Brake Fluid Flush Question
#1
Brake Fluid Flush Question
When my wife bought her 2020 RDX I told her I was to old to do regular maintenance and I was just going to go to the dealer to have all service done. Well the code popped up to have the oil changed, rear diff fluid changed and brake fluid flush. I called the dealer and their price is near $400 to do that service. So I'm back in the maintenance business again for my wife's RDX. .
Anyways - for the brake fluid flush I found a video of a guy doing the flush along with other service -
. He's pretty thorough and the video is pretty good. For the brake fluid flush it's what I would have done in the past on other vehicles I've owned.
- Suck out most of the fluid from the reservoir.
- Fill the reservoir with new proper DOT 3 fluid.
- Start at the passenger rear and bleed the brakes using the old method of someone pumping up the brakes then open the bleeder and do this until the new fluid runs out. (I'm thinking about getting a pressure bleeder for this part)
- Top off the reservoir and continue with the rest of the brakes.
My question is in regards to the electronic parking brakes and how or if they affect the bleeding process.
On my F-150 with electronic parking brakes when doing a brake fluid flush the process from Ford says the following.
Since the RDX has electronic parking brakes I'm wondering if there's anything special I need to do with the parking brakes when flushing the system? I haven't been able to find any info on this and wondering if anyone else has.
Thanks all.
Anyways - for the brake fluid flush I found a video of a guy doing the flush along with other service -
- Suck out most of the fluid from the reservoir.
- Fill the reservoir with new proper DOT 3 fluid.
- Start at the passenger rear and bleed the brakes using the old method of someone pumping up the brakes then open the bleeder and do this until the new fluid runs out. (I'm thinking about getting a pressure bleeder for this part)
- Top off the reservoir and continue with the rest of the brakes.
My question is in regards to the electronic parking brakes and how or if they affect the bleeding process.
On my F-150 with electronic parking brakes when doing a brake fluid flush the process from Ford says the following.
NOTE: Due to the complexity of the fluid path within the rear integral parking brake calipers, it is necessary to apply and release the parking brake during the bleed procedure.
Apply and release the parking brake 5 times.
Apply and release the parking brake 5 times.
- Loosen the bleeder screw. Loosen: 180°
- Leave open until clear, bubble-free fluid flows and then tighten the bleeder screw to specification. Refer to: Specifications (206-00 Brake System - General Information).
- Repeat as necessary."
Thanks all.
#3
#4
Skeptic
Other than a "bleed" when doing a brake job, I don't ever remember "flushing" the entire brake system on any car I've ever owned. All of which I put well over 100,000 miles on.
3 years sounds like dealer welfare. Not something I would do between brake jobs, if then.
3 years sounds like dealer welfare. Not something I would do between brake jobs, if then.
#5
#6
Yeah...I hear ya. Back in the day (I sound like my father) I would not have done a complete system flush unless something occurred that forced me to. But on this car, which I plan to keep for a very long time, I am doing my best to follow the maintenance minder that pops up and indicates what service is required at any point in time. I'm sure Acura pads this stuff so they can get more people into their dealerships to generate revenue. But for $20 and an hours worth of time I don't mind doing it. Whether it's really needed or not who knows. But if I gotta take it to the dealer for some type of warranty service at least I can prove to them I'm following the recommended service schedule.
You really don't drive much! I thought I was super low with 18k miles!
#7
At least you're handy enough to have the option! I am not handy at all, so I am stuck taking my RDX to the dealership. Fortunately, I have a Honda dealership that is literally 2 minutes away from me. I have taken my RDX (21' Aspec with 18k miles) there for every service since I bought it. The Acura dealership closest to me is a good 50 minutes away. Unless I have some warranty related issue (had a couple), I can't see driving all the way out there for the same service I'd get at Honda. Most of the time, it's a little cheaper too
You really don't drive much! I thought I was super low with 18k miles!
You really don't drive much! I thought I was super low with 18k miles!
I have an Acura dealer not too far away. When we bought the car I swore I wasn't working on it because after 50 years of doing all my own maintenance I was just sick of working on vehicles. That is until they quoted me for the service...ha.
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#8
Stay Out Of the Left Lane
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: SE Mass --- > Central VA --- > SE Mass
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Yeah...it's my wife's car. Shortly after we bought it everything went into lockdown for covid. So she started working from home and never went back into the office. If we're going somewhere we usually take my truck.
I have an Acura dealer not too far away. When we bought the car I swore I wasn't working on it because after 50 years of doing all my own maintenance I was just sick of working on vehicles. That is until they quoted me for the service...ha.
I have an Acura dealer not too far away. When we bought the car I swore I wasn't working on it because after 50 years of doing all my own maintenance I was just sick of working on vehicles. That is until they quoted me for the service...ha.
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jbsfield (01-10-2023)
#9
Senior Moderator
Rather than a pressure bleeder, you can get a mityvac with a brake fluid attachment that will attach to the bleeder screw and sucks the old fluid through to each corner. I find it the easiest way to do brake fluid 'flushes' on my own
#10
Thanks. After I made my original post I looked into those vacuum bleeders and they seem to be the way to go.
#11
Burning Brakes
it’s actually very easy, costs about $20 in brake fluid, and with another person takes maybe 30 minutes to do, here is the OEM manual on how to do it (attached from Honda tech line for a 2019 RDX, should be the same for all the new years as well), I wouldn’t use a vacuum bleeder, get a proper brake fluid wrench and just follow the manual
for the tubing you will want
i get the OEM fluid from curry, in the bigger 32oz bottles, you could probably get away with 1 but I would get 2, I always push some extra fluid through to really get the old crap out, even with low miles you’ll see it looks pretty gross
$10 a bottle
https://www.curryacuraparts.com/oem-...ake-087989108a
I use 3 to do my RDX and my wife’s CR-V, whatever you don’t use it won’t save once you open it, you will just wanna recycle it when your done
so maybe $30 with shipping for 2 bottles, and another $10 for a pack of beer for your buddy that helps you push the pedal
for the tubing you will want
3/16 in. I.D. x 5/16 in. O.D.
vinyl tubing to hook onto the bleederi get the OEM fluid from curry, in the bigger 32oz bottles, you could probably get away with 1 but I would get 2, I always push some extra fluid through to really get the old crap out, even with low miles you’ll see it looks pretty gross
$10 a bottle
https://www.curryacuraparts.com/oem-...ake-087989108a
I use 3 to do my RDX and my wife’s CR-V, whatever you don’t use it won’t save once you open it, you will just wanna recycle it when your done
so maybe $30 with shipping for 2 bottles, and another $10 for a pack of beer for your buddy that helps you push the pedal
Last edited by Dereileak; 01-10-2023 at 07:59 PM.
#12
I've always done all the maintenance on my vehicles for the last 60 yr so it was painful to take the RDX into the dealer for just an oil change. But I'll be 75 soon and just not physically able to do that stuff any more, esp when it's over 100F in the garage in the summer. Another reason why getting old kinda sucks...
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jbsfield (01-11-2023)
#13
Suzuka Master
yes, mityvac is a way to go if you can not find “helper” and work alone
The following users liked this post:
jbsfield (01-11-2023)
#14
Skeptic
#15
Suzuka Master
Its getting more difficult finding semi-competent "guy". Most of them want a lot of $ and do bad work. Service is getting worse in general.
#16
AZ Community Team
Yeah...I hear ya. Back in the day (I sound like my father) I would not have done a complete system flush unless something occurred that forced me to. But on this car, which I plan to keep for a very long time, I am doing my best to follow the maintenance minder that pops up and indicates what service is required at any point in time. I'm sure Acura pads this stuff so they can get more people into their dealerships to generate revenue. But for $20 and an hours worth of time I don't mind doing it. Whether it's really needed or not who knows. But if I gotta take it to the dealer for some type of warranty service at least I can prove to them I'm following the recommended service schedule.
As for technique, I use single person bleeding these days but this works for two or one person pedal bleeding
1) use a cheap turkey baster to remove all but perhaps the bottom 1/4" of the old fluid from the brake fluid reservoir.
2) Fill with new DOT3 brake fluid (for Honda/Acura), I use Prestone Synthetic DOT3 brake fluid available at Walmart
3) Attach a 3/16" clear hose with a small hose clamp to caliper nipple valve, put the other end of the hose into a clear jar with a hole big enough for the tube.
4) Open the nipple valve ~1/4 turn, just enough so brake fluid can escape but not too far that allows air back into the caliper.
5) pump the brake pedal ~4-6 times, check the reservoir fluid level and fill up to the max level.
6) look at the brake fluid coming through the hose it should look be the color and clearness of the new fluid eventually.
7) repeat 5-6 until the fluid is clear and no bubbles are seen.
8) Tighten the nipple valve to ~7ft.lb. and remove the hose/clamp
9) move on to the next brake caliper (most Honda/Acura brake bleeding order is FL, FR, RR, RL)
The vacuum tools also work well, but I've been doing the single person pedal bleeding for about a dozen years and get great results. Use to use two person bleeding until I discovered that single person is just as effective.
Brembo
https://www.bremboparts.com/africa/e...-my-car-195105
Haynes
https://haynes.com/en-gb/tips-tutori...-and-how-often
#17
AZ Community Team
When my wife bought her 2020 RDX I told her I was to old to do regular maintenance and I was just going to go to the dealer to have all service done. Well the code popped up to have the oil changed, rear diff fluid changed and brake fluid flush. I called the dealer and their price is near $400 to do that service. So I'm back in the maintenance business again for my wife's RDX. .
Anyways - for the brake fluid flush I found a video of a guy doing the flush along with other service - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDX3NaqrRs8. He's pretty thorough and the video is pretty good. For the brake fluid flush it's what I would have done in the past on other vehicles I've owned.
- Suck out most of the fluid from the reservoir.
- Fill the reservoir with new proper DOT 3 fluid.
- Start at the passenger rear and bleed the brakes using the old method of someone pumping up the brakes then open the bleeder and do this until the new fluid runs out. (I'm thinking about getting a pressure bleeder for this part)
- Top off the reservoir and continue with the rest of the brakes.
My question is in regards to the electronic parking brakes and how or if they affect the bleeding process.
On my F-150 with electronic parking brakes when doing a brake fluid flush the process from Ford says the following.
Since the RDX has electronic parking brakes I'm wondering if there's anything special I need to do with the parking brakes when flushing the system? I haven't been able to find any info on this and wondering if anyone else has.
Thanks all.
Anyways - for the brake fluid flush I found a video of a guy doing the flush along with other service - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDX3NaqrRs8. He's pretty thorough and the video is pretty good. For the brake fluid flush it's what I would have done in the past on other vehicles I've owned.
- Suck out most of the fluid from the reservoir.
- Fill the reservoir with new proper DOT 3 fluid.
- Start at the passenger rear and bleed the brakes using the old method of someone pumping up the brakes then open the bleeder and do this until the new fluid runs out. (I'm thinking about getting a pressure bleeder for this part)
- Top off the reservoir and continue with the rest of the brakes.
My question is in regards to the electronic parking brakes and how or if they affect the bleeding process.
On my F-150 with electronic parking brakes when doing a brake fluid flush the process from Ford says the following.
Since the RDX has electronic parking brakes I'm wondering if there's anything special I need to do with the parking brakes when flushing the system? I haven't been able to find any info on this and wondering if anyone else has.
Thanks all.
Second bold, we have a 2017 CR-V and I don't think the parking brake being applied makes much difference but I leave it off for brake bleeding/flushing
Forgot to mention in previous post to always put the protective rubber cap back on the nipple valves to prevent contamination and rust from forming.
#18
Instructor
If there is any chance of air in the system (such as accidentally letting the master cylinder get empty while bleeding, or replacing brake components such as master cylinder, rear brake caliper, rear brake hose, other), the Honda procedure calls for applying and releasing the electric parking brake 5 times (after bleeding all the brakes), then bleeding the rear calipers again.
#19
AZ Community Team
If there is any chance of air in the system (such as accidentally letting the master cylinder get empty while bleeding, or replacing brake components such as master cylinder, rear brake caliper, rear brake hose, other), the Honda procedure calls for applying and releasing the electric parking brake 5 times (after bleeding all the brakes), then bleeding the rear calipers again.
As for the parking brake, I do not have the shop manual for our CR-V so I don't know what the official Honda/Acura procedure is for bleeding with the rear electric parking brake servo. AFAIK unfortunately Honda/Acura currently only leases the service manuals for their new vehicles. I've owned the official Honda/Acura manuals for all our vehicles until they changed their policy which is a shame. Honda/Acura shop manuals used to be ~$80-$120, well worth the investment. Now it's a time based subscription.
I can't understand why the parking brake would need to be cycled as it's a electric stepper motor that is mechanically screwing in the piston to put force on the brake pads against the rotor. Very similar to Acura/Honda's of the mid-80's to mid 90's when they used the rear brake pads as parking brake mechanism but did the force mechanically with the parking brake cable/lever/ratchet. Then Honda/Acura switched to a small parking brake shoe/drum arrangement in the center of the rear brake disc in the mid-90's to the early 2010's. Now, it's a small stepper motor attached to the side of the piston housing on the caliper.
Last edited by Legend2TL; 01-18-2023 at 05:07 PM.
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