DIY: Gravity Method for Brake Fluid Change

[Anuj]

First and most importantly, I, Anuj, am NOT responsible for what you do to your car. This is here only for entertainment/information purposes.


THIS DIY IS ON THE GRAVITY BLEED PROCEDURE. A 2ND PERSON IS NOT REQUIRED. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL DURING THIS PROCEDURE. THIS METHOD REQUIRES MORE TIME THAN THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF REMOVING BRAKE FLUID BUT YOU ARE REWARDED WITH A VERY FIRM PEDAL.

*I do NOT know the order in which to do this on the Nissan (it's different on my Honda) but I have always read to start at the corner furthest from Master Cylinder on many cars so I started with REAR PASSENGER SIDE (for LHD vehicles). Then I went to REAR DRIVER, then FRONT DRIVER, then FRONT PASSENGER. Please refer to a manual and I did not have one handy so I just went with what I felt was right.

Great, now with all the intro/disclaimers out of the way, we can begin!

MATERIALS:
1. 10mm Wrench
2. Clear Tube
3. Catch can or bin
4. battery bulb
5. dot 4 brake fluid
6. jack + jackstand(s)



Step 1: Locate Brake Fluid Reservoir and open cap. COVER the fender with a plastic bag or any cover. Brake fluid eats paint! It saved my S2000 fender when I first did it because I by mistake dropped droplets on the bag.

There will be a filter when you take the cap off the master cylinder, remove the filter too. Take Battery Filler (red bulb in picture above) and take out as much fluid in the reservoir as possible. If you want to get the dirt/grime out from the bottom of the reservoir, top it off with brake fluid and repeat the suction procedure again. This will dilute it and minimize dirt in the top portion that can be sucked down into the lines.

The Brake Master Cylinder is pictured below (yellow cap). It is located on the drivers side near the firewall.



Step 2: Top off reservoir with proper brake fluid. Close cap. *BRAKE FLUID IS HYDROPHILIC SO IT WILL PULL MOISTURE FROM THE AIR and THUS LOWERING BOILING POINT OF FLUID...NOT GOOD*

Step 3: Loosen lug nuts and jack the car up. If you have four jacks and can raise the whole car at once, even better.

Step 4a: Locate and remove rubber cap on bleed screw.


Step 4b: Take 10mm wrench and loosen the bleed screw under the rubber cap. I turned it 2 revolutions. I feel that is more than sufficient enough.

[Anuj]

Step 5: WATCH the fluid that is bleeding out. You may need to remove the cap on the brake fluid reservoir and add more fluid in, I did this and it sped up the bleeding as more weight was pushing the old fluid down. Never allow the fluid in master cylinder to get low! When the color has changed from original to new fluid, you can stop and remove the hose. Then tighten the bleed screw and put the cap on the bleed screw back on. Dab away any excess fluid so it does not get on your wheels when you put them back on.

Note the color change.

Before:


After:


Step 7: Move onto next caliper and repeat. Again, always keep an eye on the reservoir and fill when needed. At the very end when the last caliper has been bled, fill appropriate amount back into reservoir so you're not low on the fluid.

Step 8: It is AGAINST the law to dump brake fluid into a gutter or down the sink. Dispose of it properly. Check with your city or county on where you can dispose of this.

Hope this helps!

[01GLEMist]

Great informative write-up. I will be doing this soon. Two questions though, what size tubing is that? And, how much fluid should a 5th gen Maxima go through on a bleed and flush?

[Anuj]

I purchased a 12 FL OZ (354 ml) bottle of Valvoline High Performance Brake Fluid Dot 3&4. It was roughly ~$5 from my local auto parts store. I only used this for the Brake Fluid change on the Maxima. I still have 1/8 to a 1/4 left over. It depends how quickly you see that the brake fluid is clean when coming out of the bleed valve. If you use too much, not an issue because the brake fluid has a shelf life after popping the seal.

The picture above is a larger bottle that I used on my Honda. If you drive a Manual transmission car, might as well purchase the larger bottle and change your clutch fluid too! (same fluid).

The believe the size of the tubing is 1/4"

[MichMaxFan]

Curious...how do you make sure no air gets back up the line? Sure, the fluid coming out should prevent that, but anything I've read on changing fluid (and done w/ an experienced person) says to keep pressure on the line and THEN open the bleed screw.

[xenomax]

i actually gravity bleed first and then use an assistant to apply pressure on the pedal. gravity bleeding does work and gets most of the air out of the system. you can also buy one way check valves that you stick on the bleeder and just keep pumping the pedal until you get the air out.

[MichMaxFan]

The fluid would be in a vacuum state unless the reservoir cap is loosened, correct?

So the one-way valves... you screw them on and then open the screw and then use the pedal to pump out the old fluid and do this w/ the cap (on or off)? Am I understanding this correctly?

[00MaxSE]

Hmm interesting. I wonder if it's just as good as the traditional way.

[Jeff92se]

I vacuum bleed. Seems fastest for a 1 man job. Tried pressure bleeding. Too risky for the length of time it takes to bleed. Can't imagine how long a gravity bleed takes.

[FishyMan]

Nice.
i use that method and always have a friend, dad or someone, even my sis to help. another person is just so much easier regardless.

on shelf life, after u pop it, how long does it last?
so im assuing, those that remained seal are fine?

[Birken Vogt]

Should be fine as long as the lid is on tight. I gravity bleed often but I also often forget and get doing something else and let it run dry...oops...

Birken

[spdfreak]

Originally Posted by Anuj

*I do NOT know the order in which to do this on the Nissan (it's different on my Honda) but I have always read to start at the corner furthest from Master Cylinder on many cars so I started with REAR PASSENGER SIDE (for LHD vehicles). Then I went to REAR DRIVER, then FRONT DRIVER, then FRONT PASSENGER. Please refer to a manual and I did not have one handy so I just went with what I felt was right.

Here I uploaded page BR-9 from the FSM. The page specifies the order to bleed the brakes on the 5th gen.

[Anuj]

Originally Posted by spdfreak

Here I uploaded page BR-9 from the FSM. The page specifies the order to bleed the brakes on the 5th gen.

Thank you

the page says to do it in this order: Right Rear, Left Front, Left Rear, Right Front.