I'm guessing you pushed the piston into the caliper to install new brake pads. If that is correct, no bleeding is necessary since the hydraulic system wasn't opened and no air got in. What you will need to do is run that piston back out to adjust it by pressing the brake pedal multiple times. When you do that, a real good habit to get into is to never push the pedal more than halfway to the floor. After about a year, crud and corrosion build up in the lower halves of the bores in the master cylinder where the pistons don't normally travel. Pushing the brake pedal over halfway runs the rubber lip seals over that crud and can rip them. That results in a slowly sinking brake pedal, and that often takes two or three days to show up.
When bleeding is necessary, gravity-bleeding is all I've used. Open the bleeder screw on the caliper, and loosen the cap on the reservoir to prevent vacuum from impeding fluid flow. Don't allow the reservoir to run empty. If it does, but you catch it right away, you can still get by with just adding brake fluid. If air makes it down the lines far enough, you'll need to bleed it out at the wheels. Most vehicles the age of yours have anti-lock brakes, and most of them have hydraulic controllers that can trap air in two chambers that won't make it down to the wheels. That results in a very low and soft brake pedal. Most of the time a scanner is needed to command the ABS Computer to open two valves to expel that air so it will get to the wheels to be bled out. That's a frustration that is best avoided by just keeping fluid in the reservoir during the bleeding or flushing process.
For more dandy information, check out this article:
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-bleed-or-flush-a-car-brake-system
Let me know if that answers your question.
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Saturday, July 1st, 2023 AT 2:36 PM
