General information
Warning! Brake fluid is hazardous to health. Do not suck it out by mouth through a hose. Store brake fluid only in a container that is out of reach of children.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic, i.e. tends to absorb moisture, as a result of which, over time, its boiling point decreases, which, with a significant load on the brakes, can lead to the formation of vapor bubbles in the brake lines and reduce the effectiveness of the brakes.
To change the brake fluid, you will need the help of an assistant, but in the service station this procedure is usually carried out using a special device. When pumping the brake system, the car must be parked on a flat horizontal area.
Changing the brake fluid and bleeding the brake system
1. Turn off the ignition and disconnect the ABS activator wiring connector.
2. Remove the cap from the brake fluid reservoir (No. 4 in the illustration Engine compartment components).
3. Mark the current level of brake fluid on the tank wall with a felt-tip pen to prevent it from being exceeded when replacing the brake pads. Suck out the brake fluid from the reservoir, leaving a layer of fluid at the bottom of the reservoir about 10 mm.
Note. Do not remove all fluid from the reservoir, otherwise air will enter the brake and clutch hydraulics.
4. Fill the reservoir with fresh brake fluid up to the mark «MAX».
5. Thoroughly clean and remove the protective caps of the bleeder fittings.
6. Put one end of a clean transparent hose on the rear left brake bleeder, and insert the other end into a vessel to collect brake fluid. Pour a little brake fluid into the container and constantly make sure that the end of the hose is immersed in it. Also, the container should be raised at least 30 cm above the bleed valve to maintain pressure and prevent air from entering it.
7. Ask an assistant to sharply press the brake pedal 3-5 times at intervals of 2÷3 s and release the fitting by 1/2÷3/4 turns with the pedal depressed. After the brake pedal rests on the floor, tighten the fitting. Take your foot off the pedal. By repeating this process, pump out the old brake fluid (before the appearance of a new one, which can be recognized by its light color).
Note. If a layer of liquid less than 10 mm remains at the bottom of the tank, the system will have to be pumped.
8. Tighten the pumping union, close its protective cap and add new brake fluid to the reservoir.
9. In the same way, pump out the old brake fluid sequentially from the remaining calipers in the sequence: front right, rear right, front left.
Attention! The drained brake fluid must in any case be clean and free of air bubbles.
10. Correct the brake fluid level according to the pre-marked mark
11. Press the brake pedal and check its free play. Make sure the brake pedal is not «fails» when it is squeezed out, the free travel of the pedal should be no more than 1/3 of its full travel.
12. With the engine running, check the tightness of the brake hydraulic drive. To do this, press the pedal with a force of 200÷300 N (20÷30 kg) within 10 s. The pedal must not loosen.
13. In conclusion, check the operation of the brakes on a road with light traffic. To do this, make at least one strong braking, at the same time checking the action of the ABS. A sign of proper operation of the ABS is the pulsation of the brake pedal when braking.
Note. The effect of ABS is best seen on slippery and loose surfaces.