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Autopapyrus · Toyota Camry XV70
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/toyota/camry/brake-system-bleeding/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Toyota Camry XV70: Brake System Bleeding

Bleeding the brake system removes air from the hydraulic brake circuit after a fluid change, caliper repair, or any loss of circuit sealing. The procedure must be done in strict order, from the farthest circuit to the nearest.

Difficulty: Medium Time: 1 hour Steps: 11 Tools: jack, lug wrench, 10 mm open-end wrench, clear silicone tubing (6-8 mm inner diameter), catch container, DOT 4 brake fluid (1 L (1.06 qt)), helper

Part

  • 🔩 DOT 4 brake fluid (Toyota 08823-80004 or equivalents Castrol React DOT 4, ATE DOT 4)
There's a full repair manual for this car Every system, wiring diagrams and torque specs — not just this job. Haynes and 5 more. See manuals →

Step by step

11 steps
  1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, apply the parking brake, and remove the wheels (loosen the lug bolts while the car is on the ground, then raise it with the jack and support it on jack stands).
  2. Open the hood and locate the brake master cylinder reservoir (at the left edge of the engine compartment, by the firewall). Top up the brake fluid to the MAX mark.
  3. Start with the right rear wheel. Find the bleeder screw: on the rear caliper it is on top, toward the center of the car; on the front caliper it is at the back, toward the engine.
  4. Fit the clear tubing onto the bleeder screw and put the other end into a container with a small amount of brake fluid (the end of the tube must stay submerged, which prevents air from being drawn back in).
  5. Have your helper press the brake pedal 3-4 times and hold it down. While it is held, loosen the bleeder screw half a turn with the 10 mm wrench. Fluid with air bubbles will flow through the tube, and the pedal will sink to the floor.
  6. Tighten the bleeder screw (torque 8-10 N·m (6-7 lb-ft); tighten carefully and do not overtighten). Have your helper release the pedal only after the screw is tightened.
  7. Repeat the cycle "pump the pedal, hold it, open the bleeder screw, close the bleeder screw" until clean fluid without air bubbles comes out of the tube (usually 5-8 cycles). After every 2-3 cycles, check the reservoir level and top it up. If the level drops below MIN, a new batch of air will enter the system.
  8. Move to the left rear wheel, then the right front, then the left front, in strictly that order. At each wheel, repeat the procedure until the bubbles disappear.
  9. After bleeding all four wheels, top up the reservoir to the MAX mark and close the cap tightly.
  10. Install the wheels, lower the vehicle, and tighten the lug bolts (torque 103 N·m (76 lb-ft)).
  11. Start the engine and press the brake pedal several times. It should feel firm and should not sink. If the pedal is soft, repeat the bleeding.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • Do not reuse old drained fluid. Do not mix different fluid types (DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 5.1). Keep brake fluid off the paint, because it eats away the finish. On models with ABS/ESP, additional bleeding with the ABS pump activated may be needed after bleeding. This requires a diagnostic scan tool. If the pedal stays soft after normal bleeding, take the vehicle to a repair shop.
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