DOT 5 brake fluid sucks

[GEARS]

So I finally had some time to do the front brakes on my Sprinter and I'm having trouble bleeding the brakes because some hanyak topped off the brake fluid with that thick viscous DOT 5 crap :bash::bash::bash:... who uses that junk anyway?:crazy:

I siphoned off as much of the stuff as I could but I have a bigger problem right now... no pedal. It goes to the floor.

You can pump it all day and open the bleeder and nothing comes out. :yell:

My question is how should I go about getting this junkass DOT 5 stuff out?

[Altered Sprinter]

So I finally had some time to do the front brakes on my Sprinter and I'm having trouble bleeding the brakes because some hanyak topped off the brake fluid with that thick viscous DOT 5 crap :bash::bash::bash:... who uses that junk anyway?:crazy:

I siphoned off as much of the stuff as I could but I have a bigger problem right now... no pedal. It goes to the floor.

You can pump it all day and open the bleeder and nothing comes out. :yell:

My question is how should I go about getting this junkass DOT 5 stuff out? You need to flush the lines out first and replace with DOT4 the right one.
There is a PDF on the forum somewhere But some one else will have to find it.
cause I don't Rembrandt whereitis..:rolleyes:
Richard
PS: ya need two one to pump the brake pedal and one to bleed each wheel cylinder of all air in the lines,etc.
22820
A few threads.
Brakes: Gravity vs Pressure Bleed - Sprinter-Forum (http://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=41389)
Flushing the Brake Fluid / Brake Inspection [Archive] - Sprinter-Forum (http://sprinter-source.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-5681.html)

[GEARS]

Is the dealership the only place that has the stuff to cycle the ABS? I want to be sure to get all that silicone crap out of there and may end up replacing the master cylinder being that it appears to be leaking internally.

[jdcaples]

Anyone with a DRB-III and the DRB-III Sprinter accessories should be able to actuate the ABS system during a bleed/flush. These tools exist in some independent shops.

I know that at least one version of Sprinter Diagnostic Assistant is able to actuate the ABS system.

MB Star Diagnosis System should be able to actuate the ABS system (MB Dealerships and well-equipped independent shops have this, though I was told there is a Sprinter-specific software license required in the NAFTA region for SDS to talk to a Sprinter).

I don't know, but I suspect that DAD is also able to actuate the valves necessary to flush the ABS system.

-Jon

[Altered Sprinter]

Gears any good automotive brake shop or even a good mechanic can do this for you.
But you need two people to do it.
Flushing is easy takes ten to twenty minutes depends if your using a compressor or doing with a hand pump and the latter I have zero doubts as to its effectiveness due to lack of high pressure to flush the entire system.
Your local mechanic can do a pressure test on the master slave cylinder too,again this is basic tools required no MB diagnostics are required.
Unless your worried about the ABS system having a glitch, then you need to plug into the EU for a code check etc.

If your not confident in doing the flush or bleeding of brakes; 100 US dollars max for 1/2 hrs work between two men no more plus fluids. and or parts,if needed.
Using OB 11 or MB star or for me using a Euro scanner will show all faults in the ECU if any.
Richard
22826

22827

[mackconsult]

Have not tried it yet, but yes the DAD has these routines in its menu.

Anyone with a DRB-III and the DRB-III Sprinter accessories should be able to actuate the ABS system during a bleed/flush. These tools exist in some independent shops.

I know that at least one version of Sprinter Diagnostic Assistant is able to actuate the ABS system.

MB Star Diagnosis System should be able to actuate the ABS system (MB Dealerships and well-equipped independent shops have this, though I was told there is a Sprinter-specific software license required in the NAFTA region for SDS to talk to a Sprinter).

I don't know, but I suspect that DAD is also able to actuate the valves necessary to flush the ABS system.

-Jon

[sikwan]

Invest in one of Mityvacs here...

http://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5681&highlight=flush

If you have a DAD, agitate the ABS while flushing. The cost of purchasing a DAD and Mityvac will probably be the same as taking it in to a dealer. Make sure you get the DOT4+.

I use my Mityvac for all my autos and motorcycles for brake and clutch flushing. It is so much faster and easier than doing the pump, hold, and open method.

[GEARS]

Thanks everyone :cheers:

Yesterday I replaced the master cylinder and bled the lines.

Being that it had a dropping pedal and the DOT 5 stuff in there, I didn't want to mess with it. I shopped around for a new master cylinder for an hour and decided I'd pull a Vic :smirk: and got a used master cylinder and reservoir from a 2004 that had 60k miles on it for $60. Much better than the $300 the stealership wanted. The part numbers were the same so all is good. :thumbup:

My girlfriend helped with bleeding the brakes and I was happy to find the fluid in the lines to be relatively clean and clear in the first place. I've had several old cars, back in the day, that had brown sludge come out of the bleeders so clear fluid settled my mind.

I would like to bleed the brakes again and augment the ABS to clear out the old fluid in there too. So what's this DAD thing all about? Does anyone have one near Kalamazoo Mich?

[jdcaples]

So what's this DAD thing all about? Does anyone have one near Kalamazoo Mich?

DAD is Doktor A's Diagnostic; an affordable scan tool for DIYers. Currently it only works with T1Ns.

I understand that it will actuate your ABS system to flush the valves missed by a conventional bleed.

I'm sure someone within a reasonable distance owns one, but if you're keeping your Sprinter for the foreseeable future, you should consider buying one from Andy Bittenbinder.

-Jon

[sikwan]

I shopped around for master cylinder for an hour and decided I'd pull a Vic :smirk: and got a used master cylinder and reservoir from a 2004 that had 60k miles on it for $60.

I always try to live up (or is that down) to his standards. :smirk:

[WAYNERODD]

GEARS, I've got a DAD unit here in Toledo, Ohio if you get out this way.

[GEARS]

Thanks WAYNERODD, I hardly ever make it over there but I do appreciate the offer. :cheers:

[GEARS]

I always try to live up (or is that down) to his standards. :smirk:

I gotta say it sure makes me smile every time I step on the pedal and this $60 master cylinder works just like it costs $300. :cheers:

[Altered Sprinter]

I gotta say it sure makes me smile every time I step on the pedal and this $60 master cylinder works just like it costs $300. :cheers: If it ain't broke!Why not use it.
Your $240.00 in front.:rad:
Great to hear your back on the BLACK TOP.:thumbup:
Richard

[Scott_Mc]

.........So what's this DAD thing all about? Does anyone have one near Kalamazoo Mich?

Gears, you're all over this forum! Certainly you've seen the two stickies atop our beloved T1N Talk section:thinking:?

Are you sure your master was bad? I'm just curious. I'm told if you use the synthetic brake fluid, it ALL has to be synthetic. This may have been the cause of your problem.

The Mityvac Sikwan mentions is pretty slick too.

[shortshort]

DOT 5 is not miscible with anything else, it does not absorb water and thus exposes your brake components to corrosion, and it can swell seals leading to caliper piston drag. Unless your system was specifically engineered for it, "sucks" is a pretty good summary.

[Aqua Puttana]

...

I shopped around for a new master cylinder for an hour and decided I'd pull a Vic :smirk: and got a used master cylinder and reservoir from a 2004 that had 60k miles on it for $60.

...


I always try to live up (or is that down) to his standards. :smirk:
Stop talking about me like I'm not here.:smilewink: (I lost track of this thread.)


It's nice to know I'm appreciated and such an inspiration.:bash::bounce:

Glad it worked out for you Gears. Good job of recycle! :thumbup: vic

[GEARS]

DOT 5 is not miscible with anything else, it does not absorb water and thus exposes your brake components to corrosion, and it can swell seals leading to caliper piston drag. Unless your system was specifically engineered for it, "sucks" is a pretty good summary.

Yep, DOT 5 doesn't mix or thin out with other break fluids and it appears to be too viscous to be pulled through the master cylinder. This was why the pedal went dead to the floor while bleeding the brakes and I couldn't get them back, I pumped out all the brake fluid and clogged up the ports with DOT 5. After I realized what was going on I didn't want to risk getting that stuff into the ABS unit so I changed the master cylinder.

[GEARS]

Gears, you're all over this forum! Certainly you've seen the two stickies atop our beloved T1N Talk section:thinking:?

Are you sure your master was bad? I'm just curious. I'm told if you use the synthetic brake fluid, it ALL has to be synthetic. This may have been the cause of your problem.

The Mityvac Sikwan mentions is pretty slick too.

I kinda wander around on the forum and missed the chatter about Dr. A's DAD but that looks like a great tool for us. :cheers:

I'm not 100% convinced the master cylinder was bad but the pedal would drop to the floor if you held the breaks long enough and this I never liked. With the engine off it would hold solid but I swear it felt like it was sinking if I pushed on them for 10 minutes but who knows... I guess I should have been measuring the pedal for movement.

Also being that there is little mention of master cylinder trouble and the fact that hardly anyone in the states had a master cylinder in stock leads me to believe it's not a problem.

After I did all 4 brakes and bled the system the pedal has less movement before the brakes are on and the pedal modulation is greatly reduced but if I'm stepping on the pedal firmly it will drift a little while the engine is running.

I chock this up to the vacuum building up in the booster again. How I reach this conclusion:

With engine off, pump the brake until all the vacuum is gone and the pedal is dead hard.
Press on the brake pedal firmly and start engine.
As the vacuum pump builds up vac the pedal drifts down a little.
Sounds plausible right?

Either way I wanted to get the DOT 5 out of the hydraulic circuit before it found it's way into the ABS.

BMW uses DOT 5.... go figure :crazy:

[Altered Sprinter]

Gears you got it almost spot on,yes if you rest your foot on the brake pedal it will depress very slowly but you answered your thoughts any way, bit in part think ABS BAS
BMW Go figure :thinking: Like that one/
Richard