Hey guys, Im going to bleed my brakes for the first time and my car is a 2003. I know im a horrible owner. Anyway my question is, do i need to have all for wheels off at the same time? I only have two jack stands. When i first start with the right rear do i go until i see new fluid? Or do i go a little then switch to the left front. It seems like if i did one all the way and then the other i would be pushing old fluid around. Also for brembos can i use dot 4?

 

DOT 4 fluid is fine. It is backwards compatible with DOT 3.

Start at the farthest and bleed until new fluid comes out. A device called the MityVac from your local auto parts store will help a lot.

Remember that the front calipers have bleeders on both sides of the calipers.

You don't need all 4 wheels off at the same time. You can do the two rears first.

 

Forget the mightyvac and pick yourself up some speedbleeders for the bleed srews. You'll be able to bleed your brakes all by yourself and ensure that no air gets in to the system. They make bleeding your brakes so much fun that you'll do i more than once every five years

 

On the wife's RX300, I ran the MC dry and had to rebleed all wheels again DUH! I also had only two stands. I had the front wheels off so I put the fronts on stands and jacked up the rear. I bleed the brakes with the rear wheels on. (easy as I can get at the bleed screws from under the car. (yeah, not the safest. In hindsight, I should have jacked up the rears and put them down on some ramps I had).

I used a vacuum bleeder. Cheap and works well. Not the FASTEST but works.

I flushed both my G and the Lexus. Using the right rear 1st (as mentioned), I bleed until the ms was almost down. Added fluid and bleed again until I thought I saw new fluid come out. Then for the next 3 wheels, I just bleed until the fluid color changes. Odd thing, the fluid in the MC wasn't bad but when I bleed both front calipers, the fluid was pretty dirty for awhile. I guess the fluid starts to contaminate at the caliper 1st and must make it's way up the lines until finally it turns color at the MC. so the fluid is probably dirty before you see it at the MC. My theory anyway

 

So when i bleed the breaks do i take the bleed screws all the way off or just loosen? Does brake fluid jost get all over the calipers or do i use a tube or what?

 

You can loosen the screws. Just have a pan or something to cath the fluid in so you don't make a mess. Also a few rags. it doesn't make that much of a mess.

 

No! Just loosen them just enough to get the fluid going good. Any more and you risk putting air back into the system. If you are asking questions like this, put "bleeding brakes" into google and search for awhile. Or read my threads in this section

 

A device like the MityVac has a tube that attaches to the bleeder nipple and puts suction on it so when you break the nipple loose a little bit, air and fluid come out of the caliper. Be sure to close the nipple before the vacuum reached zero so no air can get in.

If you don't use a hose to catch the fluid, you risk contaminating the brake pads with fluid.

Also, brake fluid is corosive to paint, so be careful and don't get brake fluid on paint.