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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Specific discussion about the E89 2009 Z4 (sDrive35is, sDrive35i, sDrive30i, sDrive23i)
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Ducklakeview
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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Ducklakeview » Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:38 pm

Gaffa22 wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:22 pm I'd still empty the res first. And yes a full fluid change would be best.
But if the car hadn't been driven would the fluid move round the system at all ?
Theoretically, as long as the brake pedal hasn't been touched at all, then no - BUT washer fluid is a lot thinner than brake fluid, so it COULD simply be pulled through the brake fluid by gravity, and the vibrations caused by towing.. If it was actually "towed" rather than recovered, I assume the brakes will have been used?

I wouldn't risk it, as it could cause corrosion inside the ABS actuators & master cyl, and as the boiling point will be circa 100 degrees, then if there is any in there and it boils, the pedal will just go to the floor when you need it most.

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mr wilks
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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by mr wilks » Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:47 pm

Had Millers recently put into my 35i https://www.millersoils-shop.co.uk/univ ... luid-dot-4 but i can't imagine there would be any noticeably difference from a user perspective with any dot4 :?
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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by DinosaurEyes » Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:53 pm

Thanks for staying on topic mr wilks!

Lol at everyone else more concerned about my mum's ford fiesta... :roll:

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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by flybobbie » Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:12 am

I used 5.1, one litre was sufficient. Drain the reservoir using an old inkjet syringe. Bleed the rears first.
Strange the front nearside bleed nipple was solid. Can't understand why it wasn't rejected on assembly at the factory.
Unless it's used to reverse fill the system?
Someone mentioned the abs doesn't flush properly, but i have had no problems.

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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by ronk » Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:53 am

The water will have gone to the bottom of the reservoir and as the system inlet is at the lowest point it most certainly is in the system and will ultimately get to the very business end !

To observe, put some brake fluid in a glass jar an add a teaspoon of water/ screenwash and see how quickly it drops to the bottom :thumbsup:
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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Gaffa22 » Fri Dec 15, 2017 4:30 am

flybobbie wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:12 am I used 5.1, one litre was sufficient. Drain the reservoir using an old inkjet syringe. Bleed the rears first.
Strange the front nearside bleed nipple was solid. Can't understand why it wasn't rejected on assembly at the factory.
Unless it's used to reverse fill the system?
Someone mentioned the abs doesn't flush properly, but i have had no problems.
Did you use the two man or a pressurised bleed system ?
2010 E89 35i DCT
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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by flybobbie » Fri Dec 15, 2017 8:58 am

Gaffa22 wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 4:30 am
flybobbie wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:12 am I used 5.1, one litre was sufficient. Drain the reservoir using an old inkjet syringe. Bleed the rears first.
Strange the front nearside bleed nipple was solid. Can't understand why it wasn't rejected on assembly at the factory.
Unless it's used to reverse fill the system?
Someone mentioned the abs doesn't flush properly, but i have had no problems.
Did you use the two man or a pressurised bleed system ?
The one man and block of wood system :)

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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Gaffa22 » Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:50 am

Not familiar with that one please elaborate
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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Nictrix » Fri Dec 15, 2017 1:48 pm

I must say that sometimes it is not very clear what is what under the bonnets of some vehicles and it could be easy to put the wrong liquid in the wrong place.
E89 2014 35i M Sport Black with Black leather :)

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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Smartbear » Fri Dec 15, 2017 1:53 pm

flybobbie wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:12 am I used 5.1, one litre was sufficient. Drain the reservoir using an old inkjet syringe. Bleed the rears first.
Strange the front nearside bleed nipple was solid. Can't understand why it wasn't rejected on assembly at the factory.
Unless it's used to reverse fill the system?
Someone mentioned the abs doesn't flush properly, but i have had no problems.
I don’t think the fluid that sits in the abs module gets flushed unless you activate the abs pump with the right software :?
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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Kugaman1 » Fri Dec 15, 2017 4:28 pm

Ive been looking into this.....

Ive got a little 1 way valve tube to allow one man operation.

2 things Ive read are this:

1 - you are not meant to allow the brake pedal to go fully to the floor when pumping, so some people put a brick or something in the way to prevent this.
2 - you are meant to engage the clutch and put a block of wood in the way to prevent it lifting back up. This has something to do with the fact that the clutch uses the same fluid.....

Not sure how true the above are and would be interested in others thoughts....

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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Baza » Fri Dec 15, 2017 4:43 pm

If your concerned about brake fade Have you considered changing to S/S Braided hoses whilst your changing Fluid. I did a whole change new discs/pads/hoses/fluid and also had my calipers overhauled and painted. The result was a sharper prolonged braking effect to which I believe the hoses played a major part.
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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Gaffa22 » Fri Dec 15, 2017 5:20 pm

Kugaman1 wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 4:28 pm Ive been looking into this.....

Ive got a little 1 way valve tube to allow one man operation.

2 things Ive read are this:

1 - you are not meant to allow the brake pedal to go fully to the floor when pumping, so some people put a brick or something in the way to prevent this.
2 - you are meant to engage the clutch and put a block of wood in the way to prevent it lifting back up. This has something to do with the fact that the clutch uses the same fluid.....

Not sure how true the above are and would be interested in others thoughts....
Personally I dont like the one way valves and the pumping of the pedal for the reasons you mentioned in 1.
I have done fluid changes by using the gravity bleed method, so when it comes to changing the fluid in the Z4 I will either use gravity method and be patient or buy one of the fluid pumps like the sealey VS820

it was easier when you could get the Racing blue brake fluid but the blue dye wasn't Dot 4 compliant so they stopped making it, but having a different colour fluid made it so easy to see when you had the new fluid coming through

Dont know about the clutch as i don't have one :D
well actually I have two but i don't have a pedal
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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Kugaman1 » Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:31 pm

So whats the gravity method?

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Brakes and Fluid Change Questions

Post by Gaffa22 » Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:13 pm

You just open the bleed nipple with a pipe attached into a container and let gravity pull the fluid through,
It can a while, the last car I did took 11/2 hours but I was detailing it at the time so it didn't matter
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