Secluded Maintenance: Brake Fluid Change

[lmarchetti]

I do not see a separate document for manual transmissions but you don't have to take my word for it. Service manual has been posted here

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...wiring-diagrams-owners-manual-download.41803/


In terms of testing everyone here is right, just because it says 3 years doesn't mean it's actually needed. I did it so my extended warranty contracts don't give me grief for not following the manual but technically my fluid didn't need to be exchanged.

My tester actually boils the liquid and checks the max temp. Old fluid and new had the same boiling temp.

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[23_Badlands]

In addition to routine brakes flushes, I also vacuum out then refill the brake reservoir with new brake fluid every year. Takes less than 5 min. Doing this R&R's roughly 1/3 to 1/2 the brake fluid in the system. Tends to prevent the brake fluid from taking on that dark, foggy appearance it typically gets after a year or two.

 

[TT6gbd]

So can the brake bleeding be done with out a scan tool? Can you use ford scan to do the procedure? Trying to find a step by step

 

[Headsong]

I've been waiting a day for someone to explain to me the difference between secluded maintenance and scheduled maintenance. When do I choose one over the other?

ROTFLMAO....why hide?

 

[Brian_B]

So can the brake bleeding be done with out a scan tool? Can you use ford scan to do the procedure? Trying to find a step by step

Looking at the service manual - the 2.3 with vacuum brake booster can be done without the scan tool - it doesn't even need to enter brake maintenance mode. It does recommend pressure filling at 30-50psi, and specifies the order in which components should be bled.

The 2.7 with electric brake booster needs FDRS. These are the instructions in the service manual:

(there is no Step 2)

 

[TT6gbd]

Looking at the service manual - the 2.3 with vacuum brake booster can be done without the scan tool - it doesn't even need to enter brake maintenance mode. It does recommend pressure filling at 30-50psi, and specifies the order in which components should be bled.

The 2.7 with electric brake booster needs FDRS. These are the instructions in the service manual:

(there is no Step 2)

Thanks for that info….if I’m just doing a regular brake pad change I shouldn’t have to do all that if I have the 2.7 right? Just open cap on reservoir and compress caliper.

 

[Brian_B]

Thanks for that info….if I’m just doing a regular brake pad change I shouldn’t have to do all that if I have the 2.7 right? Just open cap on reservoir and compress caliper.

I am not sure - I think you need at least brake maintenance mode (or some extreme measures to brute force it) to get the parking brake fully retracted to get the calipers back, but I don't have a 2.7 and haven't done anything with brakes on my 2.3, so not really qualified to answer.

 

[userdude]

I've been waiting a day for someone to explain to me the difference between secluded maintenance and scheduled maintenance. When do I choose one over the other?

I was expecting a tutorial vid of some guy changing brake fluid on the side of a mountain in Western Canada while being stalked by a wolf and a bear, instead I got this thread with common sense questions. I got screwed!

 

[TT6gbd]

Yeah my rotors are warped so planning to change them out along with brake pads. Looking at the powers stop heavy duty ones. I figure I can do all the work with the pads and rotors not too complicated there and if I feel the brake system has air I can take it in to ford for a brake bleed or brake flush and save some money there or hopefully someone with a 2.7 can do a detail tutorial on just bleeding the brakes

 

[LSW]

I just did this on my 2.7 OBX with Forscan.

I did take all the old fluid out of the reservoir with a turkey baster and refilled it with a pint of fresh DOT 4 LV before starting.

When you open the ABS Bleed maintenance procedure in Forscan it doesn’t mention anything about going into Brake Maintenance mode so I didn’t.

I started the procedure and the first thing it does is start cycling a bunch of ABS valves. It tells you not to connect the pressure bleeder or open any bleeder valves while it does this. It takes a few minutes and the reservoir level fluctuates up and down while it happens. I wouldn’t want the the reservoir completely full for this as it might overflow in the process.

Then, curiously it tells you to start with the driver front, hook the pressure bleeder up at 30-35 psi and bleed it for 60 seconds. Then passenger front, then driver left, then driver rear. This is opposite order from conventional wisdom. I only used about 20 psi with the Motiv power bleeder.

Foracan also doesn’t say anything about cycling the parking brake but I did anyway for good measure (bled each rear for 30 seconds, cycled 5x, then bled for 60 seconds more).

I think I bled about 8 oz of fluid out of each bleeder valve plus the 1 pint I replaced in the reservoir when I started.

Old fluid looked just as good as the new fluid and tested good on the copper test strips too, so probably a waste of time. I was doing a summer tire changeover and new calipers (olds ones squealed) anyway so I figured why not since it had 40,000 miles/3 years since new.

I may do this on on my Wildtrak later this week and will try to grab some Foracan screenshots if I do.

 

[23OBX2.7]

40000 is normally a reasonable time to flush. Im curious on what the test strips test for...

Normally a flush is just to clean out the moisture content and when extreme brake fluid temps are experienced like at a track day.

With Broncos limited towing capacity and speed as well as limited threshold braking the fluid will likely last 150K miles...no joke.

I flushed a hard driven Mustang with a lot of max braking at 40K miles and looked fine.

It seems that the seemeingly inadequate resevoir only removal and replace is adequate afterall.

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