[Shotimes] Brake Bleeding (master cylinder & hcu) Questions

[Kevin & Cheryl Airth]

Heikki:
 You should NOT have gotten air in the HCU. It is a sealed system separate
from the regular hydraulics. It is a good idea to bleed the HCU because the
conventional bleeding does NOT change any of the fluid in the ABS. I think
you still have air in the system. Sometimes the M/C must be bench bleed
before installation when new. So maybe you will have trouble getting all the
air out. I would just keep bleeding it and get the regular brakes back to
normal before messing with anything on the ABS. Only the dealer can cycle or
bleed the ABS properly. I have the aftermarket test box that works great!
The ABS is really not "bled". All the tester does is cycle the pump to draw
in fresh fluid from the reservoir. That's the big hose that comes off the
side of the M/C. And then discharges the old back into the system. So you
then need to rebleed the brakes to get this contaminated fluid out! Ford I
think over complicates the bleeding procedure.
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> Greetings.
>
> I have not posted for some time, but a new problem arose with my car so I
am
> again turning to the experts.  I recently did a brake job, and in the
> process managed to let the reservoir go dry.  Now I get the occasional ABS
> light, and my pedal feels a bit spongy.  I did bleed the brakes at the
> calipers.  I read through the manual and found a bleeding process which
> involves bleeding the master cylinder and HCU (I am thinking air got in
here
> when the reservoir went dry ?) and then performing the standard bleeding
> process.  The excerpt fom the manual is here:
> http://www.patmedia.net/laine/autos/SHO_brake_bleeding.jpg
>
> Would allowing the reservoir to go dry cause these symptoms?  Can this
> bleeding process be performed by a garage or strictly at the dealer?
>
> Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance.
>
> -Heikki
> '93 MTX