What is the procedure for bleeding all four calipers on a 98 gs400...I tried it when i did the last brake job and didn't get it..first time working on foreign cars...I guess half the brakes are assisted by the ignition on, while the other ones are able to bleed with the car off....so I was stuck...I later found out that the manuals i borrowed from the dealership say a computer is used to control the bleeding or something..is this right or is there a much easier way???????????......thanks...Paul........

 

start the car, and start bleeding / pumping the brakes. start with the pessenger rear, then driver rear, then pessenger front, then driver front

the car has to be running to enable the brake fluid run

 

Henry,
P092576 is right about the need for the computer analyzer at least when it comes to bleeding the brakes on the 1998 GS400. Without the computer, the on-board ABS computer redirects braking force away from the caliper with the open bleed valve. So, when you pump up the pressure and then open the bleeder, a valve somewhere else in the system closes and NO fluid is expressed from the open bleeder. The computer analyzer over rides the ABS system. In general you are right though, proceed from the wheel furthest from the master cyclinder to the one closest to it.

 

So then what is the proper procdure to do this

 

nop, i am pretty sure that's not the case? i have had my brakes bleeded no problem a few times, and never needed to use any computer. one time it was even done on the jack. rmmgs4 also did it more than a few times on his jacks. i never have bubble problems

 

We have an air assisted bleeder at the shop from Snap On. It will bleed the brakes without having to touch the pedal so the ECU shouldn't affect anything at all. It actually sucks out the old fluid. Pretty slick and you can do it by yourself.

 

I just got through bleeding my brakes (1999 GS300). What a pain in the xxx00x0x0 . It's a combination of what's already explained by DetMich1 and rominl. Here's my observation and what I did so YMMV.

I have a motive "power" bleeder. This is a great tool and until now (with the GS300), allows me to flush/bleed the brakes by myself. It's a canister that you put brake fluid in and has a pump that allows you to pressurize the fluid. When you open the bleed valve the prussure forces the fluid thruogh the master cylinder thus bleeding the brakes without working the brake pedal.

With the GS300, when I open the passenger rear nothing came out. I was dumbfounded to say the least. Well I came on the board here and red that I needed to start the car. I started the car and open the bleed valve. Guess what? NOTHING. I had to get my wife to help. She worked the pedals while I opened and closed the bleed valve (I guess the old fashion way). The motive power bleeder continually feed the master cylinder so it was helpful. So with the rear completed I thought I was home free.

Guess what the front behaved almost exactly as DetMich1 explained. My wife would step on the brakes and I would open the bleed valve. Only a trickle of fluid came out of the valve. It took quite a long time to finally get clean fluid out of the front. Boy these cars are just too high tech to work on

So it can be done but it aint easy Hope this helps

 

bleeding of the brakes on this model is not hard or complicated.. i have done this procedure countless times as i have done several brake upgrades for gs guys down here including my own..


as henry pointed out the seq and hes also right about not needing any computer . it is essential to have the car on for thats what opens the abs circuits within the abs pump.. aside from that pass rear , driver rear pass front driver front , the most important thing is MAKE SURE THE RES IS ALWAYS FULL or else you will be bleeding air all day long..4-5 pumps then tell asst to hold while you release air and fluid but make sure the helper does not release pedal until you close valve or you will reintroduce more air back in . also tell asst not to pump pedal all the way to the floor for you will run the risk of blowg seals on master cyl..

 

man seems ike you had a lot of fun there bleeding the brakes. guess it looks a bit more complicated than when i did it myself. well, at least i was the one inside teh car pumping