DIY Brake fluid change

[murtazamohammad54]

Salam Pakwheelers!
Today I would like to share how you can change your own brake fluid at home. This is the first time I am doing this type of work so I would appreciate other members to share things that I may have missed out.
step 1:
To get started you would need to make your own bleeding kit which can easily be done with 3 foot long aquarium pipe and a 500ml plastic bottle as shown:

You will have to:
Cut a small hole in the cap for the pipe and another small hole next to it for air to pass through. I did this using a knife that was well heated (Be Cautious when using a hot knife as you can burn yourself). Make sure the pipe is till the base of the bottle and pour a little brake fluid from a sealed container till the bottom of the pipe is submerged. This prevents air from being sucked back in and instead brake fluid is sucked. At the other end of the pipe place a Zip tie that tightens the end which will go on the bleeder nipple.

step 2: open the bonnet and look for the brake fluid reservoir, it should be a large bottle with DOT 3/4 written on top of the cap. This is where you will add the brake fluid when bleeding.

step3: place a garbage bag on the floor and wear gloves(Brake fluid is not good as it can be absorbed by your skin). Lay the garbage bag on the floor in front of the tyres and locate the bleeder nipple. You may need to apply WD40 to loosen it as well. It will be just behind the caliper

Step 3: You would need a closed wrench of size 10mm for opening and closing the nipple. First connect the closed wrench and then the end of the pipe to the bleeder and tighten the Zip tie so it is tight.

Step 4: place a small block underneath the brake pedal so that it is not pressed all the way. You would need the help of another person to press the brake while you open the nut and leave it when you tighten it. The pipe should be slightly higher so that air is not sucked back in.
This must be done numerous times for each caliper/ drum till the fluid coming out is nice and clear.
Repeat all these steps for all the other wheels, it is the same for disk brakes and drum brakes.

In doing so the braking of my vehicle improved and this was the dirty brake fluid that will come out if it is not changed:

[murtazamohammad54]

A few important points to note are:
1) Use a sealed container of brake fluid
2) You may start from the brake caliper/ drum that is the furthest away from the brake fluid booster to the closest.
3) This procedure is done every 2 years since brake fluid is hydroscopic which means it can absorb water and rust the brake lines
4) Jacking and removing the wheels with jack stands underneath can make it a lot easier but in my case I did not do so as I do not have Jack stands.
5) You need around 1litre of brake fluid to bleed as well as clean the entire sytem.
6) Before starting make sure you use a syringe (without a needle) to suck brake fluid from the reservoir and place new brake fluid in it.

[murtazamohammad54]

Did a braking test and I am glad that brakes are even more responsive and work more effectively than before. Buying a car is the easy part and the more difficult one is maintaining it properly.

[pwuser158913575038]

Nice work. Btw which car did u do it on and how long did it take u to do it?

[murtazamohammad54]

Btw which car did u do it on and how long did it take u to do it?

I did it on a 2004 Honda City and it took me less than an hour to complete. It seemed very simple but the pipe kept disconnecting from the bleeder nipple so the Zip tie saved a lot of time.

[pwuser158913575038]

My car's up for it then. Pedal feels squishy. I might as well change pads and rotors as they are almost finished.