s very easy and pretty idiot proof so long as you monitor the master fluid level, but that’s true with any method of bleeding. It is very slow though.
Mostly these days I’ll take it to a shop just b/c of the hassle of getting to the bleeders on all for wheels. If I had a lift it would be a different story, but it’s not all that expensive anyway.
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@SteveCBT just to be clear, you bleed the brakes to get air out. If you don’t have air in the brake system, then you flush to replace the old brake fluid.
If you want to flush the system, then use old water or juice bottles, drill a hole in the caps and get some clear tubing that fits over the bleed valve and into the hole in the bottle cap. Open the bleed valves, one at a time or all four, but if you do all four, it is best to have a friend standing over the master cylinder to keep that reservoir full. Close each bleeder as the fluid starts running clear.
Order doesn’t matter if you do all four at once. If the master cylinder goes dry, then you will have to bleed. This will not clean out the old fluid from the ABS, but there isn’t much in there and it will eventually circulate back into the system. That small amount of old fluid will not do any harm to the system as long as you follow the brake flush schedule.
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Thanks everyone, @keith I just want to get the old fluid out so your idea will work and save me $
Just so you know, if you let the MC go dry, you will have to bleed, so be careful. Phone a friend.
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The master cylinder reservoir shouldn’t go dry while using a pressure bleeder, isn’t that the “best” type of equipment to use?
The question was “what is the best?”, now it is “what is the cheapest?”
The cheapest is use a friend and one of you open the bleeder and the other push slowly (just not fast) to the floor, then close the bleeder repeat until clean fluid comes out, do that on all 4 corners and your good to go, might need/want to do the old pump 3 times and hold then open the bleeder thing a time or two just for good measure, of course keeping the fluid topped off… No hoses to buy or anything… 
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That’s the ONLY way I’ve ever bled brakes.
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If you have an air compressor this is the way to go
Open a bleeder, slowly suck the old fluid out while you keep the master cylinder full. When the fluid coming out of the bleeder is clear you’re done.
Does a pressure bleeder do a “better” job of flushing the system, which is his goal? If all the fluid is replaced and no air gets into the system, how is one way any better than any other? The goal is achieved.
A pressure bleeder is faster and certainly has advantages if you are doing this by yourself. But other than that, does it accomplish the job better than any of the other ways? Also, the MC adapters needed for a pressure bleeder are not available for all models and the so called universal adapters do not always work either.