When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I am bad. Totally slipped my understanding I needed to change my brake fluid every three years. So I am on it. Spent 6 hours today researching and studying on the best method.
Leaning on using a Pressure Brake Bleeder like the ones below:
And oddly, I have read mixed messages on the wheel order. I've seen places suggested DF, PF, PR and DR (closest first). But I have also read you should start the furthest first, like PR, DR, PF and then DF. Is this much ado about nothing and it don't matter?
Dot 3 is what I see with some suggesting a step up to Dot 4.
You can spend on all the gadgets, but there's nothing wrong with the standard method of having an assistant pump and hold the brakes.
DOT 3 is perfectly fine unless you have a (real) reason for needing DOT 4. DOT 4 has a higher boiling point than DOT 3, so might be useful if you auto-cross or race your Fit. It also absorbs moisture more quickly than DOT 3, so would be sub-optimal if you tend to delay maintenance.
As for the brake bleed order, I would do whatever the 2016/Gen 3 service manual says to do. I have a GE8 so can't help you there.
One concern I had doing it with another person (method I learned as a youth) was what I read below
"For most cars, especially higher mileage cars, you don’t want to push the pedal all the way to the floor. Only about halfway down is necessary, but no further than how far the pedal normally travels. This is because the piston in the master cylinder only typically travels within the normal range; when you open your bleeders, the lack of pressure will allow your pedal to be pushed to the floor much easier, which will cause the piston to go further forward than usual. That further region will not be as smooth and may have imperfections, because the piston rarely travels there. Therefore, pushing it too far can cause your piston to go into the “imperfect” region and damage the seals of the piston."
Concern the assistant might push the brake to the floor.
I do have a 30 gallon compressor. I think the two units I have looked with the above links don't need an air ompressor. I am open to any other recommendations of course.
I do have a 30 gallon air compressor. The links to the two above products do not need one. I am open to other products if there are better solutions. I plan on doing my Nissian pick up truck next.
You could do the gravity bleed method. I did and the only drawback is it takes more time, but there is no need for an assistant or worries about damage to the MC.
I picked this up today, have my DOT3, and will do this the next somewhat warm day. I have seen several videos about sucking out the MC and cleaning it up. But I also saw a comment about not doing that because it could cause air to get in the MC and then a required bench bleed. --Another comment said to leave the old stuff in the MC entirely. It will come out during the four brake bleed process.
Anyone have any experience with those suggestions and comments?
I picked this up today, have my DOT3, and will do this the next somewhat warm day. I have seen several videos about sucking out the MC and cleaning it up. But I also saw a comment about not doing that because it could cause air to get in the MC and then a required bench bleed. --Another comment said to leave the old stuff in the MC entirely. It will come out during the four brake bleed process.
Anyone have any experience with those suggestions and comments?
The reason people suck out the old brake fluid is to save time. It's easy to suck it out of the master cylinder and slow to push it all the way through the system.
I don't see how there's any risk sucking the brake fluid out of the master cylinder reservoir. It's not going to introduce air into the system unless you press the brake pedal while the reservoir is empty. This is the same reason you're cautioned not to let the fluid level in the cylinder drop too low when you're bleeding the brakes.
Anyone have any experience with those suggestions and comments?
I usually suck it out to the MIN mark and flip the new fluid bottle upside down on to the reservoir and then suck the fluid out the nipples with the bleeder
Unfortunately, I could only dream of having that much clearance between the MC reservoir and the Honda wall. As it is, not only do I not have enough clearance so the refill bottle would be vertically straight, but none of the adapters securing it to the lip of the reservoir work. None are wide enough for the lip of the opening. Even with the rubber insulation removed and the plastic panel removed, there is not complete clearance.
I've seen earlier Honda's apparently have a half circle opening once the plastic panel is removed. That would give much more room. That leaves me going with skipping part of the kit I just purchased, the 'traditional method" or the Speedi Bleed which has an angled adapter. It is on sale and I could get an adapter for the Nissan truck. Still with tax that would run about $200.
Unfortunately, I could only dream of having that much clearance between the MC reservoir and the Honda wall. As it is, not only do I not have enough clearance so the refill bottle would be vertically straight, but none of the adapters securing it to the lip of the reservoir work. None are wide enough for the lip of the opening. Even with the rubber insulation removed and the plastic panel removed, there is not complete clearance.
I've seen earlier Honda's apparently have a half circle opening once the plastic panel is removed. That would give much more room. That leaves me going with skipping part of the kit I just purchased, the 'traditional method" or the Speedi Bleed which has an angled adapter. It is on sale and I could get an adapter for the Nissan truck. Still with tax that would run about $200.
Yeah, the upside down bottle method isn't going to work on a Fit.
If you're a real fan of gizmos and doo-dads, spend the $200. If you want to save the money, use any of the other methods outlined above, which can add as little as $0 above the cost of consumables.
Never tried the gravity method. Seems easy. How does one know how long it will take so as not to have it drip out everything from the MC? I know to fill up the MC, but I would think I would not need to sit around those hours watching it. Instead watch a movie 🙂
Not sure the refill bottle on that unit would work? Does your Honda's brake fluid access panel have a half circle cutout? Mine still covers almost half of the MC.
Never tried the gravity method. Seems easy. How does one know how long it will take so as not to have it drip out everything from the MC? I know to fill up the MC, but I would think I would not need to sit around those hours watching it. Instead watch a movie 🙂
It takes, well, maybe several minutes per wheel. Not hours. It's probably different for every car and it depends on how much of a difference there is between the reservoir and the caliper, height wise. If the fluid has to run "uphill" from the reservoir to the caliper, it probably won't work.
I gravity bleed my Fiero, but that's just because I don't have an adapter cap for the reservoir. For my other cars, I use a Motive pressure bleeder, which works awesome.
