I finally realized I was bleeding my brakes all wrong for 5 years

After watching a video from a shop in Denver, I found out I was letting air back into the line by pumping the pedal too fast. Tried it slow and steady on my Honda Civic last weekend and the pedal went firm for the first time ever. Anyone else learn a basic skill backwards for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_faith2d ago

Actually the old manual says pump fast and hard for a reason... my 2002 Tacoma manual specifically says to push the pedal rapidly to push fluid through. Bleeding with a helper doing slow pumps took me three hours last summer and the pedal still felt spongy until I went back to the fast method. Maybe your issue was something else entirely like a loose bleeder screw or old fluid.

tessa_hill861d ago

...wait three hours doing slow pumps and it was still spongy? That's wild honestly. I've always heard the whole "fast and hard" thing is a myth that just aerates the fluid more. Like my buddy tried that on his 98 Civic and ended up with air bubbles everywhere, had to start over completely. Maybe I'm wrong but I feel like slow and steady is the only way to get all the air out, especially if you've got a long line to the caliper. Three hours though, man, that sounds like you needed a different approach or a vacuum bleeder tool or something.