Brake fluid flush question

[1olddude]

I have a Motive power bleeder and read all the threads and articles on flushing the brake fluid. I am going to attempt my first flush and feel pretty confident in my abilities but I have one question. Should I use a turkey baster to remove as much of the old fluid from the reservoir before I begin with new or do you just pour the new in with the old and bleed it all through until new fluid comes out at the calipers? I haven't seen this addressed in any of the articles I have read. It seems strange to just mix the new fluid with the old. Any tips would be appreciated.

[Idaho Red Rocket 3]

I always pump out the reservoir before filling with the new fluid. Remover the filter screen and go deep. Never had any air bubble problems. I use this technique on cars and motorcycles. I use a small hand pump with a clear plastic hose I got at the auto parts store. It looks like a mustard/ketchup pump.

[Timco]

It's my understanding that since I have PSM only the dealer can flush brake fluid, correct?

[Jittsl]

Originally Posted by Timco

It's my understanding that since I have PSM only the dealer can flush brake fluid, correct?

Incorrect.

[Jittsl]

Originally Posted by 1olddude

I have a Motive power bleeder and read all the threads and articles on flushing the brake fluid. I am going to attempt my first flush and feel pretty confident in my abilities but I have one question. Should I use a turkey baster to remove as much of the old fluid from the reservoir before I begin with new or do you just pour the new in with the old and bleed it all through until new fluid comes out at the calipers? I haven't seen this addressed in any of the articles I have read. It seems strange to just mix the new fluid with the old. Any tips would be appreciated.

I also simply push it through with the bleeder until the reservoir is nearly empty, disconnect, fill reservoir, pump up again and continue.

[Timco]

Originally Posted by Jittsl

Incorrect.

Same procedure as any other brake flush but with car running? Any tricks anyone can share?

I was told and read you need the special Porsche electronics tool with PSM to open all the valves.

[stephen wilson]

no special tricks, and you don't need to have the car running. You're just flushing, the ammount of fluid trapped in the PSM components won't hurt anything. You don't have to replace every drop of old fluid. Whatever is left will mix with the new fluid during usage, and get flushed next time.

[Timco]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

no special tricks, and you don't need to have the car running. You're just flushing, the ammount of fluid trapped in the PSM components won't hurt anything. You don't have to replace every drop of old fluid. Whatever is left will mix with the new fluid during usage, and get flushed next time.

Great to hear. I was wanting to do this but read as I posted above. Thanks.

[Mark_T]

Back to old dude's question, i use a large syringe to pull out fluid to just above the level of the clutch line. You will have to be fairly aggressive with a pair of needle nose pliers to pop the screen out if you are going to go this route.

[j.fro]

I use a turkey baster to remove as much of the old fluid as possible, then fill the brake reservoir to the top and attach the Power Bleeder. I NEVER put fluid into the bleeder bottle itself, but rather watch the brake reservoir and top that up after each corner. Using this method, I can get the whole car done using less than 1 litre. Any other method seems to waste a lot of fluid as the old mixes with the new too much. As you know, brake fluid ain't cheap.
Just to add, I used Ate blue/gold for a while and it was good, but I've switched to Motul RBF600 and it seems to handle extreme heat just a tad better.

[JFP in PA]

What is with not putting fluid into the Motive Bleeder? And why take the time and risk to empty the master reservoir? Don't want to sound pejorative, but that does not make any sense since the Motive unit works on the principal of positive displacement of the fluid, so it removes all of the old stuff as if flushes by pushing it ahead of the clean fluid. Enlighten me as to why this is supposedly a better method?

[Topless]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

What is with not putting fluid into the Motive Bleeder? And why take the time and risk to empty the master reservoir? Don't want to sound pejorative, but that does not make any sense since the Motive unit works on the principal of positive displacement of the fluid, so it removes all of the old stuff as if flushes by pushing it ahead of the clean fluid. Enlighten me as to why this is supposedly a better method?

+1

I just don't get it.

[j.fro]

I just hate cleaning the thing afterwards.

[Jittsl]

I don't want the motive to pollute my brake fluid or visa versa. I just use it as a pressure supply and connect and disconnect it a few times during the process. If I was using it all day long as you might in a workshop I would use it as designed but since I use it once a month I would rather the new fluid remains in its original container. I may be being over cautious but this seems the best way to ensure good clean fluid with minimum exposure to atmosphere and pollutants.

[1olddude]

Finished my flush and it worked perfectly as it was intended to. I didn't think cleaning was such a bad thing especially since I only will do this once a year or so. Thanks for all the input. This forum has saved me so much money.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by j.fro

I just hate cleaning the thing afterwards.

Gee, that must take about 10-15 sec. to rise with alcohol and wipe dry with a paper towel, even after using the Super Blue.

Originally Posted by Jittsl

I don't want the motive to pollute my brake fluid or visa versa. I just use it as a pressure supply and connect and disconnect it a few times during the process. If I was using it all day long as you might in a workshop I would use it as designed but since I use it once a month I would rather the new fluid remains in its original container. I may be being over cautious but this seems the best way to ensure good clean fluid with minimum exposure to atmosphere and pollutants.

It is more than being "over cautious", it is both a waste of time as testing fresh fluid coming out of the caliper bleeders shows there is no contamination or moisture pickup (we tested the theory on a car to show a concerned customer that going to all the folderol he read about on the internet was unnecessary), and it adds the risk of potentially dribbling brake fluid on to something it should not get on, like your paint work.

At the end of the day, it is your car, so feel free to go about the flush in any way that makes you feel better about it, just don't expect to gain anything by it......

[AndyA6]

Originally Posted by 1olddude

Finished my flush and it worked perfectly as it was intended to. I didn't think cleaning was such a bad thing especially since I only will do this once a year or so. Thanks for all the input. This forum has saved me so much money.

Did you feel any difference at all before/after?

[1olddude]

Feels just like before but they were fine anyway.

[Mark_T]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

What is with not putting fluid into the Motive Bleeder? And why take the time and risk to empty the master reservoir? Don't want to sound pejorative, but that does not make any sense since the Motive unit works on the principal of positive displacement of the fluid, so it removes all of the old stuff as if flushes by pushing it ahead of the clean fluid. Enlighten me as to why this is supposedly a better method?

That's a good question. It's something I've done because I must have read it in some DIY somewhere, but now that you mention it, it does seem kind of unnecessary, doesn't it? OK, that's it then - no more removing fluid from the master cylinder before bleeding!

I do put the new fluid in the power bleeder to do the job, and then clean it with brake cleaner and wipe it dry afterwards.