Brake Bleed Question/Advice

Hey guys, question regarding my 2007 TRD OR...I replaced the calipers, pads, rubber lines with stainless, hard lines that go to the caliper, rear shoes and drums/hardware, rear cylinders, rear rubbers with stainless, and finally the rear hard lines that go from the cylinder to the mount.

obviously all of this has led to no brake fluid in the system, so I bought a power bleeder and went to town getting in new fluid. All of this and the pedal is soft and goes to the floor.

I’ve read on here that letting the reservoir go empty is a bad idea due to it not being possible to bleed the ABS pump, so I took the truck to the dealer to have them bleed it.

The tech bleeds them but comes back saying that the pedal is still super soft but will firm up after being pumped and that I need to come back for further diagnosis for what he believes to be incorrect rear installation since the adjuster doesn’t line up perfectly with the window on the hub. Also that he didn’t need to use techstream to open the abs since the brake booster will let all the air out? I have an 07, so I didn’t think it worked that way.

So fast forward to today, I take the rears apart with a buddy of mine who’s a mechanic and says that they’re installed correctly and that the tech is a moron who clearly didn’t get all the air out of the lines.

So now that leads me here: is it more likely that the rears are installed incorrectly or that the tech didn’t bleed them properly by not opening the abs pump that’s causing a very soft pedal?

ill provide photos if anyone has an idea regarding this. I also adjusted the rears so that they’re barely grinding when turning the wheels by hand like I was taught.

Cheers!

 

I can't answer your question, but if I recall correctly, just turning the key ahead to the position just before cranking but not starting, it will pressurize the system and you can bleed it without pumping the pedal.
This is on the Off Road model only, again, if memory serves me correctly.
Try bleeding them again.

 

you might need to bleed or pump out the ABS, which requires a special OBDII tool, and the rebleed the lines since that will push the air into the lines. or you can activate the ABS by braking hard on a slippery surface, but I don't recommend that for you since your brakes are so soft right now.

something like this, i think

I had a similar issue after tearing my brake line off-roading. Air got everywhere in the system, and I had to bleed it out a bunch of times, and it didn't really fully firm back up until I was driving on snow recently and i braked enough to activate the ABS, then they got soft again, and then I rebled the lines, and it finally got to about where I think it feels good again.

 

Thanks guys yeah I’m leaning more towards air being in the abs and somewhere in the line still since it firms up significantly when the pedal is pressed a few times.

I think the tech at the dealer was just lazy since it was a Saturday and about an hour before they closed. Probably gonna cancel my 2 hour shop labor “diagnosis” and go slam on them on a dirt road. I mean there’s no way I could have messed up in the install and not hear anything rubbing/grinding/etc in the rear.

Plus I wouldn’t think that the rear would have that much of a significance on the entire system to make them that soft.

edit: I just saw the link for the scanner above. Can anyone confirm that this scanner:

$150 FOXWELL NT630 Plus OBD2 Scanner Diagnostic Tool, 2024 ABS Scan Tool Bleeding Brake SRS Scanner Car Code Reader Bidirectional Scanner with Airbag Light Reset SAS Oil Light

FOXWELL NT630 Plus will bleed the abs on an 07? Thanks again!

 

How to properly adjust the rear brakes:

And if you have the Electronic booster all you need to do is turn on the ignition and press the brake pedal and the pump will pressurize and bleed for you you just need to open the bleeders and make sure you don't run the tank empty.

 

Thanks Jimmy, I'll see about adjusting them more tomorrow and re-bleed them again. I bought that scanner above so we'll see if I'm able to cycle the ABS with it. If not looks like I'll find a nice dirt road.

Pretty disappointed with the dealership's handling of this, definitely won't be bringing it back there for an alignment and tire mounting if this is how they handled the bleeding procedure. Charge me 150 bucks and the truck is just as spongy as when I left it. I really don't understand how the adjusters could be installed incorrectly like the tech suggested, they literally can't go in any other way.

 

Read this post #16.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/pressure-bleed-brakes-with-vsc.355367/

 

If you order the tool above, let me know if it works.
I have the same year and model truck.
Hopefully I never need to bleed the ABS. If I ever do, at least I’ll know what works.

 

many of the OBDII scanners that can read ABS and airbag codes can also perform ABS bleeding by cycling the ABS solenoids, no need for the techstream.

 

I purchased this tool as well, but haven’t had a chance to bleed the brakes. I have a TRD Sport so a little different set up, but I’d be curious to see if the scanner tool works.

 

You let the reservoir empty? Das no bueno.

For future reference; go to the auto parts store and pick up a package of assorted vacuum caps to push over the end of the disconnected brake line. Saves from making a huge mess, losing brake fluid, and most important; it'll keep the MC reservoir from running dry.

Also, a soft/low pedal can be caused by incorrectly adjusted rear brakes. Think about it for a minute.... The rear shoes are always kept off of the drums by the springs. If they're not adjusted correctly, there will be to large of a gap between the shoe and the drum, requiring more pedal to push the wheel cylinder's pistons out.

As the front brakes wear, brake fluid fills the piston bore, keeping the same relative distance pad to rotor.

Hope you get it straightened out.

 

Thanks guys, I’ll keep you posted on how the scanner works out, it’ll be here tomorrow!

yeah wasn’t planning on having the reservoir run dry but the steel lines snapped when I went to replace the rubber lines. Didn’t really have a choice at that point since both of the rears had broken off.


the replaced lines above were the ones that snapped^

ill try and readjust the rears and run the scanner tomorrow and let you guys know how it went. Thanks!

 

Update: I adjusted the rears again following the diagram above which seemed to help. Still not perfect but much better than they were.

no luck with the scanner, it just says not available when I try to auto bleed the abs. I might not be doing something correctly but regardless it didn’t work. At least the truck is drivable again, I’m going to do take it to a dirt road this weekend and go from there

 

Perhaps that feature is part of an upgrade to the software. Does their website offer support/firmware updates?

 

I downloaded the program to go with it and installed all of the updates to for the device and still no luck :/. I just saw on a review from the Amazon page that someone with a taco tried and couldn’t get it to work either. Oh well

 

bummer the scanner didn't work out. but at least adjusting it helped!

 

Dude, don’t worry about the scanner or taking it to the dealer crap. Fill up the reservoir. Find a dirt or gravel road and mash the brakes hard a few times. Then refill reservoir. Boom

 

yeah it’s disappointing for sure seeing as though they state on multiple questions that it will works on Tacoma’s. It might on newer ones, I’m not sure but I had no luck on mine.

That’s the plan this weekend lol already got burned at the dealer once

 

My 07 TRDOR doesn’t have the electric brake booster. Does yours? The above technique should work either way but definitely worked for me

 

I’m not sure which one that is lol