Help bleeding brakes

[Sharino]

I just finished a M50 swap into a 89 E30 with ABS. Brakes worked perfect before swap. Changed the booster to a ix booster and master cylinder to a E34 one with a 2002 remote reservoir. Needless to say the brake fluid all drained during the swap. I refilled everything, have a motive power bleeder and bleed the clutch and front brakes. Strange thing is, no fluid is coming out of the rear brakes and ABS light is in while running car. I tried for hours both bleeding manually and with the power bleeder, cannot get any fluid to come out of the rear 2 calipers.

I have been googling for a while and read about cycling the ABS, cannot figure out how to do that, or find the ABS relay if it even has one.

Any ideas greatly appreciated!!

[MR 325]

I have done many swaps and master cylinder changes. Not once have I had to do ANYTHING with the ABS system and not once have I use a power bleeder. Your best bet is to grab a friend and do it the old fashioned way. Pump 3 times and hold the pedal while the other guy cracks each bleeder.

Start by bleeding it AT the master cylinder, pump and hold the pedal and crack the brake line to let out air. Do it for both lines. Then start at the right rear caliper, next left rear caliper, next right front, and finally left front.

[Sharino]

Thanks, but I have done that literally for 3 hrs, cannot get any fluid out of the rears.

I have read instances of people with other BMWs (740s, 535, etc) that had similar problems as I am encountering after letting the system go dry, but they have ways of cycling the ABS.

[jlevie]

Not being able to get fluid out of the rear calipers when pressure bleeding suggests a blockage somewhere. Crack the line that runs to the back of the car at the ABS unit and see if you can get fluid out there. If so, the bias valve or the line to the rear of the car are suspect. If you don't get fluid there, crack the lines that come from the master cylinder. If they release fluid the ABS unit is the obstruction. The only fix that I know of in that case is to replace the ABS unit.