For car enthusiasts and DIY mechanics, maintaining your vehicle’s braking system is paramount. Regular fluid changes are a key part of this, especially for those who track their cars or perform routine maintenance. The question often arises: is an Automatic Brake Bleeding Scan Tool truly necessary for these tasks, or can traditional methods suffice?
For simple brake fluid swaps performed as preventative maintenance or before track days, manually bleeding your brakes is often perfectly adequate. In these routine bleed scenarios, you’re primarily replacing old fluid with fresh fluid. A traditional manual bleed effectively removes the majority of the old fluid, and any remaining small amount won’t significantly impact performance. Moreover, if the ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) activates during subsequent driving, any residual old fluid will be further cycled out, ensuring fresh fluid reaches the calipers. In such cases, following the recommended bleed order of Rear Right (RR), Left Front (LF), Left Rear (LR), and Right Front (RF), due to the cross-split brake system design common in many vehicles, will suffice. This order differs from older front-rear split systems and is important for efficient bleeding.
However, the utility of an automatic brake bleeding scan tool becomes undeniable when air enters the ABS module itself. This can happen when the system is opened for repairs, or if the brake fluid reservoir runs dry. Air trapped within the ABS module cannot be effectively removed through manual bleeding methods alone. The automated bleed procedure, activated by the scan tool, is specifically designed to cycle the ABS pump and valves, forcing air bubbles out of the module and into the brake lines where they can be bled out.
Regardless of whether it’s strictly necessary, using the automatic brake bleeding sequence on a system that hasn’t been fully emptied poses no harm and can be beneficial. Each automated cycle pushes a substantial amount of new fluid through the entire system, including the ABS module, lines, and calipers, ensuring a thorough flush and bleed.
When using a scan tool for automatic brake bleeding, the process is typically guided by on-screen prompts. These step-by-step instructions usually involve opening a specific bleed screw and, sometimes, operating the brake pedal as directed by the tool, for a specified duration. The tool will then indicate when to stop and move to the next brake corner. For front calipers, which often have inner and outer bleed screws, it’s advisable to perform the automatic bleed procedure using the inner screw first. Following this, conducting a couple of manual bleed cycles on the outer bleed screw ensures all air and old fluid are purged from the entire caliper. This extra step can be performed between automated cycles if your scan tool permits or after completing all automated bleeding steps for maximum effectiveness.
In conclusion, while manual brake bleeding remains a viable option for routine fluid changes, an automatic brake bleeding scan tool is indispensable for effectively bleeding air from the ABS module and offers a more comprehensive and efficient bleeding process overall. For optimal brake system maintenance and performance, especially when ABS module integrity is a concern, investing in and utilizing an automatic brake bleeding scan tool is a worthwhile consideration.
