I noticed yesterday that my brakes acted up on me and i had to REALLY get on them which made it feel like abs was kicking but the tires were not locking up. Anyway i just check my brake fluid and the level is good but its the fluid is really dark. so i was wondering if there is any easy way to change or flush it other then just bleeding it out?

Thanks

 

Only time brake fluid is going to cause bad brakes is if there is none.
You got other issues.

 

You might try something like this

http://store.motiveproducts.com/shar...unt2=628577828

check out the brake bleeder section, one of them might be right for you.

 

really now? hmm, any ideas?

 

You might elaborate more on what they were doing in not acting right.

 

Was it right after you stared it up on a really cold day? Mine will be really hard for a couple seconds too when it its really cold. Then it goes away

 

i guess i could do that haha, sorry in the middle of studying for midterms, i have 2 tomorrow morning yay!!
Anyway it was right after a quick acceleration ( stupid youngins i know i know) and i went to stop and pushed on the pedal, it was really stiff and it didnt slow down much, i felt the vibration as if abs was kicking in. I just stepped on it harder and it was just fine. I have had similar things happen when i was loaded down with 4 200 lb+ guys at a water polo tourny. Umm things ive done, i replaced rotor and pads in the last 10k, rotor are slightly warped again. Other then that, i havent messed with it.

 

no 6pm and it was ~60* outside

 

Its easy to change the brake fluid,by yourself or with a miniute of help:

Jack up vehical remove all 4 wheels
Buy a cheap empty spray bottle(find in garden section of store)
Remove master cap and strainer(twist and pull out)
Put straw end of spray bottle in master spray the old fluid out into bottle
Top off fluid w/new fluid
Break open bleeder valves at calipers/wheel cylinders
Let fluid run out untill you have to top off master two times(DO NOT LET FLUID GO BELOW RESEVOIR)
Tighten all bleeder screws
Pump up pedal...should be firm,but I usually bleed them one at a time next
Bleed RR,then LR,then RF,then LF
Either have someone stand on pedal as you crack open bleeder screw,and while they hold the pedal to the floor you tighten the bleeder screw...Or use one of these,If you are by yourself:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BPFB3A
Simply pull a vacuum with the pump and open the bleeder..while its still in a vacuum state,tighten the bleeder screw
Make sure you constantly check the fluid in the master so it does not get too low.

......
About the hard brake pedal,there was a thread about that,Looks like the problem is the booster check valve,It likes to stick causing engine vacuum not to beable to reach brake booster=hard pedal,here is the link:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/9...w-10-a-161902/

 

I like to use the tool that I made to flush my brake fluid. See details here.

...and his 2002 4Runner does not have a vacuum brake booster check valve, because it does not have a vacuum brake booster. It's a hydraulic brake booster design with a pressurizing pump and small volume tank.

If your brake fluid is really old, it's moisture content could be high enough to cause localized boiling at the calipers if you use your brakes a lot (read: driving down a mountain road or something like that) and they got hot. If that happens, you'll get a slightly spongy feeling in your brakes, and it will feel slightly like brake fade. Although I agree with you that it does not seem like that was the case here.

 

pay someone to do it


let it bleed
a (master) baster is faster than a spray bottle nozzle (but i like that it may fit in the small nooks to remove crud)

 

I use the Motive Power Bleeder. Works good for not much cost. Remove all the dirty fluid from the resevoir with turkey baster & replace with Fresh BRAND NEW Fluid. Never use Brake Fluid that has been opened before, its hygroscopic which means it absorbs moisture from the air over time which partially defeats the purpose of a fluid flush. Use power bleeder to pressurize system. Open bleeder valves from farthest away from resevoir to closest one by one till you see clean clear fluid come out. Your done. Takes about 1 hour if taking your time and removing wheels. My guess is that you probably dont have to remove the wheels with the 4runner so it should be quick.

Also you can gravity bleed them. Just open up all the bleeder valves and remove the resevoir cap and let gravity drip the new fluid into the lines. takes an hour or so or more & depending on the ABS unit, it may take longer.

Also with ABS. I usually flush the system twice. After the first flush I go to the dirt and brake hard to cycle the ABS unit/valves a few times to circulate fluid through them. Then I flush the system again.

Bad fluid wont cause the hard pedal problem unless your fluid is soo gunked up it's blocking passages (in which case you gotta reverse pressure the lines or replace them) or the water is enough to were it can freeze which isnt likely in 60 degree temps. If you were experiencing a pedal that sank to the floor with no effort then it could be air or water vapor but it wont cause a hard pedal. A bad Master Cylinder will also cause a spongy weak pedal that needs a lot of travel to engage the brakes hard, but again it wont be a hard stiff pedal. It's gotta be something with your power assist to the master cylinder and unfortunately that often means big big big buck$

One thing about using a pressure bleeder is that it can save the Master cylinder from damage when you push the brake pedal to the floor when conventionall bleeding. Presssure Bleeders make it so you dont need to pump the brake pedal thus avoiding pushing the master cylinder into a range that can tear the valve seals.

My guess is that whatever the system uses to power assist the brake's isnt working as it should. NOT a good thing!

My first post, hope it helps!

 

I haven't used these, but they seem like they would work nicely for a one man job.

http://speedbleeder.zoovy.com/category//

 

With those speed bleeders you gotta make sure you use teflon tape to ensure an air tight seal between the bleeder threads & brake housing. Air can be sucked back in through the threads even when the check ball is working fine. Also, they have a tendancy to fail if torqued down too high, it crushes the internal valving and they wont work correctly.

 

Got my brakes flushed yesterday. I built and used a similar tool as GS did. Thanks GS! I put about 3.5 pints of fluid through my brake system. It works a lot better now. My brake pedal would kinda fade when it was snowy or slick roads.
I was worried because all the stealers I talked with said that I shouldn't do it because you need the Toyota hand held tester. This is not true. As long as you have a tool like GS and I made, you will be fine. No problems as of yet. I give all the credit to GS and his design. Here is a few pictures of what I made:




Took me about 45 minutes to do and it was super easy.

 

I am another big fan of the GS pressure bleeder. I did bottom out the reservoir the first time which required bleeding the master cylinder (not very hard) and starting over. The two-chamber reservoir confused me. Now I can do it real fast. I do have a dryer and regulator just before a short hose to the bleeder. I only had to buy one piece that was not already in my plumbing parts box: total investment = $4.50.

 

I use a Motive Power Bleeder and an adaptor similar to the one shown above. Works perfect.


Andreas

 

there is a vacuum pump that you can get at like northern tool or another cheap tool store for like 10-15 dollars that you use... first suck all the fluid out of the master Cyl. and wipe out with good rag and refill, then go to the farthest wheel from the master and hook up your pump break the zirk fitting and pump till the fluid runs clear, and air free move to the next farthest wheel and repeat so on and so on till all fluid is clear and air free... BE SURE NOT TO EMPTY THE MASTER OR YOU WILL GET AIR IN THE LINES AND HAVE TO START OVER!!!!!

Unlike previously mentioned brake fluid can cause issues if burnt... usually it is air in the lines causing either a spongy issue or when your brakes get hot they tend to lock up due to the air in the lines... either way it is good to flush your brakes regularly!!! And flushing them cures both issues!!!

an expensive one is here
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...9223_200329223

same one cheaper at sears
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...0070921x00003a

cheap one here

search"Vacuum Pump Brake Bleed Kit" and choose one
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...112&zmap=92474

surely the expensive one is better but the cheap one is cheap!!!

Google "Vacuum Pump Brake Bleed Kit" and choose one