Hi, Cap off & someone else to keep it topped up so fluid doesn't get low & let air into the ABS system.
Hoggy.

 

Thanks Hoggy, this isn't gone very well, I've got the worlds softest pedal, even after 2-3 cycles of vagcom bleeding!

1000ml of fluid later and I have no idea what to do!

 

You must have air trapped in the ABS Nick. When it happened to me I was going through bottles of fluid like they were going out of fashion. In the end I gave up, had it bled by the dealership using the Audi kit (and fluid), they then gravity fed my 600+ fluid in afterwards. Took ages (3 hours), but they only charged me £35.

VT

 

Aghh what a nightmare!! I have vagcom, I'm clearly just not doing it right!! £30 later and I'm out of fluid and fed up :lol:

I've got Jabbasport 400yrds up the road, might go and see them next week.

 

Are you not using a pressure bleeder?

Daz

 

I have been, but definitely got air into the ABS and master cylinder when the fluid seal broke whilst driving.

No idea how anyone could manually bleed the master cylinder, the nipples are well out the way?!

 

...In the end I gave up, had it bled by the dealership using the Audi kit (and fluid), they then gravity fed my 600+ fluid in afterwards. Took ages (3 hours), but they only charged me £35.

£35 hardly worth the effort of DIY for that price.

It is in the fixed price servicing at £59 and I thought that was good, but £35 8)

 

Take it for a spin, jam it a few times in the abs on wet grass or something that should pop the air auto of the abs pump.
Then bleed all 4 brakes again and you should have a hard pedal again

 

Hi Nick, Get somebody to help you bleed the master cylinder, either you or them in the car and then undo the bleed nipples one at a time on the master length of clear pipe and a bottle, the old way! keep pressing peddle down while topping up master, when no air bubbles in bottle after pumping peddle hold peddle down tighten nipple, do the same with other master nipple then go around the wheel cylinders, and hopefully you will have a good peddle! cheers Dave

 

...In the end I gave up, had it bled by the dealership using the Audi kit (and fluid), they then gravity fed my 600+ fluid in afterwards. Took ages (3 hours), but they only charged me £35.

£35 hardly worth the effort of DIY for that price.

It is in the fixed price servicing at £59 and I thought that was good, but £35 8)

I know. Sitting there for 3 hours I was thinking " This is going to hurt" and was amazed when they gave me the invoice.

VT

 

I've got a vacuum bleed kit but it's a pain to use as I need to get the compressor out. I find using an easy bleed bottle is best along with an automatic filler I rigged up. The latter is easy to make as it's just a transparent but non collapseable bottle with a spout and a home brew tube stuck on the end. The tube is the right diameter so the fluid glugs out when the bottle is inverted but with the end held just below the surface in the master no air gets in so nothing happens - until the level drops and it tops up automatically.

You need to keep both front bleed valves open with VAG-COM. If you don't have two Easybleed bottles you can get cheap one way valve bleed tubes from motor factors which you can dangle into glass bottles. You could even make some - a tube with the end plugged but a small hole in the side stretched over by a party balloon tube neck - let's out but not in.

I went through a lot of fluid until I released air from the two bleed valves on he side of the master. You need to move the charge pipe out of the way I think. Nice and solid pedal after that. The easy bleed bottle sits nicely up there and you can see the air in the transparent tube moving. That's when I found my one way valve had failed and air was getting back in - party balloon to the rescue! :wink:

More details here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=163070&p=1661917#p1661917

 

Thanks John. I think I'm going to have to give in and try to get onto the master cylinder for bleeding then... I can see it being a bleeding nightmare, but needs must I guess!

 

I was put off by how inaccessible the master was but with the cover removed and charge pipe swing out of the way you can see and feel the nipples easily. I may have used a mirror to see but you can feel easy. They should have caps on them but it's clean up there. 10 mm ring spanner I think. Air tends to gather there so hopefully that's the last bit. Good luck Nick

 

I wish you luck as the vagcom ABS bleed can be nightmare according to a friends of mine it chuckes gallons through.

Unorthodox approach that takes a while.....

Bleed the brakes up by pumping the pedal. Old school way. Start from the calliper furthest from reservoir.
I find it best toward the end to have the bleed nipple done up, get them to pump the pedal hard 3 times. Then get them to push the pedal, and then open the bleed nipple as the pedal is being push.

Once you have done that, over fill the break fluid a tad. Assuming you now have enough break pressure you want to get out on the road and trigger the abs. Do this a few times, then go back whip the wheels off and bleed again.

Repeat until the issue is gone.

Dont ask me how I know this.

 

Why are you a spending that much on fluid

Pump it through then reuse until you get a firm pedal then flush out until only fresh fluid is in the system
the stuff coming out may be black but it would still work to get the air out

No need to keep buying litres and litres of the stuff

Hope you get it sorted soon .I had the same problem when I changed my brakes that I bought off you

 

You need to build yourself a good heavy duty pressure bleeder. Very common tool to be needed at the track. I fabbed mine out of a big water sprayer instead of using the regular kits that are sold. By doing this I get a bigger container that builds much more pressure with less pumping. I also have a very long reach hose, enabling the operator to bring and use the bleeder next to each caliper (much more convenient for paddock use). See pic below!

Tips:
- Go 1 liter above the needed fluid capacity so you never have to fiddle with adding fluid.

- Before bleeding, drive around and engage the ABS several times to pump out any air in it

- If flushing the system, open the bleeder closest to the MC (driver side front) to get the old fluid out. Then, proceed to bleed by opening the farthest bleeder first and working your way toward the MC.

- Using Vagcom to cycle the ABS is a PITA and a hit or miss deal, so plan accordingly and make sure it's done with engine running.

 

I might go and try the vagcom one last time, with the engine running!

With the engine off after a vagcom bleed also with the engine off the pedal is solid, but then when I start the engine the pedal goes soft again! Problem is the instructions aren't very clear on a few bits, engine running and reservoir cap position being two!! (You might say it's common sense, but I manage to convince myself either way could be correct for both scenarios!!)

Will have another try with Vagcom and with the engine on and the reservoir cap off!

I do have a pressure bleeder that's uses the spare wheel, which is brilliant, no pumping, just a constant 19psi! Unfortunately what with having let so much air in the system that needs use in conjunction with the vagcom!

 

^^^ Careful not to blow a seal. 19 psi is a lot of pressure -- 10 psi maximum.

 

Did you get it sorted?

 

Did you get it sorted?

Not as yet, there's not enough pressure in it at all, certainly won't be able to lock up the ABS :evil:

I'm looking to take it to Jabbasport as they're all of 200 yrds up the road, at least then it should be done (Or some alternative fault identified!).

 

This is becoming a pain in the arse!!!

I've taken her for a spin today, there's barely any pedal, to the extent where you can slam it to the floor whilst doing 30mph and you'll come to a gradual stop... No chance of locking up ABS!! So I've pulled her back onto axel stands, found that one of the rear lines hadn't seated properly so I've taken that off, cleaned that up and it seems fine now.

I wonder if it's possible the master cyclinder has bust? It would be a massive coincidence, but I can't make a firm pedal even with the engine off, so does this rule out it just being air in the system??

 

Update: I lied, I can just about make a firm pedal with the engine off...just!

 

Hi - Hope this helps....I did this for my Golf Mk5 and used Vagcom to bleed brakes.

Link for info http://www.andrewhope.co.uk/automotive/ ... epair.html

I found a few write ups and made the best of them all.

What I did was get a cheap GUNSONS EEZIBLEED EASYBLEED kit and 1/2 filled it with clean brake fluid and connected to mater cylinder and laid it on it's side above the master cyl so that as fluid was pumped out the bleed nipples the master cyl was automatically filled.

Now to vagcom and bleed nipples. Again I bought some brake bleed tube from ebay like http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quality-Car-A ... SwwbdWG-CC but I made it longer using clear silicon tube so you can see bubbles if you need to.

I then opened front 2 bleed nipples with silicon pipe connected and each ending in a glass jar to catch the brake fliud.

Then do the vacom bit ....found a copy of a post by someone (sorry don't have link but this is what I used) so thanks to the guy who wrote it:

For future update

tools & stuff you need
brake fluid (3L)
2 x 11mm spanners
2 x bleed tubes with one way valves on
2 x receptacle at least 1L in capacity
first you need access to the front bleed nipples, i jacked up the front, placed on axle stands and removed both
wheels.
then put the spanner, bleed tube and receptacle on each side.
open the brake fluid resevoir and have your fluid ready to keep the resevoir topped up at all times. i got a
friend to do this to speed things up, it's probably possible on your own but will take a while longer.
goto ABS, basic settings blah blah whatever it is and click from 000 up to 001 and then you get a MSG on the
screen saying "PRESS AND HOLD PEDAL" or words to that effect. whilst doing this the ABS pump is activated
and the pedal can be felt kicking back
(002) it stops pumping and your told to relase the pedal and open the front 2 bleed nipples, then you need to
click to continue
(003) it will tell you to wait for 10 secs whilst the ABS pump is activated and fluid is pumped out of the now
open bleed nipples
(004) it tells you to pump the pedal 10 times and then close the bleed nipples, then you need to click to
continue
(005) "PRESS AND HOLD BRAKE PEDAL" untill told to stop
(006) it stops pumping and your told to relase the pedal and open the front 2 bleed nipples, then you need to
click to continue
(007) it will tell you to wait for 10 secs whilst the ABS pump is activated and fluid is pumped out of the now
open bleed nipples
(008) it tells you to pump the pedal 10 times and then close the bleed nipples, then you need to click to
continue
(009) "PRESS AND HOLD BRAKE PEDAL" untill told to stop
(010) it stops pumping and your told to relase the pedal and open the front 2 bleed nipples, then you need to
click to continue
(011) it will tell you to wait for 10 secs whilst the ABS pump is activated and fluid is pumped out of the now
open bleed nipples
(012) it tells you to pump the pedal 10 times and then close the bleed nipples, then you need to click to
continue
(013) "PRESS AND HOLD BRAKE PEDAL" untill told to stop
(014) it stops pumping and your told to relase the pedal and open the front 2 bleed nipples, then you need to
click to continue
(015) it will tell you to wait for 10 secs whilst the ABS pump is activated and fluid is pumped out of the now
open bleed nipples
(016) it tells you to pump the pedal 10 times and then close the bleed nipples, then you need to click to
continue
(017) ABS BLEED PROCESS COMPLETE!
once your done approx one litre of fluid will have been expelled from each caliper
points to note, i did not go full travel on the pedal every time, i probably only used about 75% of the pedal
travel and i pumped the pedal slowly to prevent damaging the master cylinder seal which everyone is always
banging on about.
so from the above you can see it's 4 complete cycles, not 17 cycles as someone suggested but 17 is the
number you'll see on the left at the end when it says it's completed
losvre is offline



Back to my bit.

So I did the above but I must say I did not do it 17 times....I think I did maybe half that and after each vagcom pump...before I did it again I shut bleed nipples and topped up bottle with brake fluid.

I bought 3 litres and it took just over 2 to do the lot. I did front 2 first at same time. then back 2.

Worked for me but I agree it takes a bit of planning.

Hope this helps.

 

So I fancy bleeding with VCDS as over the last few years I have replaced all my metal pipes plus new braided hoses and re-furbed the calipers too and hope this will give me the pedal feel I'm after. Don't get me wrong the brakes are good and the pedal feels fine but I'm thinking it could be 10% better that would make me even more happy

I have a pressure bleeding kit and recently performed a standard bleed at 1.0 bar getting a few bubbles as I went.

Questions are; the description above when using VCDS to bleed the ABS unit only appears to bleed the front brakes - is there another basic setting to do the same on the rear?
If you are bleeding both sides at the same time do you increase the pressure (I did see on ross tech the mention of 2.0 bar) as the ABS will be 'open' anyway?

Any help for somebody who has been there appreciated

 

Sorry I never checked back after my last post.

So I've just done this on my daughters 2005 TT 1.8T 2WD using VagCom and the method I wrote above.
Although VagCom goes on 17 times to bleed fron brakes and ABS unit I only did it about 6 times then exit the procedure as the pedal feels fine and no more air bubbles and fluid looks like new clean stuff....used about 1.5 litres of fluid. I'm pretty sure I used VagCom and same method afterwards to do my Mk5 golf rear brakes but on the TT I just did the manual 20x brake pedal for each rear side and all is fine.

Now I have to change the clutch soon and that alternator regulator ...which I've tried already but I do not have the tools to remove that bottom screw without removing the water pipe which I do not want to do. So will look further to find a philips screwdriver tool to fit the limited space.

Still a good car so worth the effort and low cost if I can do it myself.

Cheers