2006 Citroen Xsara Picasso brakes bleeding

Car: Citroen Xsara Picasso
Year: 2006
Variant: 1.6 HDi Exclusive
Categories: Steering, Suspension, Brakes, Wheels & Tyres
Hello,
I have a problem with bleeding brakes on my Xsara Picasso.

I had to change the drivers rear brake caliper and then I wanted to bleed the brakes. I bled the brakes 3 times (all wheels around, first rear ones then front ones) but the brakes still do not work. At the end of the bleeding there was no air coming out of any wheels.

Is there a certain method that I have to use when bleeding the brakes? Can anyone help me with this please?

Thank you very much in advance
Andy
Posted: Apr 21, 2015 (9 years ago)
Put a brake pipe clamp on the line to the calliper you replaced and check the pedal.
Hard now?
calliper piston needs set.
Nothing special on these when it comes to bleeding,
So I'm wondering if you fitted new pads?
Or even the old ones,
Callipers come from the box with the self adjusting piston in the fully retracted position.
So it either has to be the hand brake pulled on/off multiple times to let the piston "wind" out to operating position.
A right pain in the but in my opinion!
What I do is with the cable un hooked is work the calliper operating lever on and off.
After a few times you'll feel the lever movement change,
keep doing it until very little of the calliper lever movement applies pad to disk,
This means the piston has moved out on it's internal ratchet.
then refit the cable and adjust free play at the h/brake lever to 5 clicks.

Posted Apr 21, 2015 (9 years ago)
Thank you for the advice.
I set the brake caliper as you wrote, but the brake pedal is not getting any better.

Because the car has got ABS, I was adviced that I have to bleed the brakes using a presser bleeder. Either a small unit with a pressure head or a can that I connect to a spare tyre and use the tyre pressure. I found 3 different affordable bleeder kits.

1;) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-VS820-Clutch-Bleeding-System/dp/B000ROARTI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429705720&sr=8-1&keywords=brake+pressure+bleeder

2;) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Puregadgets%C2%A9-Universal-Bleeder-Motorbike-Bleeding/dp/B00O9XEQU4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1429705720&sr=8-5&keywords=brake+pressure+bleeder

3;) http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Tool-Connection-Ltd-G4062F/dp/B001KTFIWA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429705720&sr=8-2&keywords=brake+pressure+bleeder

Has anybody used any of them?

Which one of them can bleed the brakes properly and you would recommend me to buy?

Thanks

Andy
Posted Apr 22, 2015 (9 years ago)
I'm not to fond of pressure bleeders.
there's always a chance of seal damage if the pressure is too high.
For problem brakes I either use vacuum,see "Mityvac"
or there's a bike mechanics trick.
they use a big hypodermic syringe and nipple sized pipe to "inject" fluid in the bleed nipple and back up to the master.
I've never known that to fail.
Posted Apr 22, 2015 (9 years ago)

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