Brake Fluid Replacement — Condensed Bleeding Procedure
Applications: 2018–2021 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, 2019–2022 Insight, and 2020–2022 CR-V Hybrid.
We created this procedure for routine brake-fluid replacement on applicable Honda hybrid vehicles equipped with the electric-servo brake system because the service manual procedure is a little hard to follow. It’s mostly the same as the factory procedure, it just clearer and omits information most mechanics already know.
We bleed the brakes in two passes: one with the vehicle in ON mode and one with the vehicle in OFF mode. This isn’t the complete air-bleeding procedure required after the hydraulic system has been opened, run dry, or repaired.
Honda mentions pressure bleeding and vacuum bleeding are acceptable methods, but this method is preferred (because you leave old brake fluid in a section of the system). They also caution that if you press the brake pedal with a pressure bleeder attached, you’ll damage the master cylinder.
Brake Fluid Replacement — Condensed Bleeding Procedure
Bleeding order
Use this order for both bleed passes:
- Left front — driver side
- Right front — passenger side
- Right rear — passenger side
- Left rear — driver side
Keep the brake-fluid reservoir at the MAX line. Check and refill the reservoir after bleeding each wheel.
First bleed pass — vehicle ON
- Put the vehicle in ON mode.
- Bleed all four wheels in the specified order.
- Press the brake pedal slowly while the vehicle is in ON mode.
- Continue bleeding each wheel until clean, new fluid appears.
This pass bleeds the hydraulic circuit between the tandem motor cylinder and each brake.
Power down the brake system
- Position the assistant in the driver’s seat.
- Open the driver’s door and leave it open.
- Put the vehicle in OFF (LOCK) mode.
- From this point forward, do not open, close, or otherwise change the position of any door.
- Wait at least three minutes.
- Do not operate any door during the wait or during the second bleed pass.
The Honda procedure states that doors must not be opened or closed after the three-minute wait. Keeping all door-switch states unchanged from shutdown through completion of the second bleed pass prevents door operation from waking the brake-control system or restarting the shutdown delay.
Second bleed pass — vehicle OFF
- Leave the vehicle in OFF (LOCK) mode.
- Bleed all four wheels again in the same specified order:
- Left front
- Right front
- Right rear
- Left rear
- Continue bleeding each wheel until clean, new fluid appears.
- Keep all doors in the same position until all four wheels have been bled.
This pass bleeds the hydraulic circuit between the pedal-feel simulator and each brake.
Final check
- Set the brake-fluid level to the MAX line.
- Door operation may now resume.
- Put the vehicle in ON mode.
- Apply normal pressure to the brake pedal.
- Hold the pedal for approximately three seconds.
- Release the brake pedal.
- Confirm that the brake-system indicator does not illuminate.