Brake fluid change
Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 8:30 pm
I've just been out and f**ked my back up by changing the brake fluid.
Tip #1 - don't get a turkey baster from Sainsbury's - more ended up down the engine bay than made it to the bottle!
I used a little bit of tubing with a one-way valve on the end from Halfrauds and their DOT5.1 fluid (hope that's ok - it said it exceeded the DOT4 specification on the side of the bottle...). The tubing worked well, but for anyone thinking of doing this in future, here's the best method:
1) Jack up, wheel off and under the car.
2) Open the nipple cap and shove a ring spanner (not open-ended!) on the nut - 7mm rear, 11mm front. why do pug always use odd sized nuts?
3) Put the rubber end of the tube on the nipple and open and close the nut. You may well need a hammer.
4) Remove the tube and the spanner, put the tubing back on, this time with the plastic bit to lock it on tight, and use the open end of the spanner to loosen the nut 1/4 turn
5) Loosen off the reservoir cap, make sure the level's above the mesh, and slowly pump the brake 10 times. Re-fill the reservoir and pump another 5. (the first wheel will need this process repeating a good few times)
6) Tighten the bleed nipple nut, remove the tubing, tighten some more, screw the reservoir cap on, and push the brake hard. Check for squirtage.
7) Put the wheel back on
To empty the reservoir in the first instance, you can use a clean screwdriver to lever out the mesh filter under the cap. You can't reach the bottom so you may as well get out as much as you can
If you've got a bad back, PAY SOMEONE TO DO IT!!!
I forgot how much strain it is to remove and replace wheels
Hoping to get a test drive in tonight after the painkillers kick in, but it may have to wait until morning. Not looking forward to being in a situation where I may have to use a 406 handbrake to stop...
Question. How bouncy should the brake pedal be after this? All the pumping has made me lose the ability to tell how hard I'm pushing on the damn thing! It might be my trainers flexing or the pedal bending or anything I'm that knackered... At least it's not sinking under pressure. I know that'd be a bad sign... Wish me luck for the next time I get in it!
Tip #1 - don't get a turkey baster from Sainsbury's - more ended up down the engine bay than made it to the bottle!
I used a little bit of tubing with a one-way valve on the end from Halfrauds and their DOT5.1 fluid (hope that's ok - it said it exceeded the DOT4 specification on the side of the bottle...). The tubing worked well, but for anyone thinking of doing this in future, here's the best method:
1) Jack up, wheel off and under the car.
2) Open the nipple cap and shove a ring spanner (not open-ended!) on the nut - 7mm rear, 11mm front. why do pug always use odd sized nuts?
3) Put the rubber end of the tube on the nipple and open and close the nut. You may well need a hammer.
4) Remove the tube and the spanner, put the tubing back on, this time with the plastic bit to lock it on tight, and use the open end of the spanner to loosen the nut 1/4 turn
5) Loosen off the reservoir cap, make sure the level's above the mesh, and slowly pump the brake 10 times. Re-fill the reservoir and pump another 5. (the first wheel will need this process repeating a good few times)
6) Tighten the bleed nipple nut, remove the tubing, tighten some more, screw the reservoir cap on, and push the brake hard. Check for squirtage.
7) Put the wheel back on
To empty the reservoir in the first instance, you can use a clean screwdriver to lever out the mesh filter under the cap. You can't reach the bottom so you may as well get out as much as you can
If you've got a bad back, PAY SOMEONE TO DO IT!!!
I forgot how much strain it is to remove and replace wheels
Hoping to get a test drive in tonight after the painkillers kick in, but it may have to wait until morning. Not looking forward to being in a situation where I may have to use a 406 handbrake to stop...
Question. How bouncy should the brake pedal be after this? All the pumping has made me lose the ability to tell how hard I'm pushing on the damn thing! It might be my trainers flexing or the pedal bending or anything I'm that knackered... At least it's not sinking under pressure. I know that'd be a bad sign... Wish me luck for the next time I get in it!
You better take it easy for a bit. That goes for this evening too! 
Turn the engine back off and the pedal's rock solid on the 3rd pump. A few test runs down an empty industrial estate road, and I'm a lot more confident about the cars braking. There's loads more braking before the ABS kicks in, and I can actually feel when it's about to and ease off in a controlled manner!