A couple weeks ago I decided to stop procrastinating and complete my most-hated maintenance task: changing brake fluid. After mustering the energy i.e. slamming a couple cold ones, I set out. My wife was with me in the garage, posted up in a lawn chair doing whatever on her phone. Keeping me company, soon to witness me making a total fool of myself.
In the past, I've always done this job with two people. I never trusted the one man job bleeder tools, as many folks had complained of issues they had with them. The thing is, all three of my cars are past their 2 year brake fluid interval. Meaning not only did I need to suffer through just one car, my E30, which I was familiar with the process, but my Touareg and the wife's Jetta also were in need of some TLC. Eventually I caved and bought the Schwaben 3L vacuum pump thing. Looked snazzy and had some solid reviews. I didn't think I'd be able to convince my wife to help out with three cars, and all my other friend's who owe me a favor seemed to be MIA. Classic.
Anyways, I got the bleeder tool set up and screwed on to the reservoir. I noticed the rubber grommets were soft and spongy, and the reservoir moved around more than I would have liked when screwing on the hose connection. Didn't think much of it. After pressurizing the system to about 5 psi, fluid starting leaking out from the reservoir cap and pouring down onto the driveway. I tightened it up a bit, stopping the leak. I continued pressurizing to about 10psi, went to the rear passenger wheel, and cracked the bleeder nozzle. All of a sudden I start hearing fluid splashing on the ground and my wife chirps up "Is it supposed to be spraying out?"
I run around to find a stream of brake fluid spraying out like a garden hose from those rubber grommets, coating the entire engine bay, the hood, my fenders, and the wall nearby in brake fluid.
Couldn't believe my dumbass went full send like that. Thankfully the car's paint isn't ruined, and the job is now complete after replacing those two pieces of rubber. But oh my god. What a stupid mess to clean up.
In the past, I've always done this job with two people. I never trusted the one man job bleeder tools, as many folks had complained of issues they had with them. The thing is, all three of my cars are past their 2 year brake fluid interval. Meaning not only did I need to suffer through just one car, my E30, which I was familiar with the process, but my Touareg and the wife's Jetta also were in need of some TLC. Eventually I caved and bought the Schwaben 3L vacuum pump thing. Looked snazzy and had some solid reviews. I didn't think I'd be able to convince my wife to help out with three cars, and all my other friend's who owe me a favor seemed to be MIA. Classic.
Anyways, I got the bleeder tool set up and screwed on to the reservoir. I noticed the rubber grommets were soft and spongy, and the reservoir moved around more than I would have liked when screwing on the hose connection. Didn't think much of it. After pressurizing the system to about 5 psi, fluid starting leaking out from the reservoir cap and pouring down onto the driveway. I tightened it up a bit, stopping the leak. I continued pressurizing to about 10psi, went to the rear passenger wheel, and cracked the bleeder nozzle. All of a sudden I start hearing fluid splashing on the ground and my wife chirps up "Is it supposed to be spraying out?"
I run around to find a stream of brake fluid spraying out like a garden hose from those rubber grommets, coating the entire engine bay, the hood, my fenders, and the wall nearby in brake fluid.
Couldn't believe my dumbass went full send like that. Thankfully the car's paint isn't ruined, and the job is now complete after replacing those two pieces of rubber. But oh my god. What a stupid mess to clean up.
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