Do you know how to bleed brakes? Air and fluid gets trapped in your brake lines, and the process of removing it is known as bleeding brakes. This procedure helps extend the life of your brakes. Many Raleigh drivers ask us how to bleed brakes, whether they want to do it at home or are just curious, so we cover some more details about how to bleed brake lines below!
Why Bleed Brakes?
Before we cover how to bleed brake lines, let’s get into more details concerning why this procedure is important. Brakes work by sending brake fluid down the line once you press the pedal. This fluid degrades over time as you’re driving down Durham roads, losing its moisture resistance, thereby allowing air and other fluids to get stuck inside.
We know how to bleed brake lines at Hendrick Kia of Cary and you can schedule service with us to get this done. Or you can read below for our guide on how to bleed brakes by yourself!
How to Bleed Brakes by Yourself: An Overview
Below, we’ve compiled a brief overview of the process of bleeding brakes. In practice the steps are actually more involved, as this is a pretty advanced car maintenance task. Only experienced professionals should do this, but it’s good to know what’s going on when they do:
- Choose the right brake fluid by consulting the owner’s manual.
- The manual will also tell you the order in which to bleed your brakes.
- Park your vehicle on level ground and use four jack stands to raise it.
- Find the caliper bleeding screw. Loosen and retighten it. Penetrating oil helps if you’re having trouble retightening.
- Check your brake fluid levels.
- Get out a catch container, place a ¼ inch tube inside it, and attach the other end of the tube to a bleeder screw.
- Have someone pump your brakes until they feel resistance, then have them hold the pedal down.
- While your buddy is putting pressure on the pedal, open the bleeder screw and bleed the brakes. Do this until the brake pedal reaches the floor, and then screw it back in quickly.
- Add any brake fluid needed in the brake fluid reservoir.
- Repeat all these steps until you’re finished!
- Make sure all your bleeder screws are tightened before you reinstall your tires.
Get Brake Service at Hendrick Kia of Cary!
At Hendrick Kia of Cary, we want drivers from Cary to Apex to know how to take care of their vehicles. That’s why we’ve got lots of service tips based upon frequently asked questions in addition to a number of service specials on essential maintenance tasks! Please contact us today for expert advice on brake service and more!
