ncwoz

My '01 Maxima was a little low on brake fluid and I don't think I topped it off quick enough and there's some air in the system now. Looking to probably bleed the brakes, although I haven't done it before.

Any tricks of the trade that'd be good to know? I've looked into brake bleeding a bit and found some mixed reviews on the complexity of doing it. Seems like some people say it's quick and easy, others mention it's tough with ABS and sometimes doesn't even get the air out of the system well.

Any help would be appreciated!

Tarzan

Watch youtube videos. You are going to need a 10mm wrench, a length of clear silicon hose and a clear bottle to catch brake fluid into. And you fill from a brand new bottle which you just broke a seal on, never use one which was open for any length of time!
Be careful opening the bleeder valves, do not snap or round them. Try not to lose rubber caps if you still have them.
And yes, you need a helper to pump the pedal.

ncwoz

Great, thanks! So does that mean I'm good not to worry about doing anything specific for the ABS?

mclasser

I recommend putting a brick underneath the brake pedal so you don't press it down to the floor. Pedal bleeding on an older car can stress the master cylinder so you want to be careful.

Tarzan

Download the FSM and read the section on bleeding brakes. I am not sure if the process is different for a Maxima with ABS. Don't GM and Ford only need a special process?