Can someone please provide some input on brake fluid change on '01 Montero Ltd. I have a Motive power bleeder and a subscription to online manual for the car. It appears that the process of changing or bleeding brake fluid is not that simple as it is with most of the cars. It shows that brake booster and few other hydraulic components need to be bled. Am I wrong? If anybody has done it properly, please chime in. Thanks

 

dont think you can actually bleed the system without a scan tool, as the rear brakes are COMPLETELY electro-hydraulic. there is no direct connection between the rear brakes and the pedal.
the front brakes should be able to be bled normally, but you definatly need a scan tool to bleed the inner workings of the hydraulic booster...

I may be wrong about the rears, since ive only needed to bleed the brakes on a newer montero once. But I know for sure you cant bleed the inner chambers of the HBB without a scan tool.

 

Thanks

 

Just curious... How is the scan tool used to bleed the brakes?

Maybe I'm not clear here... isn't there simply a fill hole and a bleed hole you open, then you pump the brakes while filling the fluid in the fill hole?
Then once the new fluid comes out (difference in color) you simply stop pumping and close off the bleed hole and make sure where you're filing it back up from is full.

Is the scan tool used to reset the system once the brakes have been bled?

 

the system is NOT a typical brake system as you know it. its a hydraulic brake booster that electronically controls the rear brakes. There is NO direct connection between the pedal and the rears. The system is also pressurized to about 2000psi via an accumulator and electric motor.
there is no "pumping" on this, as you dont apply any pressure to the rears... thats done by the booster assembly.
you are ONLY directly applying pressure to the fronts.
so you need to be able to run the motor, multiple ABS valves, and boost pressure to properly bleed the system, which you really cant do unless you have a scan tool...

except for the fronts, which should behave like you're used to.

 

Interesting. Fly by wire... but I see they only did it to the rears and not the front.

 

Yeah, this is not uncommon. My Audi needs a VAG tool to bleed and replace brake fluid also. The scan tool activates the ABS pump.....in order to completly and propperly bleed it.

 

thats the complete failsafe function.... although the system is basically fullproof (never having had to fix a thing on it), the fronts are mechanical in case of 100 percent system failure.

 

Exactly... for example when an alternator dies.

 

well, actually, the system will run off battery power, so the car will probably die long before the brakes stop working correctly... also, the accumulator maintains pressure for about 30 stops even if the pump stops...

I meant something more catastrophic, like an internal valving failure.