Funny, both a Jag tech and a youtube video says it does and I did this on my XK twice and it worked perfectly. Brake pedal was rock hard.

 

I finally finished the brake job. I had to purchase a computer on Amazon and interface it with the OBDII port, then choose ABS bleed. It started with telling me to open the bleeder valves in the rear left first, then the front left. Those seem to just be standard steps that can be skipped, though. The ABS didn't activate until the front right. Then I opened the bleeder valve and the ABS module burped a LOT of air out through the front right. This is on a LHD car. Pedal is rock hard again.

 

Good that you got it sorted out. Would you share waht computer tool you used

 

Correct! You MUST activate the ABS valves electrically or you are NOT changing the fluid trapped in the ABS reservoir. Regardless how hard you brake pedal is. That has zero to do with the ABS!
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Thanks

 

Yes dealers sometimes do it earlier than necessary for revenue purposes, but whether or not you know the following, your comment may be misleading or misinterpreted to the uninformed.

Brake fluid is not 'set for life' as it is hygroscopic thus absorbs moisture over time and them corrodes the brake line system from the inside. Also if it then gets very hot (eg track use) it could will affect proper breaking if the water in it boils to vapor. Cheap >$15 electronic fluid testers are available to determine water content of the brake fluid and whether it should be changes

Brake fluid moisture tester

So this is why brake fluid needs to be flushed and exchanged with new after a few years (e.g every 4 or 5 years).

 

Hey thanks for posting that!

You finally convinced me to get a brake fluid moisture tester as they are very cheap!
Mine is different but they all appear to operate the same way.

I also don't know how important the three different settings are either? DOT3, DOT4 and the newer DOT5.1 fluids.
Here is the one I got for about $16 on line.
You have to love how they mangle the English titles too!
Oh well at least they spelled it correctly on the tester itself!



One thing I have NOT done yet it test it on the bench with known levels of water in the brake fluid. I have read some reviews that these meters don't really work or don't work very well?

Anyone test theirs?
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Bit late coming to this thread. I have same problem, scanner is only activating and when bleeding front right wheel. Did you only bleed this wheel of did you try and bleed the others while the pump is running? My concern is that the rear valves won't be opened is scanner thinks it just doing the front right.
Thanks

 

I only bled the front right wheel while the pump was running. That solved the issue. I think the car only vents the ABS reservoir out of this caliper. Been driving the car since September 2023 without any issues.

 

Done that but still.spongy. scanner goes through a four wheel sequence so I would assume it's possible to bleed all four through each caliper. Thanks anyway

 

Well I found out those cheap capacitance brake fluid moisture meter's are pretty bad and inaccurate.
The better meters use a heater element and vaporize a small sample of brake fluid and then measures when it boils.
They do cost more so that's a draw back.

Here is a $65 one. If you have not seen this type of brake fluid tester before.
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Recommend Castrol SRF because when wet, it still stops well on track (can take heat when wet)....just a comment given it is like 85 dollars for a bottle....but I've been using it since my track days...hard habit to break.

dry boiling is 320C
wet boiling is 270C!!!


Compared to say Motul RBF 600 Racing fluid
dry 312C
wet 205C...

And many think Motul is superb (it is about 50 dollars a bottle). I just go SRF and don't think too much about it. I don't save money on brake stuff....

 

@Hotmill1 Please let us know your next step. And thank you @vkt for this thread and sharing your experiences and solution.

I am having this issue on a non-JLR car that just got the brake fluid changed during covered service. I believe the tech let air into the ABS reservoir. It was turned in with firm brakes and received back with spongy brakes. I actually was afraid this might happen being a DIY'er.

 

Does anyone from the states remember ATS Super Blue brake fluid? It was awesome, it was blue and you rotated between the blue and the clear every other change so you could visually see when all fresh fluid was coming out because of the color difference. They don't sell it in the US, any longer I suspect it has to do with someone drink the pretty blue fluid. Does anyone really know the reason?

 

Don't know the reason, but I used it religiously and miss not having it!

 

To compare to my above post:
ATS super blue

• Dry Boiling Point: 536°F (280°C)
• Wet Boiling Point: 392°F (200°C)

 

Wait a minute...

You mean, you don't let your fluid get BLACK before you replace it???

Just kidding, we replace BF every 3 years on daily drivers, and every year on the car we track once in a while.

Same schedule for clutch fluid.

 

I went back and forth between the ATE blue and the Amber colors? I also seem to remember a red version too?
Here is the Amber version I remember? ATE 200 Gold?
ATE DOT4 Amber

But I had also heard that the DOT had regulations on color so they had to stop selling it. Yes here are the DOT regulations on brake fluid color.

S5.1.14 Fluid color. Brake fluid and hydraulic system mineral oil shall be of the color indicated:
DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5.1 non-SBBF—colorless to amber.
DOT 5 SBBF—purple.
Hydraulic system mineral oil—green.

Government Regulations on Brake Fluid

The reason given was to avoid confusion to the end user and to prevent them from poring in the wrong fluid based on color.
Here is a statement from Continental/VDO (Makers of ATE brake fluid).

"The specific color requirement for brake fluid in the standard is to permit easy differentiation of brake fluids from other types of motor vehicle fluids before they are placed in the vehicle. If an incompatible fluid is put into a motor vehicle system, it could lead to damage or failure of that system."

BUT nothing stops you from adding dye to your brake fluid if you can find it.

This is a fact and we see it every day on this forum. People constantly ague over what color of coolant to use when it is all about what specifications the coolant needs to have and color is meaningless because coolant can and is manufactured in a whole rainbow of colors. Which again as we have seen caused lot's of problems for the end users.

So many people on this forum can't understand that all most all modern Jaguars use plain old Dex-Cool. It's nothing special and it's not unique to Jaguar.
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