How to Bleed Brakes by Yourself

The brakes might be one of the most important parts of your vehicle, and they certainly are when it comes to your safety on Beckley roads. Since your brake system is complex, brake service encompasses a variety of smaller repairs that keep each piece of the brake system fine-tuned. One of those repairs is brake bleeding. Brake bleeding is important because it releases air that has been trapped in your car’s brake system, and you can do it yourself. Wondering how to bleed brakes by yourself? The team at the Mercedes-Benz of Charleston service center has got you covered. The process isn’t overly complicated, but you should note that it is time-consuming, especially if you don’t consider yourself to be the “handy” type. If you would rather spend your time on other tasks, we highly recommend scheduling an appointment at our Charleston service center, where we can bleed your brakes for you. If not, keep reading to learn why and how to bleed brake lines!

Why is it Important to Bleed Your Brakes?

“Bleeding the brakes” sounds very serious, but it’s just an important and common part of caring for your car’s brakes. With time, the moisture resistance of brake fluid wears down, and the fluid will begin to absorb water. That water evaporates, and with the addition of other air that can get into the brake system, bubbles form in your brake fluid. Since the brake system is based on hydraulic pressure, this causes the brake pedal to feel “soft” or “spongy” when you press it while you’re driving in Huntington. When you bleed your brake lines, it removes any trapped air, which gives your brake pedal a firmer feel and a better response.

How to Bleed Brake Lines Yourself

Want to try bleeding your brakes at home? First, you’ll need some materials:

• brake fluid
• a box-end wrench
• a fluid holder
• tubing
• and an assistant to help you

Once you have all your materials, these are the steps for how to bleed brakes by yourself:

Step 1:

First, check your owner’s manual to make sure you have the correct brake fluid. There are many different types of brake fluid, so it’s important to know which is right for your vehicle. The owner’s manual will also tell you what the replacement intervals are for brake fluid.

Step 2:

On solid and level ground, jack up your car. Remove all of the wheels.

Step 3:

Next, find the four caliper bleeding screws and loosen them. (If they don’t loosen immediately, don’t twist hard with the wrench. Instead, spray the screw with penetrating oil and wait about 30 minutes. Then, give it another try. If the screw strips or snaps, don’t go any further — bring your car to our service center right away.)

Step 4:

After the screws are loosened, tighten them again. Bleeding your brakes is a slow process, and you need to bleed one brake at a time; the other three screws need to be tight to avoid air bubbles.

Step 5:

Pop the hood and check the master cylinder reservoir’s brake fluid level. Make sure your car has the appropriate amount of fluid. While you’re bleeding the brakes, leave the master cylinder cap unscrewed but still resting on top of the reservoir. To start, you’ll want to bleed the brake furthest from the master cylinder, but your vehicle may require a different order. You can check your owner’s manual or ask a technician for guidance.

Step 6:

Secure the end of a piece of clear tubing (about 1/4 inches in diameter) over the first bleeder screw. Put the other end of the tubing into a receptacle of some sort, such as a plastic bottle. You can also purchase a cheap brake bleeding kit from any auto store — or order one online — that’ll have these items. In any case, the tubing needs to be long enough that you can place the catch container above the bleeder screw’s height. This way, any air caught in the tube won’t move back into the brake caliper.

Step 7:

You’ll need an assistant for this next step. Make sure the car engine is off, and ask your assistant to pump the brake pedal several times until they feel resistance pushing back against the pedal. Instruct them to keep pressure on the pedal. Meanwhile, open the bleeder screw a bit. Fluid will move through the tube, and the pedal will start dropping closer to the floor. Make sure your assistant continues to apply pressure.

Step 8:

Have your helper notify you immediately before the pedal reaches the floor. When they do, close the bleeder screw right away. Then, inspect the fluid level in the master fluid reservoir. You may need to add fresh fluid.

Step 9:

Repeat the previous two steps about five times at the same bleeder screw or until the fluid stream no longer has any bubbles.

Step 10:

Then, repeat steps 7, 8, and 9 on the other three bleeder screws in the correct order — starting with the screw further away from the master cylinder and moving to the one closest to it.

Step 11:

After you’ve finished bleeding your brakes, instruct your helper to apply the brakes, then quickly release the pedal. While they do that, watch the fluid in the master cylinder reservoir. If the fluid is bubbling significantly, there’s still air in the system, and you’re not quite done. However, if the fluid is moving only slightly, you’ve bled the brakes fully.

Step 12:

Before putting the wheels back on your car, tighten each of the bleeder screws. Again, don’t use all of your strength — just apply enough pressure to make sure they’re secure.

Come to The Mercedes-Benz of Charleston Service Center For Your Brake Service!

Is your car’s brake pedal not as responsive as you’d like it to be? Now that you know how to bleed your brake lines, are you not eager to spend the time bleeding your brakes yourself? Would you rather have professionals do it for you? Come to the Mercedes-Benz of Charleston service center near Bridgeport where our expert technicians are happy to help! You can contact us with any questions you may have, and be sure to check our service specials so that you can get a great deal!