Bleeding ABS 2010 RWD Tacoma

HI group--new here....thanks for having me.
I joined because I have a problem that I'm still trying to research. I've read all the threads I can find on here about it. There are a couple. Still pretty foggy about the whole thing, due to some details that aren't addressed.

first of all,
Symptom: very squishy brake pedal. New pads/rotor/good shoes/drums. Got it bled by an old guy who used a vacuum pump. No results. Zero improvement. Did it myself fairly aggressively in the driveway, ran over a quart of fluid through it using the brake pedal method. Some slight improvement. Then I adjusted the rear brakes better. Result: slightly firmer pedal

Finally I upped the level of the pedal using the adjustment rod behind the pedal shaft (inside the truck). At this point, the brakes are medium squishy, fairly effective, but feel much better after a single pedal pump. I (profanity) hate that I can't get a "normal" pedal out of all this.

I've been reading about the ABS module. I have a vacuum operated brake booster and all the posts I've read talk about (as far as I can tell) the post-2012 Tacomas with an electric booster. Apparently these are a big deal and tend to accumulate tiny bubbles and need to be activated to be bled property.

I am looking for the right scanner to do this. I have a Mac. Apparently no scanners will interface with a Mac, and apparently you need to download Toyota specific software. I can't get a clear read on what scanner to get, and which ones will activate MY module, how much such a scanner will cost, and if for sure I need a PC to get the thing to work. Looking to spend under $200 if at all possible. I'm pretty dealer-phobic. Last resort, I could maybe do that. (ugh)


so to sum up--the glitches are, one, I don't have a PC, and two, I have a vacuum booster so the "turn the thing on and it will pump for 4 seconds" doesn't apply to me (I don't think. Or does it?), three, lots of scanners say they "work with ABS" but none say directly whether that means they'll trigger the thing.
thanks!!

 

mine did this, I paid a Toyota dealer to pressure bleed the system with a BG machine costs $128 but the pedal is finally right, I tried all the same things you did prior to this too didn't help. find a mechanic/dealer who has a pressure bleeding machine and pay them to get it right.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp5EgI5c6ws

 

Ok, so, correct me if I'm wrong--but it looks like I can bleed the ABS with the Techstream cable/CD???? Is that possible, $20 or whatever?

that is, once I beg or borrow or buy a Windows 7 machine

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/brake-fluid-change-method-s.424987/

 

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/better-brakes-bleeding-actuate-the-abs.559149/

 

Bills SR5 thanks for that, I watched the vid. Looks like a good way to go but there's no mention of that ABS business at all. Wish I could ask the guy questions. I just posted the ABS question on his youtube vid, we'll see if he answers.

 

Thanks for the links. Some good info. in there re breaking up bubbles trapped in the ABS. Right now my plan is to take it to the local foreign car guy and see if they're confident about fixing it and if not, then I'll make my own pressure bleeder out of garden sprayer and use it immediately after activating the ABS with extreme prejudice on some snowy roads around here (like I did today already).

 

Get a scanner

 

Now this method may only be for the off road, I can't remember. Someone will probably chime in.

I didn't read the links above, but i remember reading that one method uses these steps.
> have a person in driver seat> another person at bleeder> person in driver seat applies pressure to brake> turn key to on position without turning on truck while applying brake pedal> person at brake line opens bleeder.

Supposedly with the brake pedal applied, the electronic system will continuously pump fluid out as long as pressure is applied to pedal. You must keep an eye on the reservoir. Do these at each bleeder until clear while refilling reservoir.

 

moondeath, Pretty sure that's what people are describing all the links I"ve been reading about people with the electric brake booster whereas I have a vacuum booster

Anyhow--I read about how the ABS can house big bubbles but if you activate the ABS in gravel or snow it'll blast the bubbles out into the brake lines in the form of little tiny bubbles which don't cause nearly as much of a squishy pedal. I just did a bunch of hard stops in a snowy parking lot and I'll be darned if the pedal isn't close to normal now, emergency stops way more positive. For a while. So I'll try the bleed regimen right after a bunch of ABS-type stops and see what happens.

 

I am pretty positive you do not have the electronically controlled master cylinder. This is only on the TRD Off Road package which was not available for a 4cyl.

 

If you mean I don't have an electric brake booster, that's correct, it's a vacuum booster.

 

I re-read what you wrote. I see what you were saying now. I thought you were thinking you needed to activate the brake booster.

 

I was confused because every thread I read said to get a scanner and activate the pump... which made no sense since, 1, I've never heard of an electric brake booster pump, and 2, there's nothing like that under my hood.

 

What they are referring to is the hydraulic booster in the offroad, you need a scanner to activate the solenoids and have to be careful cause if you activate them for more than 4sec you can burn them out.

This is just what I have interpreted from my research in trying to better my own brakes, I could be wrong!

 

Does your truck have ABS? Off roads have that electronic brake booster with ABS integrated all in one unit. Vacuum boosters come with ABS also, but separated. My tacoma has a vacuum booster and ABS. Where you located I got two snap-on scanners that will activate the bleeding procedure for the ABS. I don't mind helping if your close by.

 

Earlius--thanks for your generous offer, but I think I'm on the wrong coast. And yes, I have your setup, the vacuum booster with an ABS module on the passenger side firewall. I also didn't know the off-roads had the ABS and booster all-in-one and in fact just yesterday figured out (thanks to this forum) that the TRDs were the ones with the electric booster. Totally different animal. Anyway, I got an amazingly improved pedal feel just by mashing the brakes and activating the ABS last night in a few snowy parking lots so I'm all in with the theory that you can blast the big bubble out of the ABS that way and turn it into tiny bubbles inside the lines which can then be bled out. Ordered a pressure bleeder from Amazon last night.

 

it seems like tacomas are very hard vehicles to get all the air out of the brake system after someair may/maynot have been introduced , I changed out the front pads on my truck and did not open the bleeder valves but removed the resovoir cap when I pressed in the pistons which may have caused air or old fluid into the ABS? anyway I re bled the brakes 5-6 times the pump hold pedal way, used a MightyVac sucker, adjusted rear brakes but still had soft,spongey pedal. dealt with it for a year and got tired of double pumping the brakes to stop all the time, so tested the fluid for moisture it was no good had too much water, took it to the dealer that has a BG pressure bleeder to properly do the job and its been great ever since. I also told them about bleeding the ABS they suggested just the power bleed first $128 which worked, the ABS bleed was also$128 which incorporates the Tech stream if the power bleed failed. there are tons of threads on this issue search> Spongey brakes in the 2nd gen forum.

 

I have come across a lot of the threads but they all seemed to only talk about the TRDs with the power booster and made no sense to me. (huh? turn on the key and watch the fluid shoot out???)

Anyway--I can try the final solution (paying a competent shop, if I can find one) if I fail doing it myself but I'm encouraged that the pedal was totally different after I forced the air out of the ABS by activating it in the snow. Stayed that way until mid-morning today. I've already blown about $200 on mechanics who know less than I do (as usual) so it's "if you want it done right" all over again, which is what I usually come back to. I've got that pressure bleeder on order, we'll see how it goes. It's nice to hear that your symptoms are identical to mine, absolutely the exact same thing.

 

I tried all the same things your trying to do but it didn't make a great difference in the pedal feel, im just trying to save you a lot of time and money by suggesting what eventually worked for me. these systems needs to be completely pressurized through the Master cylinder and the fluid sucked out thru the nipple valves at the same time to get all air out completely the old way just will not build up enough pressure force to evacuate all the air in these trucks.