My brakes are mushy.
I can pump them up if I pump them and the pedal rises.
I just ignore it.
But, I should "man up" and deal with it.

Can I just...

Crack the bleeder open.
Put a jar below.
Put an air tight rubber hose on the bleeder and the other end in the bottle with some fresh brake fluid in it...

Pump the pedal about 10 times each wheel or so?

Will it bleed thru the ABS and get all the bubbles out of the ABS?

Or, do I need to crack a bleed valve on the ABS too?

Been avoiding this.

With tho expert advice from the group - may think about doing this.
Can't be worse than replacing the radiator..

haha, unless a bleeder nut breaks off. That is another reason to not do it.
This Rover did spend time in Chicago at the beginning of it's life with owner #1.

 

It really needs two people. Without special computer, the easiest way to bleed the brakes, including the ABS, it to bleed the lines at the modulator first. Have someone pump them up just like you normally would, hold pressure, and you open a line coming out kind of like you would a bleeder valve. When you are done doing each one, start again at the wheels. That should take care of the air in the ABS. If you want to be really thorough, you can activated the HDC and then bleed everything again.

 

And along with what was just mentioned, plan on at least 2 quarts of DOT 4 to do a total brake flush, meaning you bleed each caliper till you get clear fluid flowing out.
Another thing you can do is to replace your old rubber brake hoses which over time get soft and don't transfer all the brake pressure from the master cylinder to the calipers.
If you are still wanting better braking, next time you replace your brake pads, consider Akebono ceramic pads which will give you much better performance, won't help the mushy brakes but you will stop quicker.
As for the process, put fresh fluid in the reservor, then while one person pumps the brake pedal 3 times and holds it while you open and close the bleed screw. Keep repeating the process till you have clear fluid and don't forget to keep filling the reservor.
Not hard and should only take about 20 minutes.
Good luck.

 

Thanks Jafir and MIke!
I have had a luck year since the head gaskets, power steering pump and O2 sensor in Boulder, CO.

Guess I am getting fussy now wanting brakes to not be mushy.
Thanks again.

 

We just got a new MaxiDas scan tool and it look's it can bleed the brakes. Are there any special tips for using this?

Also, is activating the HDC just another way to pump the bubbles out of the system? If you went around the truck 3 or 4 times, wouldn't you already have all the air out of the system?

 

number on you do not move around the truck three or four times. you start at the farthest point from the master and bleed it until you see new fluid come out, then to the next farthest and so on. The farthest point will bleed out 80% of the old fluid and air, the other lines should only need to be pumped a couple of time before you see new fluid.

 

Don't worry about bleeding/flushing the module. Plan on using 2 quarts of DOT 4 and bleed each wheel as many times as it takes to get perfectly clear fluid, the hardest wheel is the r/r and can take up to 7 bleedings because of the long brake line.
There will not be any air in the module to bleed out and you only pump then hold down the brake pedal no more then 3 times.
Make sure to start with clean fluid in your master cylinder or it will take a lot longer.

 

something doesnt seem right. we rebuilt the master cylinder (dealer rebuild kit), and at the same time I did the tres amigos repair B. the system was bled the standard way, and again utilizing the scan tool to actuate the ABS module.

what we wound up with, are brakes that feel like they have no power. I tried activating the HDC, but in a flat parking lot, there is nothing to tell. did I miss something, or should I have come back and done B after getting the master cylinder right?

 

It is obvious you do not have a clue on dealing with the brakes/ABS.
Quit messing with the HDC, it only activates in low range on a steep incline.
Did you bleed the master cylinder after rebuilding it, did you bleed the module?

 

Thanks.... you know I read and follow the tips that people say have worked for them, figuring I know hondas and mazdas and what works on my race car may be different than what works on a truck with ABS, TC and HDC.

I actually think I'm fairly compitent with brakes, but I don't know it all with every vehicle. Yes master and module were bled.