I have the Schwaben scan tool and a newly acquired 2009 R55 that is now due for a brake fluid flush.


I have had trouble finding exactly what to do when you activate the ABS to
properly flush the little bit of old fluid in the unit.
I have found it on the tool and pressing to activate it does work, but not sure
about the procedure or timing or sequence as I've seen a couple posts with differing instructions.


Do you activate the ABS between pressure bleeding, while pressure bleeding, follow activation with pressing the pedal, or other?

 

No need to activate the ABS. Best way is to get a pressure bleeder and it’s a quick easy no air in the line job.

I got this one and works perfect.

 

That’s the one I have.
Just thinking some else had the MINI for 9+
years before me and I’m not sure when it was
actually done last or with what fluid,
so since I have the ability to purge the fluid
in the ABS block too when I pressure bleed it,
I might as well do it, and do it correctly.

 

Three years later...

I am trying to find the same info to cure a soft pedal ('06 R53 JCW). Have the Schwaben tool (by Foxwell). It has a specific brake bleed function with 3 options going into it. It asks what did you do: 1) flush fluid, 2) replace brake lines, 3) replace ABS unit. Each one of these options does the same thing as far as instructions...tells you to go to each wheel and open the bleed screw. That's it.

I can drill down into another menu and get to the ABS system to open each ABS exhaust and intake valve and one option to run the pump. I suppose the valves open but I cannot hear anything. Of course, the pump is very obvious when it turns on.

Lot of time investment - no results (yet).

 

Which version of the tool do you have? When was last time you updated the software? I'm a beta tester for Foxwell, and have reported problems with the brake-bleed function i.e. Insufficient time between activating the bleed function in the scanner and getting to the bleed screw before the scanner times out, and the sequence of bleeding the individual wheels was incorrect (compared to the manual) in the scan tool.

Which power bleeder are you using? Keep in mind, the scan tool is only one part of the equation. You have to follow the steps in the Bentley service manual or BMWTIS while activating the system.

Your best bet at this point is to simply bleed the brakes using a power bleeder; the Motive bleeder works well.

 

I have the 510NT Elite. I may not have that exactly correct, but that is close. Updating the software was an enormous pain. Foxwell's website is so bad. I thought I was supposed to use FoxAssist, then I convinced myself it was FoxScanner. In the meantime, I erased the scanner software. Contacted tech support and eventually got it back and working using FoxAssist. What is the USB flash/thumb drive they sent with the scanner? They actually call that somewhere in the documentation a TF Card (which stands for Trans Flash card) which is the same as an SD Card, apparently. They need to use both terms in their documentation. I've never EVER heard of an SD card called a Trans Flash card, but either way the USB drive they supplied is NOT a TF card or SD card. I have no idea how to use it, but don't need to at this point (I don't believe).

I FINALLY found "Ventilation" - the menu I needed to drill into. Ventilation is not an obvious word to get to brake bleeding. This allows me to exercise the ABS and valves at each wheel. It worked as I saw quite a few very, very small bubbles coming out with the fluid. Pedal feel improved (not where I wanted it), but I then decided to go ahead and swap in a new Master Cylinder. Doing that today and will run Schwaben tool again afterwards and cross fingers this helps.

have several bleeders, but typically use 5-10 psi air on the reservoir to avoid the mess. I also use the old fashioned two-person, push-on-pedal method to make double sure all is good. Of course, have to do several refills to keep the fluid high enough.

 

Understand. Foxwell had two different websites for updating their equipment. The newer Fox assist is for the newer scanner like the NT530.

Correct, the TF is really an SD card. You simply pull the SC card from the scanner, put in the card reader. Once you open the applicable Foxwell update program, put the card reader in the computer and the software will automatically (if you've registered your scanner) read the card and display what updates (if any) are available. It's a piece of cake once you get used to it.

PM me a picture of the card reader. We'll get this sorted out.

 

So, to summarize my brake situation...new rotors and pads all around. Got the Schwaben scanner and used it to exercise the ABS pump while bleeding the brakes. The keys to getting this working on the scanner was turning the ignition to the second click (not just the first) and following the "Ventilation" menu. Pedal feel improved somewhat.

I put in a brand new master cylinder (MC). Bench bled it before install - no problems. After MC install I have done so much bleeding I probably cannot recount - all to no avail. I bled the system the old fashioned way at least 2x. Use various modes on the Schwaben tool - some which exercise the pump and some that do not (but I assume exercise ABS valves). Bled the brakes with the pedal continuously pressed. Bled the brakes with the car running. Drove the car to exercise the ABS (a LOT!). ABS seems to work fine. Bled brakes after that - no joy. No leaks anywhere. Steel-braided lines to the calipers. Rear calipers are pretty tight (read somewhere they should be fairly tight to avoid excess pedal travel).

The pedal gets MUCH softer once the car is started. I'd love to know what is going on with the ABS/DSC after the car is started.

If I hold the pedal under a large force, it goes down slowly a bit and then stops. This is with a lot of force (like at the track) - you would never notice any issue driving around town.

Any ideas?

 

Sounds like you are trying to fix a non-existent problem. You have described a normal brake system for a Mini. Most brake systems have a certain amount of "softness" by design, this makes it easier to modulate the pedal prior to lockup.

Vacuum pump activates after engine start, this pulls on the booster, thus you don't need to push so hard.

 

I agree with the previous poster. Had the same feeling - this must be more firm. Also got steel braided lines. Changed MC (what a pain). Waste of time. Make sure you can safely stop, can do ABS braking easily, then drive the setup for a bit so that the pads and rotors are broken in.

Eventually you'll realize it's all fine.

 

Yeah I get the vacuum boost makes the pedal feel softer, but it also goes from a firm stop (engine not running) to traveling at least another inch (or two) before stopping.

I disagree the pedal travel is by design. You don't modulate brakes by moving the pedal an inch or more back and forth. Modulation should just be a change in pressure on the pedal with the pedal hardly moving at all.

This is a sealed hydraulic system. Hydraulic fluid is not compressible. Once pressure starts to build, that should pretty much be the end of any significant movement of the pedal. If not, then there is either air in the system or fluid moving past one of the master cylinder piston seals (assuming the pedal mechanism itself is not flexing). The booster and the MC don't have any flexible parts in the chain - just steel on steel compressing the MC. Anyway, I have one more idea - to work brake pedal pressure while simultaneously using the scan tool to exercise the pump and having a second person work the bleed valves.

There was improvement after the first phase of working the ABS system (before MC change) and I did see a lot of very small bubbles coming through in the fluid. I mean they were small, but clearly visible in the tube. This tells me I can get better from where I am now. The argument against that is I have not been seeing any of those bubbles in recent attempts.

Thanks for replying and I will report back...ultimately you may be right, and I'll figure out how to live with it.

 

One possibility is that there is a small bubble trapped in the rear caliper parking brake mechanism. Occasionally I've had some success by applying and releasing the park brake when this seems to occur.

 

Good point. I have not spent much time thinking about that at all, except to make sure the brake was not on when bleeding. Heck maybe I should bleed with the parking brake on. I'm not even sure how it works. Good area to think about though!
Of course, I discovered the rear caliper piston rotation thing when trying to swap pads!