[GRB]

Hi Everybody.

NC Newb here. Great site! Thanks for all you do to help out guys like me takin care of great cars on a limited budget!

The brake lines on my '98 have gotten a little rusty (thanks Ohio salt!) and when I stepped on the brakes to avoid a squirrel (no really) I blew out all three lines at the loom right under the EBCM. No damage, and I got her back home, but now I have to replace the lines. I am going to patch from the EBCM down to under the loom where they start to spread out. I'm pretty confident that this is the right thing to do and that I can do it, but the one thing I'm not sure about is how to bleed the system because I am introducing air to the ECBM....Is there anything I should know about this? What about the ABS system-any special procedures? Thanks, Garrick

 

[sea dog]

I would download the 98 service manual located in the 4th gen tech section. It will have instructions on how to do the job. Having said that, many newer cars with anti lock brakes, the service manual will tell you that the manufacturers scan tool must be used to bleed air out of ECBM.

If the manual tells you this, I've found the old shade tree technique of bleeding will get the air out of system. You start at the furthest brake from master cylinder. You attach a tube to bleeder and stick tube in an empty jar. Open bleeder and wait. Watch fluid flow, when it begins. When no air bubbles are there and a pure stream of brake fluid is present, you close bleeder.

Make sure you keep checking fluid level in master cylinder. Move to the brake that is next furthest from mc. Repeat procedure. Work your way closer to mc until all brakes are bleed.

IF ECBM has bleeder screws, start with it before going to the actual brake drums/calipers.

This procedure worked on a 94 jeep that resisted every attempt to get air out of system.

 

[GRB]

Thanks for the reply sea dog,

This is what I was kinda hoping to hear.

I downloaded the service manual and man it's a huge PITA to find your way through that thing! I never did find very much that applied to how to bleed the system, even after I checked out 'replacing the EBCM.' But it's completely possible that I just didn't see the right section or page, and unfortunately Haynes is useless on this too.

I'm going to leave this open for a couple days to see if there's any other advice, but after that I'll close it up and call it solved. Thanks.

 

[Injuneer]

The earlier factory manuals cover the bleeding procedure both with and without the Tech-1/2, both manual bleed and pressure bleed. I think the 98 manual may also have the alternative method for homing the ABS motors. In the 98 manual, look at volume 2 of 3, section 5, start with the index on page 5-5. There are many pages on how to bleed the brakes.

Start by loosening the front line and rear line from the master cylinder where they attach to the combination valve at the ABS motor unit (EBCM is the electronic control module). Bleed those, then the rear bleeder then the front bleeder on the ABS motor pack. Then right rear, left rear, right front, left front in sequence. Then do the ABS motor bleeders again.

 

[GRB]

Hey Fred,

I found the section in question: vol. II sec 5-48 pp.1795. Very useful info. that area of the manual also describes a complete flush

I noticed a couple things while I was there.

1.The procedure is different for cars with traction control. The procedure is pretty straight forward without TC. Like you say, simply bleed the ABS motor front and back the way you do the wheels before and after you bleed the calipers. For those with TC I recommend reading this section carefully.

2. The manual says when you bleed at the calipers, the order is: right rear, left front, right front, left rear. I've been around a while (even though I don't rate an AARP card yet!) and I've never heard this sequence mentioned before. Things that make you say Hmmm.

3. Fred has an AARP membership an NHRA membership a 300-shot dry nitrous but no NRA membership. Hmmmm!

I'm calling this solved except maybe for Fred!

 

[Injuneer]

I was a "junior" member of NRA back in the 50's....... think about it. I still have the "sharpshooter" medals somewhere in the basement.

Still have my .22 cal target rifles and two shotguns from "back in the day", and some relatively newer semi-auto handguns - ,22, .380ACP, 9mm.

Of interest..... when I was a teenager, my high school had a "rifle team" that participated in competitions with other schools, and my town sponsored a "junior rifle club" that met every Friday night at the local National Guard armory. What are the chances of anything like that existing today? Sad.