Vacuum bleeders do not work well on newer Mercedes (mid-80's & up) with ABS and definitely not with ASR (traction control). The factory manuals specifiy pressure bleeding or pumping the pedal. Vacuum won't pull the fluid past the system's internal valves. You can use vacuum bleeding on the older brake systems, but even then there is no advantage to vacuum over pressure bleeding.

See the attached picture of my coffee-can bleeder.

A pickle jar, a coffee can, about 6 or 8 feet of vacuum hose, and a binder clip.

Coil about a foot in the bottom of the pickle jar, which then sits in the coffee can. The other end of the hose plugs on a bleeder nipple. Crack the bleeder loose, plug the hose on, and manually loosen the bleeder while the hose stays attached. Bleed the brakes. Finger tighten the bleeder. Pull the hose and wrench-tighten the bleeder.

The can is broad enough to sit flat on the floor and not be tipsy.

You can tip the can to spill brake fluid out of the pickle jar and into the can, and thereby keep track of how much fluid is being bled.

The binder clip just provides a parking spot for the loose end of the hose, That avoids the loose end of the hose falling on the floor and siphoning everything into a big mess

Attached Files

bb2.pdf (35.9 KB, 84 views)