Hello,

After a year or so of use, it's time to do some brake work. So as not to work in the dark or bother ths forum for every little detail, I first obtained a Bentley's manual. And still have questions!

On brake bleeding, step one in the manual is

1. connect factory scan tool & call up service function Bleeding....
2. connect pressure bleeder
3. starting at right rear wheel, connect bleed hose, open bleed valve and flush until clear, then close bleed valve - repeat for each wheel.

And you'd think you'd be done at that point. But no, then comes step 4:

4. starting at right front this time, connect bleed hose, open bleed valve and this time pump brake pedal at least a dozen time until clear, then close bleed valve with pedal held down- repeat for each wheel.

Which leads me to a couple of questions:

a) Factory scan tool and pressure bleeder? Are they serious? So, are they eseentially aying it is humanly impossible to bleed the brakes without a factory scan tool?

b) It sounds to me that we just bled the brakes twice. No?

Thanks.

 

OK, maybe I needed to phrase differently -

Who's bled their brakes and did you use a factory scan tool to actuate the ABS and if not did it turn out alright?

Thanks.

 

I've done 4 MCS first gens without a factory scan tool, can't imagine an R50 is that tool specific. It almost sounds like the insructions are for a complete flush, but still, I wouldn't think a scan tool is needed. Now bleeding the clutch slave can be a bear.

 

Here is a great how-to with a couple of methods: R50 bleed

 

I have an R53, I've bleed the brakes more times than I can count, and not once used a scan tool. I use a pressure bleeder, but those are cheap, although there's no reason you can do it without. Looks to me the Bentley manual is going the overkill route on this one.

 

I'll bet that even the dealer doesn't hook up the scan tool unless they think there's air in the ABS unit.

 

OK, thanks all.