Can You Bleed Brakes without using Bleeder Screw? A Step-by-Step Guide

“Brake bleeding” is a phrase used in the automotive industry to describe the process of removing air bubbles from the pipes and hoses that are part of the brake line system that carries the brake fluid.

It is essential for drivers, and particularly for younger technicians, to have a solid understanding of how to bleed brakes correctly. If you are unable to do this task, there is no need for concern because as soon as you complete reading this article, you will be familiar with the step-by-step guide on “can you bleed brakes without using bleeder screw”. Let’s get started.

The presence of brake fluid may create air bubbles, and those bubbles can diminish the efficacy of the brakes on your automobiles. Because of this, bleeding the brakes is an absolutely required step. Therefore, it is essential that you educate yourself on this topic in the event you face this issue. Remember that it is impossible to safely operate a vehicle whose braking system is not operating properly.

The presence of air bubbles in your car has the impact of not only decreasing the effectiveness of your brakes but also potentially causing harm to other significant components of your vehicle’s braking system. To ensure that the brakes on a vehicle continue to function at their highest possible level of effectiveness, it is recommended that they have bleeding performed on them at regular intervals of at least 2 years.

Can You Bleed Brakes without using Bleeder Screw? A Step-by-Step Guide

A bleeder valve is kind of a screw-type component that is connected to the brake caliper; this helps evacuate any trapped liquid or air from your vehicle’s brake system. The bleeder may be controlled either manually or automatically according to your preference. It is not difficult to bleed the brakes on your car provided that you have the appropriate maintenance equipment and that you pay close attention to the instructions and steps provided in this article.

When it comes to bleeding the brakes of your car, there are a few different approaches you may use. There are a few different methods for bleeding, including the gravity bleeding technique, the pressure method, the vacuum bleeding method, and the pump-and-hold approach. The various techniques of bleeding are used for various cars according to what is recommended the most.

Put on some protective clothing, such as hand gloves or a cover-all, for example, so that the corrosive brake fluid does not cause your skin to get harmed.

The following is a step-by-step guide that will teach you how to bleed brakes on your own without the use of a bleeder valve/screw:

Step#1: Make Sure the Vehicle has enough Braking Fluid

In order to carry out this operation without incident, the first thing you need to do is ensure that your car has a significant amount of braking fluid. This will stop the fluid from evaporating and leaving your master cylinder empty.

Step#2: Jack Your Car Up

You may now begin the procedure by jacking your car up to the appropriate height. To avoid the possibility of the vehicle falling to the ground, check that the jack is correctly positioned on a stable base.

Raise the jack beneath your vehicle to a height from which you can operate comfortably under the vehicle. If you don’t perform things the right way, you might put your life at risk.

Read our article on “how to use a car jack safely” for the best preventive measures.

Step#3: Take Out the Wheels

After you have effectively and correctly jacked up your vehicle, you will be able to take out each and every one of your car’s wheels.

Step#4: Find the Bleeder Screw

After that, you will need to go underneath the car in order to find the bleeder screw. This screw is often attached to each of your brake calipers. If you need to do this procedure at night, investing in an under-hood work light might prove to be very helpful. After you have located the bleeder screw, you will need to use a wrench to thoroughly loosen the screw. You may remove the screw more easily if you apply oil to the threads of it beforehand.

Step#5: Take the Brake Caliper off and Check Fluid Leakage

After that, take the brake caliper off the wheel and totally remove it. You will need to use a pair of pliers to get the brake caliper disconnected from the brake line that is linked to it. Position the end of your car’s brake line so that it fits into a container that is either empty or full of brake fluid. You are going to need someone to help you maintain pressure on the brake pedal as you watch how the fluid in the container reacts.

You will become aware of the old brake fluid leaking out of the brake line if you continue to apply pressure to the pedal in a constant manner. In the event that there are any bubbles, you will be able to see them clearly as they emerge. Carry on with this method until you no longer see any bubbles emerging from the break line. During this procedure, you need to make sure that your car is always filled with fresh brake fluid that meets the manufacturer’s recommendations. This is a very significant stage in the process.

Step#6: Empty the Caliper of Old Brake Fluid

After you have finished doing that, you will need to empty the brake caliper of any old brake fluid and then refill it with fresh brake fluid. Please check that you are using the kind of brake fluid that is suggested for your particular car. In addition to that, check to see if it is of a good grade. You can tell whether a bottle of brake fluid is fresh or if it is of great quality by looking at the color of the fluid. It is detrimental to the performance of the braking system to use brake fluid of poor quality.

Step#7: Fix the Brake Line into the Brake Caliper

Now carefully fix the brake line into the brake caliper on your vehicle. After that, reassemble it to your vehicle’s braking system. Please check that the bleeder screws have been correctly tightened and that the braking system is not leaking. You may rotate the brake disc in order to examine the movement of it, and doing so should not provide too much of a challenge. When you are connecting the brake line, check to see that the brake caliper is always facing straight up.

It is important to remember not to point the caliper in a downward direction so that the brake fluid that has been put into it does not leak out. Carry out the aforementioned steps for each of the wheels on your car.

In order to avoid causing any damage, please make sure that you do not put in a lot of effort while you are reassembling the braking system. When you have finished doing this, you will be able to reassemble your car’s wheels. Be sure to also give the screws that hold the wheels in place a good tightening.

Using the jack, you may now slowly lower your car to the ground. After that, add your fresh brake fluid until the maximum gauge reading is reached.

The Bottom Line

Learning how to bleed brakes is an important do-it-yourself skill that every driver ought to master. We hope that you are now aware of how to bleed brakes without using a bleeder valve and how to remove air from brakes without bleeding them. In the event that you have a loose brake pedal, it is a straightforward technique that anybody may do. When carrying out this activity, we urge that you make every effort to ensure that the safety guidelines are followed.