How to Bleed Brakes

Keeping your brake system finely tuned is essential to your safety on Crawfordsville roads, and getting the air out of your brakes will help. Learning how to bleed brakes is easy with Christi Hubler Chevrolet. The process itself is fairly simple, but it can be time-consuming. Read on to learn how to bleed brakes yourself, or contact us if you want our service team to do it for you.

Why is Bleeding Brakes Important?

Over time, as you drive around Lafayette, the moisture resistance of your brake fluid wears down and begins to absorb water. Air can also get into the brake system, which causes the brake pedal to feel “soft” or “spongy” when you press down on it. Bleeding the brakes helps remove any trapped air and makes your brake pedal feel firmer.

How to Bleed Brakes By Yourself

If you want to know how to bleed brakes yourself, you’ll need brake fluid, a fluid holder container, clear tubing about 1/4 inches in diameter, a box-end wrench, and someone to help you. You can also purchase a cheap brake bleeding kit from our parts store, online, or at the dealership. Then, follow these steps:

Step 1:

Check your owner’s manual to ensure that you have the proper brake fluid for your Chevy model.

Step 2:

Park your car on solid level ground. Jack up your car and remove all of your wheels.

Step 3:

Locate the four caliper bleeding screws and loosen them. If you have trouble loosening the screws, don’t try to force them with your wrench. Instead, spray the screws with penetrating oil and wait 30 minutes. Then, try again. If the screws strip or snap, don’t attempt to go any further. Instead, schedule service with Christi Hubler Chevrolet.

Step 4:

Once all the caliper screws are loosened, re-tighten them again. Bleeding your brakes is a slow process, and you have to bleed one brake at a time. The other three screws need to be tight to avoid any air bubbles.

Step 5:

Pop Your hood and check the master cylinder reservoir’s brake fluid level to ensure that your car has the proper amount of fluid. While yout bleeding your brakes, leave the master cylinder cap unscrewed and leave it on top of the reservoir. So you don’t lose it. Typically you start with the brake furthest from the master cylinder but check your owner’s manual for the correct order.

Step 6:

Secure the end of your ¼ inch clear tubing over the first bleeder screw. Put the other end of the tubing into a fluid holder container, like a plastic bottle. The tubing needs to be long enough so that you can place the fluid-catching container above the bleeder screw’s height. This keeps any air caught in the tube from moving back into the brake caliper.

Step 7:

You’ll need someone to help you with this next step. Turn your car off, and ask your assistant to pump the brake pedal firmly several times until they feel resistance pushing against the pedal. Then, ask them to keep pushing down on the brake pedal. Meanwhile, open the bleeder screw just a bit, and fluid will move through the tube. Your assistant should feel the brake pedal dropping closer to the floor as they continue to apply pressure.

Step 8:

Have your helper tell you immediately before the brake pedal reaches the bottom. Then, close the bleeder screw immediately. Then, check the brake fluid level in the master fluid reservoir to see if you need to add any fresh fluid.

Step 9:

Repeat steps seven and eight about five more times on the same bleeder screw until the fluid stream no longer has any bubbles.

Step 10:

Then, repeat steps 7, 8, and 9 on the remaining bleeder screws in the proper order, starting with the screw furthest away from the master cylinder and moving to the one nearest it.

Step 11:

Once you’ve finished bleeding your brakes, have your assistant apply the brakes, then quickly release the pedal. As they do that, keep your eyes on the fluid in the master cylinder reservoir to see if it’s bubbling significantly. If there’s is still air in the system, you’re not finished. But if the fluid is moving just a bit, it’s okay, and you can stop.

Step 12:

Before you set the wheels back on your vehicle and drive around Brownsburg, tighten all bleeder screws until they’re secure, but be careful not to over-tighten them.

Get Brake Service at Christi Hubler Chevrolet!

Now that you know how to bleed brake lines, if you’d prefer to leave the job to professionals, the service team at Christi Hubler Chevrolet near Danville is happy to help! You can schedule service online or over the phone. You might want to browse our service specials to see if you can save some money. Then, reach out to us today!