How to Bleed Brakes

Before Your Bleed Your Brakes

Before you do anything, make sure to consult your owner’s manual. The brake system and its needs can vary from model to model, so you’ll want to make sure that you get the right type of brake fluid and that you bleed your brakes at the right intervals, in the right order.

Once you have your hands on the correct kind of fluid for your vehicle, it’s time prepare your car to have its brakes bled.

On level ground, jack your vehicle up and remove all the wheels.

Slightly loosen the four caliper bleeding screws; there will be one on each brake. Don’t remove the screws yet, just make sure you can loosen them then tighten them back up.

• You’re doing this to make sure you’re able to remove the screws at all. If any of the screws are too difficult to move, it’s better to visit a service center for help.

Next, you should check the fluid level in the master cylinder and refill it if it’s less than full. Leave the master cylinder cap unscrewed but in place over the reservoir.

Consult your vehicle’s manual again to check which brake needs to be bleed first. Then, get some clear tubing that has about 1/4-inch diameter and is long enough that you can hold it above the bleeder screw.

Attach one end of the tube to the bleeder screw of the first brake you’re bleeding and the other end to a container to catch any fluid.

Now, make sure the engine is off and grab a friend to help you bleed your brakes.

Steps to Bleed Your Brakes

With all the prep taken care of, you’re ready to bleed your brakes. Have your friend pump the brake pedal until they feel resistance. While they maintain pressure on the pedal, loosen the bleeder screw. At this point, the fluid will flow through the tube and the pedal will start to lose pressure.

Have your friend push the pedal all the way down and warn you just before they reach the floor. Close the bleeder screw as soon as they warn you. Then, check the fluid level in the master cylinder, since you’ll need full fluid to bleed the rest of the brakes.

You’ll want to repeat the above process about five times per brake—or until the stream of fluid in the tube is clear of air bubbles.

After You Bleed the Brakes

Once you’ve bled each brake, keep an eye on the fluid in the master cylinder and ask your friend to press hard on the brake pedal and release it quickly. While a slight disturbance in the fluid is normal, something that looks more like an eruption means you still have air in the system and need to bleed again.

Finally, you just need to tighten all the bleeder screws. Then, you’re ready to hit the road!