Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes Brake Flush Woes...

Hi, I have a question. I tried flushing my brake fluid yesterday and I noticed that when you connect the clear tube to the bleeder valve and open (not pumping brake), the dark fluid runs out and the clean fluid in the master cylinder runs in and starts coming out the tube. Normally this would be a successful bleed. After doing this I did the ol' pump brake bleeding method (make sure no air in line) only to see the fluid being drained getting black as hell again. It doesn't appear to clear up as I continue, so I stopped pumping the brake and just let the fluid clear like with my first method and sealed it up like that. Is this correct or what? Thanks

You need to keep bleeding until the fluid is clear again. You must have had some really dark fluid. You may not have cleared everything out of the calipers or wheel cylinders when you did the "gravity" bleed.

On a real dirty system you may need as much as two quarts of fluid as compaired to flushing a not so dirty systme usually taking a little less than a quart.

If you didn't bleed them in the correct order or you actuated the ABS you might have flushed some dirty stuf into the clean lines.

-Andy

I've seen "dirt" or "grime" settle in the bottom of the reservoir. I suppose it could also settle in the calipers/pistons. A gentle gravity drain would not disturb this grime enough to get it out of the system, but pumping the brakes would stir up the grime enough to suspend it in the fluid, and the dirty fluid could then be pumped out of the lines.