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The braking system in every car should be given serious professional attention because any damage to the brake components can result in fatal scenarios. There are several components that make up the braking system in every vehicle; this includes the brake pads and rotors.
The brake pads may get broken or physically affected, which would require them to be replaced. While is best to have a mechanic work on your brakes when faulty, do you have to bleed brakes after changing pads?
Yes, it is actually recommended that you bleed the brakes after changing the brake pads or rotors. This action is not compulsory, but it is very necessary; you won’t be charged separately for bleeding the brakes after your car’s brake gets worked on.
What Does It Mean To Bleed The Brakes?
In its simplest explanation, “Brake Bleeding” refers to the process of removing air bubbles from the brake lines. It is mostly done on vehicles with hydraulic brake systems, and it follows a process.
Brake Bleeding may be needed after working on the brake system – after changing/fixing the brake rotors or pads. Also, it is recommended to bleed the brake after many miles; this action helps to keep the braking system effective and responsive.
Do You Have To Bleed Brakes After Changing Pads?
Working on the brake system of a vehicle is a crucial task that requires a professional approach. Bleeding the brakes after changing brake pads depends on how the change was done.
Some mechanics, when they want to change brake pads, they open the bleeder valve to squeeze in the caliper – they do this because they want to avoid damaging the brake master cylinder. Now, as long as the bleeder valve got opened, bleeding the brakes after the repair is very necessary.
Put simply, if you had to open the brake lines during the pad changing process, then bleeding is very necessary to remove air that may be trapped in the line when it got opened.
On the contrary, if you used a big wrench to squeeze in the brake caliper while changing the pads, you probably do not need to bleed the brakes. Using wrenches to fix the caliper back in, is usually the procedure for changing brake pads on Toyotas, Hondas, and most other cars.
Furthermore, if you have driven the car for so long – many years – it is important to bleed the brakes once in a while to clear out the crud that may build up in the brake lines and affect the responsiveness of your car brakes.
Bleeding out the brakes is something you can actually do by yourself, but you may need a professional mechanic to do that for you – if it seems too delicate in your perception.
How To Bleed Car Brakes
If you had your car brakes worked on by a mechanic, the mechanic should know the best way(s) to bleed out the brakes. However, if you did it yourself, then here’s how to bleed car brakes.
- Buy the right brake fluid recommended for your vehicle (check the owner’s manual)
- Jack up the car and remove the tires completely to expose the caliper assembly for each wheel
- Carefully loosen the bleeding valve for each wheel – using a wrench preferably.
- Now bleed the brakes for the wheels – one at a time
You may someone to assist you in this process to achieve a perfect outcome. Bleeding the brakes requires much carefulness.
There are actually three ways of bleeding brakes: Pressure Bleeding, Vacuum Bleeding, and Reverse Bleeding. Most individuals choose the pressure bleeding method over the others.
What More?
Do you have to bleed brakes after changing pads? It really depends on how the brake pads were changed; if the brake lines were opened completely during the change, then it’s important to bleed out the brakes after the change, but if not, bleeding the brakes is optional.
Because the braking system in every vehicle is one of the most important systems, it is advisable to request professional assistance when something is wrong with a brake component.
There are three ways to bleed out brakes, but the “Pressure Bleeding” method is the most comfortable option for most people. Hopefully, this helps with your search.