Brake Fluid change ( W203 )

Shanusacarabus

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After being quoted £45 from local Indie for doing a fluid change i was wondering if its a DIY job.... credit crunch n all hahaha.

If so what do i need to know....... cheers in advance
 

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The one way bleeding kits are cheap and simple to use, circa £5
 
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Shanusacarabus

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Thanks Malcolm !!
From any Halfords ect or specialist shops ??
 

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I'm all in favour of people doing things themselves if they are 'knowledgeable and competent' enough.

However I do worry that some things just should be left to experienced individuals.

You only have to look at house DIY and the many unfinished or bodged jobs taken on by good intentioned people.

Any job can be classed as a DIY project - it depends on the individual involved. Building a house extension might be a DIY project for one person but best left to experienced tradesmen for the vast majority.

Cars are just as important and safety is paramount - for yourself and other road users.

£45 is hardly going to break the bank!!

I'm not having a go at you or anyone else that wants to tackle car maintenance themselves, but step back and look at the bigger picture for the project you have in mind. By the time you've bought any new tools required and factored in all your time shopping for items and then the time actually spent doing the work - are you really saving money, or tricking yourself into thinking you are??

rant over he he :lol:
 
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Thanks Malcolm !!
From any Halfords ect or specialist shops ??

Halfords are fine, most places sell them, start at the rear furthest away with8 pumps and the same for the other rear, 4 pumps each is fine for the front
 

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Just in case, buy a couple of new caliper bleed nipples before attempting, or your car could end up off the road till you get new ones !

And if doing a manual bleed, others have said dont pump the brake peddle all the way to the floor, or you can invert the seals in the master cylinder ?

That is very good advice :D I notice that most firms change the nipples when this work is being done
 

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Hi Shanus, If you're going to be doing any serious work on your car yourself - and the simplest jobs can become serious, especially on older cars - then do the groundwork first. Haynes manual , good set of tools, confidence in what you are doing. You will not get a simpler job on a car than doing a brake fluid change, but this can turn into a can of worms when you encounter seized bleed nipples, bolts, stuck pistons etc. If you are asking the question on a forum such as this just to save cash and are not really a diy enthusiast then I would say no. Dont.
 
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Shanusacarabus

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Hi Shanus, If you're going to be doing any serious work on your car yourself - and the simplest jobs can become serious, especially on older cars - then do the groundwork first. Haynes manual , good set of tools, confidence in what you are doing. You will not get a simpler job on a car than doing a brake fluid change, but this can turn into a can of worms when you encounter seized bleed nipples, bolts, stuck pistons etc. If you are asking the question on a forum such as this just to save cash and are not really a diy enthusiast then I would say no. Dont.

Thanks for that advice, Im quite mechanically minded but i havent any experience working on cars... im trying to get hold of a W203 haynes manual.... in fact i bought a Mercedes DVDrom workshop but to be fair i dont think its entirely legal... i think its actual Mercedes software :confused:,

The one thing i do need is a good set of tools if i am to do anything on a car, the one thing that does put me off is the obvious.... nuts and bolts, screws ect that are exposed to the elements are not going to be as easy to work with as new nuts n bolts..... errrr, does that make sense lol.
I think my biggest prob apart from the tools is the knowledge of cars..... i didnt even know what these nipples were till u all told me
 
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Shanusacarabus

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Cheers Malcolm, im starting to think it would be easier and safer if i was to just pay £45 at the indy.
 

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Cheers Malcolm, im starting to think it would be easier and safer if i was to just pay £45 at the indy.

It is a messy hard job and the wheels have to come off, for the price of the kit and fluid, its hardly worth while doing it yourself
 

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I notice no one suggested syphoning the old fluid from the reservoir before starting the job, if you don't you'll have some old and some new fluid going through unless you use a whole can of fluid.

I keep an old squeezable gear oil bottle and pipe for this purpose thoroughly cleaned of course.

I also invested in a Gunsons eazibleed kit many years ago which does the job utilising air pressure from a spare tyre (at 15 or so psi) to bleed the system. without operating the brake pedal.
One of my best purchases.
 

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You could also empty the the tank by pumping it out on the caliper, a good point though
 

type49

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I'm all in favour of people doing things themselves if they are 'knowledgeable and competent' enough.

However I do worry that some things just should be left to experienced individuals.

:

Was wondering that myself. Quality brake fliud will be £10 or so, so £45 all in isn't a bad price. Once you've been rolling around the floor trying to undo the rear bleed nipples with the wheels still on, you may secretly agree;)
 

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Was wondering that myself. Quality brake fliud will be £10 or so, so £45 all in isn't a bad price. Once you've been rolling around the floor trying to undo the rear bleed nipples with the wheels still on, you may secretly agree;)

Oh to have your own 4 poster,,or even a 2 poster
 

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Is this the literal meaning of Assisted Suicide'?
 

LYNALL

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For £45 i would let them do it every time and im a mech!



Lynall
 

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I have been thinking with my SBC just by undoing each wheel cylinder most of the fluid could be changed, even if it meant using twice as much fluid..I will have to study the fluid route
 


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