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Can't bleed brakes


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leaving
Novice

Nov 13, 2012, 1:29 PM

Post #1 of 16 (2379 views)
  post locked   post icon Can't bleed brakes  

1998 GMC Jimmy 4 x 4 4.3 liter engine 170,000 miles
Rear brake master cylinder chamber went dry and got air in the system.
Bleed master cylinder and tried to bleed rear brakes.
I can get no pressure / fluid to the rear calipers.
I blew out break lines to make sure they were not plugged.
Discovered that I can get pressure / fluid at the ABS pump inlet but nothing at the ABS pump outlet going to the rear.
Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!
Joey


Discretesignals
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Nov 13, 2012, 2:22 PM

Post #2 of 16 (2323 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

What was the reason for the master being empty?





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Nov 13, 2012, 2:24 PM)


leaving
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Nov 13, 2012, 2:29 PM

Post #3 of 16 (2308 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

I could not find any leaks. I had replaced the calipers a month or so ago and maybe I did not bleed the brakes well...not sure but I am certain there are no leaks.

Also replaced the master at that time.

Additional note...I have tried a vacuum bleed system as well as a pressure bleed system with no luck.

Afraid that my ABS pump is bad but don't know how to diagnose.

Thanks!


(This post was edited by JoeyGrissom on Nov 13, 2012, 2:32 PM)


Hammer Time
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Nov 13, 2012, 2:32 PM

Post #4 of 16 (2303 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

Not bleeding the brakes doesn't make fluid disappear. You have a leak somewhere.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



leaving
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Nov 13, 2012, 2:41 PM

Post #5 of 16 (2294 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

Have no idea...I was guessing that air in the lines moved into the master. All I know is that I have pressure tested the whole system and no leaks to be found anywhere.


Hammer Time
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Nov 13, 2012, 3:51 PM

Post #6 of 16 (2283 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

Don't look for liquid. Look for dark stains, especially from the booster.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



leaving
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Nov 13, 2012, 5:04 PM

Post #7 of 16 (2270 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

After I filled the master back up, the level never went down again. So I may have had a leak but it is not leaking now. Anyway, my real concern is why I cannot get fluid / pressure from the ABS pump outlet leading to the rear brakes. I have strong pressure leading to the ABS rear brake inlet but it will not pass through the pump. That is the real issue I'm having.

Thanks!


Hammer Time
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Nov 13, 2012, 5:07 PM

Post #8 of 16 (2266 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

It doesn't work that way. you won't see the level drop because you aren't looking for anything that fast. you have a leak, find it before going any further.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



leaving
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Nov 13, 2012, 5:17 PM

Post #9 of 16 (2258 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

I filled it up a month ago and the level has not dropped since. Maybe I left a bleed valve loose of something. I'm not sure. The point is that it is not leaking now. I have pressure tested the system and I can find no leaks. But lets assume I do. I can keep working on that part.

What I'm really concerned about is the ABS pump. I may be wrong but I don't know how a minor slow leak would have anything to do with fluid not passing through the pump. This is the issue that I really need some help / advise with.

Thanks again!

Smile


nickwarner
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Nov 13, 2012, 8:05 PM

Post #10 of 16 (2248 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

You would need a tech-level scan tool that has the ability to actuate the ABS in order to test it for function and to properly bleed the system.


Hammer Time
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Nov 13, 2012, 8:18 PM

Post #11 of 16 (2245 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

Yeah, it makes a whole lot of sense to go through all the hassle to get the system bled and them find the failure that caused the issue in the first place and start all over.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



nickwarner
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Nov 13, 2012, 8:25 PM

Post #12 of 16 (2241 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

Doesn't make much more sense to try to diagnose and repair a system if you aren't equipped to be able to finish the job either, does it?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Nov 13, 2012, 8:28 PM

Post #13 of 16 (2237 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

Yep, that would be a very good reason to get it to a professional that knows what he's doing as you should have done in the first place.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



leaving
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Nov 13, 2012, 8:53 PM

Post #14 of 16 (2228 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

So I guess what you are saying is that you have no clue what could cause my problem either! Hehe! Yeah I already knew what you guys have covered. I guess I had my hopes too high thinking someone might have seen this before and had some beneficial suggestions. Thanks anyways... Maybe someone else might see this that has experience with this type of problem. Thanks
Joey


nickwarner
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Nov 13, 2012, 9:15 PM

Post #15 of 16 (2227 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  

We know your problem. You have shown yourself inept to locate it. There isn't a roving tribe of ninjas creeping in and stealing brake fluid out of your car. It went somewhere. When fluid gets out of a sealed system, thats called a leak. You have yet to find the leak. Even if you did, it wouldn't do you an ounce of good because without a tech-level scan tool you can't bleed your brakes thanks to that pesky ABS setup you said you had no clue how to diagnose.

Have fun with that, you seem to not need our help anymore.


Hammer Time
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Nov 14, 2012, 4:02 AM

Post #16 of 16 (2219 views)
  post locked   Re: Can't bleed brakes  


Quote
So I guess what you are saying is that you have no clue what could cause my problem either!



Oh no, I know exactly what the problem is. I have see it many, many times in the past.

We have an idiot thinking he knows something that he doesn't and doesn't want to listen to the people that do know what they are talking about.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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