FirehawkNS

iTrader: (3)

I have been having some brake problems and decided to bleed the brake system completely. Since I was doing it, I decided to paint the calipers again since they were looking bad from the last paint job. SO I took the calipers off and did all my stuff and put everything back together. Well, we pumped the brakes and kept refilling the reservoir until we were satisfied that all the old fluid was out. Well, after doing this I have nearly no brakes now. I can pump the brakes when the car is off and it gets hard as a rock, but while the car is running, a feather could push the brake to the floor and it will not hold the car from rolling from Idle! Did we get air in the ABS and what do we need to do to fix this? We have sat out there bleeding the brakes for a while with no luck. Don’t look like any air is coming out, but I have no brake while the car is running, but seems like my brakes are strong while it is off.

Thanks for the help!!!

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

When you took the caliper off, did you leave the lines open?

FirehawkNS

iTrader: (3)

yes. I was thinking that was a mistake. Guess I was right. The brake lines were just hanging till I got done. Then I put it all back on and bleed for the longest time (went through an entire bottle of ABS fluid), we made sure the top was filed, but it got pretty low one time. We don't see any hint of air coming out, and the pedal feels fine with the car off, but once it's running almost no brakes at all. We haven't touched the back though.

Someone said I got air past the ABS box and that I need a tech II to fix it, but I am not sure what that is. Is this something that I am going to be able to fix on my own?

FirehawkNS

iTrader: (3)

Will cranking the car up and bleeding the brakes help at all? We have tried, but don't know if we should keep trying.

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

if the system ran dry it calls for a trip down to your local GM dealership, or someone with a Tech 2.

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

whoops, sorry. Didnt read the whole post, but yea, the ABS system has to be bled.

FirehawkNS

iTrader: (3)

Well.....Time to tell what I had done to cause this thread. After taking it to the dealer this morning, My brakes work better then they ever had. It seems that I had put the pass side caliper on the driver side and vice-versa!! This kept the air inside the caliper and didn't allow it to escape when bleeding. I felt like an idiot when they told me. To make matters worse, the service manager and mechanic are friends of the family, so I am beating I will hear about this for a while!! lol

Anyway, it was my dumbass fault and I was told to take the calipers off one at a time next time!!


I will say this, We bleed out all the old fluid and I put in DOT 4 synthetic fluid and either the dealership can do a better job of bleeding then I can, or that fluid is awsome (or the other was really really boiled like I was thinking). Which ever, my brakes have never felt this good!!

Dustin

iTrader: (13)

LMAO. At least it was a simple fix and you learned from it.

chupr0kabra

iTrader: (10)

Thanks for posting this. I'll remember now, so I won't make the same mistake.


-Mike

FirehawkNS

iTrader: (3)

yea, there are a lot of worse lessens to learn!! At least this one only cost me a little dignity!! lol

FirehawkNS

iTrader: (3)

Just remember the bleeder valve is supposed to be at the top of the caliper since air travels up, not the bottom!! Duhhh!!!

JustAnIlluzion

iTrader: (60)

how did u get the car to the dealer ?

FirehawkNS

iTrader: (3)

If I pushed the brake as hard as I could, the car would stop, or start to stop. I just did that with the e-brake as well as not going over 30mph. Did that to get from my parents house to mine (about 4 miles away, all back roads) Saturday. Let the car sit Sunday, and drove it the rest of the 2 miles from my house to the shop. stayed a good distance from the cars in front of me and had no problems. My dad drove in front for a little extra protection from people pulling out when I was getting the car to the house. We figured if I hit him it wouldn't do anything but run under his truck and at least just tear up one vehicle, but we were confident with the amount of braking we had so there wasn't a real worry no farther then we were going.

So, I had brakes, it just took the pedal as far to the floor as it would go and the e-brake up.