I've been doing some research and have found several intersting articles on bleeding the brakes. I recently installed the Rotora Big Brakes and got a decent bleed on the brakes, but there's still some squishyness. I think it's the ABS system preventing me from getting a really good bleed. I'm using a mity-vac manual vacuum bleeder, in case it matters.

I've read that there might be a way to bleed the actual ABS unit by letting the unit pressurize and then opening a bleeder on the ABS unit itself. Does anyone have any experience with this before I take it to a brake shop for a power-bleed?

Dirk

 

We had a tool provided to us by Acura for bleeding ABS systems, I don't know of anything available but that one to do it. If there is, you'll have to check with dealers of Snap-on, Matco, etc, to get it.

The tool is probably way more than the cost to take it somewhere & have it done.

Be forwarned, the ABS system is under extreme pressure. be careful!!

 

Thanks. That's the conclusion I'm coming to, as well. For a few hundred dollars I can get the tool which tricks the ABS system into cycling and pumping any air and filthy brake fluid into the regular brake lines for bleeding the normal way.

I think I can get a better deal from the dealer, believe it or not...

Dirk

 

99-03 Tl's have the compact ABS system which has no reservior.
There are no special tools to bleed the ABS on these. You can't bleed the ABS.
A normal brake bleed is all you can do. They both use the reservior for the regular brake system.
Now if it has VSA it maybe a different story.
But only need to mess with the VSA if it's been replaced or somehow open the system for some reason. Then you will need to pressurize the VSA system first then bleed the normal brake system.
The older car did have a special tool called a "t" bar which is used to bleed the ABS. Hope this helps.
Unless the ABS unit has been opened there probally isn't any air in it and you just need to bleed the brakes again or drive the car to get the pads working better.

 

I was gonna say I bleed my brakes regularly, I didn't think there was anything special to do

 

OK. It's the T-bar that I must have read about, and it applies to the older cars. I guess I just need to try again with the vacuum pump and just be very careful.

Or, maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree. Does anyone have a FIRM pedal on their brakes or is there, inherently, a little squish?

Dirk

 

This happens to me when I bleed brakes.
For some reason after I'm done, the pedal just doesn't feel right.
I think it's in my head though. Usually I just go and drive it, let it sit and get my mind off of it and go back and drive it again.
If there's air in the system you'll notice it real soon.


A test I do is with the car off, pump the brake pedal so it gets hard then let off and wait like 30 seconds, press the pedal again. If the pedal dramaticlly goes further than when it was pumped up, chances are there is air in there.

 

they typically have a little squish. you may want to upgrade to SS brake lines if you havent already.
that and go over the whole system again taking your time.

 

Thanks. I've already got stainless lines on there. I'll just do it again when I get a minute and follow all the rules...

Dirk

 

We had a little rain/snow here the other day and I found a quiet stretch of road to test another theory. I firmly applied the brakes with the intention of locking them up and, with the help of the Rotora Big Brakes, was easily successful. I repeated this several times to make sure that the ABS system had cycled sufficiently and then put the car away for the night.

Now, the brakes feel a little firmer. It's not perfect, but it's clearly better. Now I'm wondering if another regular brake bleed would finish the job...

Dirk

 

If it still feels weird it couldn't hurt to bleed them again.

 

maybe u should try bleeding the master cylinder too.