Long story short: Brembo brakes are harder to bleed.

Car was serviced in November 2015 and main Dealer noted on the VHC that brakes felt spongy, requires investigation.

I had the brake fluid changed in march 2016 at a local garage (as it was due) - made no difference and if anything got worse.

Car into an Indy today (LR Specialist) as brake pedal almost to the floor and it was damned scary.

Phone call to say car is done, took over 3 hours to fully bleed the system, the Brembos have 2 bleed nipples and it sounds like it's a tricky job to get all the air out. They commented that maybe the local garage who did the brake fluid got air in and didn't know how to bleed the system properly.

Pedal now firm as it should be . Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

Just realised this is in the wrong section:

As I am no longer a Mod I can't move it, can someone else attend to this. Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

done  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Sorry to drag up a 7 year old post buuuuuut

I've just changed pads and discs on the front of my Fatty with the Brembo 6 pots. I had to take the calipers off both sides for various pin related reasons and, although I clamped the hoses, inevitably I need to bleed the brakes.

My question is, as there are 2 bleed nipples, is there a specific method too get these brakes bled succesfully or is it the same as all oother cars but 2 nipples on the fronts so double thee bleeding?

Thanks for your help Dec 2021- 2010 Facelift TDV8 4.4 AB in Stornoway Grey.

Hi Goldstar,

Yes, I can help on this.
Last year I upgraded the brakes on my TDV6 to the larger diameter discs front & rear and added the front 6-pot Brembos.
(I am a specialist industrial brakes engineer for the past 30 years, so the mechanical stuff was quite straightforward).
However the bleeding is not so easy with these brakes! -you have to initially bleed the brakes in the conventional way to get rid of most of the air, starting with the calipers furthest from the reservoir, but then it requires the intervention of a diagnostic tool to run the ABS pump (engine running) to purge the remainder of the system. At the time I did not have the iCarSoft LR V3 tool, so had to take it to the local Indy, and even with the latest JLR PathFinder equipment, it took them 3 attempts to bleed the system correctly. The brakes are night and day different afterwards. Air can remain trapped in the ABS pump and result in a frustratingly spongy/scary pedal.
Unless you have the specialist equipment, I suggest going to a land rover indy or dealer.
Craig or Phoenix may offer more knowledgable advice on this subject -the industrial stuff I deal with has no ABS and I know nothing about such systems unfortunately.  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” -where’s the fun in that?

Good shout Gremlin500🤞  Willie
2008 TDV8 Santorini Black

Glad Goldstar raised this.
Wonder if the use of one of the pressure bottle kits on sale these days would take care of the problem, anyone?
Dave

@Nylands,

I used such a kit, it didn’t do the job unfortunately. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” -where’s the fun in that?

Thanks Gremlin. I should have mentioned that I have an IID - does that do the job of a proper bleed does anyone know? Thanks Dec 2021- 2010 Facelift TDV8 4.4 AB in Stornoway Grey.

AFAIK the GAP has an ABS purge function but not sure if this is the same as a full brake bleed function. The main issue for most will also be the fact that the bleed nipples will be galvanicaly seized in the calliper body so bleeding the brakes will be impossible anyway. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

You’re not helping my optimism  Dec 2021- 2010 Facelift TDV8 4.4 AB in Stornoway Grey.

I can't see that changing the front callipers needs a diagnostic tool, I find gravity bleeding works well... Open the bleed nipples, keep the reservoir filled up and wait till it drips out cleanly with no bubbles... always worked for me and this way prevents the system sucking in air.....

From the manual,

If any components upstream of the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU),
including the HCU itself are replaced, the brake system must be bled
using Land Rover approved diagnostic equipment. This will ensure
that all air is expelled from the new component(s).
Bleeding of the complete brake system must be carried out using
Land Rover approved diagnostic equipment. Where only the primary
or secondary brake circuits have been disturbed in isolation, it should
only be necessary to bleed that circuit. Partial bleeding of the
hydraulic system is only permissible if a brake tube or hose has been
disconnected with only minimal loss of fluid. Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Very helpful thank you. I’ll try bleeding them and see what happens. Cheers Dec 2021- 2010 Facelift TDV8 4.4 AB in Stornoway Grey.

Goldstar wrote:

Thanks Gremlin. I should have mentioned that I have an IID - does that do the job of a proper bleed does anyone know? Thanks

Haylands wrote:

I can't see that changing the front callipers needs a diagnostic tool, I find gravity bleeding works well... Open the bleed nipples, keep the reservoir filled up and wait till it drips out cleanly with no bubbles... always worked for me and this way prevents the system sucking in air.....