Ok so I'm about to change my brake fluid and I just wanted to get a few things clear:
1. bought Valvoline Synthetic DOT 3&4 Brake fluid. Is this okay to use in our cars? I think its okay but it says DOT 4 so I'm not sure.
2. It takes a little less than 3 quarts to do a flush?
3. What is the proper way to bleed the brakes on our cars? I have been looking around and found many mixed answers. In what order should you bleed the brakes and in what manner do you pump the brakes (pump repeatedly or pump and hold). Also is it a different procedure for the front and back brakes.
Thanks in advance. I just want to make sure I do this right so I don't mess up the ABS or get air in the brakes.

 

Can anyone point me in the right question?

 

No one can answer these questions for me?!

 

1) dot3 and dot4 are interchangeable, its only dot 5 you need to worry about mixing. our cars came with dot3.
2) a brake flush, I usually keep 2L of brake fluid around. depending on how much you flush out, however our reservoirs are quite big, so you wont need to keep going back to it to check if you are low. if you are bleeding the brakes, just make sure the reservoir doesn't run too low. you can bleed with the cap off/loosely on. it will not create air pockets if you have the reservoir cap off.
3) for the rear brakes, take off wheels, take off dust cap on bleeder. with ignition in the acc on position (1 less from actually starting the car). with a friend, have 1 person step and hold down the brake pedal, and 1 person open and close the bleeder screw on the rear caliper. the electronic brake pump will do the rest.
for the fronts, have 1 person pump the brake pedal 3-5 times, then press down and hold the pedal while 1 person opens the brake bleeder screw. when pedal has sunken down to the floor, close bleeder screw, repeat a few times until u see no air in the brake fluid and or the color is clear.

note:
- you may or may not hear the abs buzzer turn on.
- turn off ignition after you finish 1 side of the rear brakes. you are letting the pump cool down.
- turn off ignition when doing the front brakes.
- some say do the fronts first then the rears, others say the other way around. ive stuck with tradition, start with the farthest away from the brake master cylinder.

 

Step on the gas pedal 3-5 times?????

 

you may or may not hear the abs buzzer turn on.

 

Thank you so much. Any other tips to keep air out of the lines?

 

sorry, I meant brake.


you would only want to step on the gas while doing this if you were wanting to be a famous youtube video =)

 

yeah, really comes down to what you mean by brake fluid change.

if you are going to evacuate all brake fluid completely, then you will probably and may introduce some air into the lines. if this happens, your abs buzzer will go off. why would this happening, say you are upgrading to front and rear bigger calipers and or ss brake lines.

by the info I read from the OP, im providing as much info as I remember.

 

keep the reservoir topped up, don't shake your brake fluid before pooring it in, introducing air bubbles into the fluid, make sure all lines, and joints are tight, if not tight already. eg from hardline to rubber line, from rubber line to caliper.

and the point of pumping your brake pedal 3-5 times then holding it is to build up pressure. so when your foot is fully on the brake pedal, there is pressure onto the system allowing you to evacuate the dirty old brake fluid sitting in your brake lines when doing the brake fluid flush on the fronts.

 

Thank you so much. So basically don't shake the fluid before it goes in and keep the reservoir topped off. Start with the rear right, rear left, front left front right. The car should be on for the rear and off for the front. Turn of the car inbetween the rear right and left calipers.