evo brake bleed

pvr · 05-06-2003, 05:45 PM

hey guys,
i have a 2002 S with the EVO/abs III brakes. the brake fluid is due for a change (for the wheel circuit, not the more complicated control circuit). is this a job that can be done at home, or is it best left to the dealer?
thanks in advance.
pete

repoe3 · 05-06-2003, 05:53 PM

if it were non-abs it is a breeze but with all those gizmos in there...let the stealer, i mean dealer, take care of it.

repoe3

tjs · 05-06-2003, 06:39 PM

Hi Pete,

Guess i must be the "stealer",. But repoe is right. have it done at your dealer. Wheel circuits can't be vacuum bled or pressure bled. The front and rear pads come out and special spacers take their place. it is quite involved. Plus the special tools to do the wheel circuits aren't cheep. Even for "stealer dealers."
cheers. TJS

pdonnell · 05-06-2003, 07:05 PM

Gotta pay the piper with the dealer on those brakes I believe. Servo motor, pressure sensors yadda yadda yadda yadda I wouldn't do it myself.

lennie · 05-06-2003, 07:44 PM

Not all dealers are stealers, and those who are make it bad for the rest.

tjs · 05-06-2003, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lennie
Not all dealers are stealers, and those who are make it bad for the rest.

Thanks Lennie. It's not an easy job doing wheel circuits. A spray bottle of water is a must for keeping Dot 4 from ruining wheel paint.

Cheers, TJS

repoe3 · 04:00 AM

i wasnt attempting to be harsh on dealers, especially those i know and respect. just some comic relief. of course labor rates are jumping to nearly $100/hour. if the wrench got that, great, but they don't.

as many owners try to build on their mechnical skills, technology seems to keep us from doing so. non-ABS was a must when it came time for my new S. i use shops for other things that are just plain more convienent, like tires or if something goes BOOM. but then again, i still dismount the wheels and take them in. manufacturers should come up with modular components that would be a simple swap out deals for things like ABS control units (just that housing for the fluid, not electronics). have a sealed unit that gets swapped each year or two and have connections that allows for no air to enter the system. technology should not mean the amount of time needed to change a light bulb increases, it should decrease.

example, at about 12k miles on my passat, both headlights burned out. okay, no big deal. i open the owner's manual and nothing. guess what is says (i am paraphrasing), "as a result of the complex nature of your VW automobile, we recommend you visit your local dealer for this procedure." that is like going to the doctor to get your toenails trimmed. i have been thinking about this topic a lot lately as my line of work (contruction management) relies on modular construction for many scopes of work. with the amoung of technology we have available to us. there is no reason all caustic or solvent or harsh chemicals should still be around (DOT 4 for example), even if it is, master cylinders could be a sealed, swapable part that makes service a snap. same thing with engine oil, the sump could be a component, sealed and contents recycled. if all cars went to such a device, no more threat of spilled oil, etc. it just makes sense. and this is not an effort to take money away from mechanics it merely means they can do more jobs in a given day (it is important to consider the fact that the number of new cars grows each each in the country exponentially) the need for quicker service turnaround is very real. that being said, the majority of the public does not want to or know how to do anything related to their car other than maybe washing it and occasionally taking it to get the oil serviced until it breaks down on them somewhere. so the faster you get them in and out, the happier they are. but i digress...

repoe3