SG Lou

Ditto to just about everything you said. Only thing different was i purchased a refurbished Dell Laptop with Windows XP SP3 loaded into it for $90.00
tis 2000 software works like a charm

K-Spaz

I just finished this process on my 2003 2500 HD Silverado. It was very different than my 98 Vette. On the Vette, I hooked up the tool and the power bleeder (pressure can for the top of the master cylinder). Then, it told me to open and close bleeders on the car all the way around, LR first, then RR, then RF, then LF Last. On the LR and RR, it ran the pump with the ABS system and it looked like a fire hose pumping out fluid. So much, I had to refill the reservoir each time. On the fronts, it did run the pump, but didn't blast out fluid. Idk, maybe it knew there wasn't any air there. I don't know.

Today doing my truck, it never asked me to open a bleeder. I was all prepared for it. Go in the truck, it says a bunch of safety crap, in park, brake on, yada yada yada. Then, press and hold brake pedal to start procedure. I hit the brake and it went right to the floor. Then the ABS pump pumped it back up and pushed my leg back, then down again, rinse repeat 4 or 5 more times. That was IT! Said procedure finished. I hit exit and the brakes were bled. What a PITA that has been before buying this Tech2. I have paid $80 at the stealership for a T2 Brake Bleed (which they never did, obviously). I've used >2 GALLONS of brake fluid in this truck trying to bleed these brakes. Today, use 0 fluid and it's done.

$(%#@% (&(@#$) stealership...

Pounder

I wonder if it back bleeds the trucks though the Master Cylinder ???

K-Spaz

At least for everything on the top end, I'd say yes. Now if you've got fluid down in the calipers, that needs to go out the other way. But past that, this thing bleeds the system. Also puts GOBS of dirty fluid from the ABS unit into the reservoir. I sucked it out with a turkey baster and replaced that too.

Pounder

So before this you bled the crap out of it and still had soft pedal// Auto bleed= hard pedal ???

Rob 02

I installed an all new brake system except for the ABS block and a few hard lines.

I didn't have a Tech II so I let the wheels spin on jack stands that seemed to work because the fluid level dropped and got dirty.

Thanks for the advice.

K-Spaz

Exactly. Talked to the guy who owns a repair shop 1 block behind me and told him about it today. He said he's got a SnapOn tool and has a customer with a chevy pickup that has had the same spongy pedal for a couple years. He's done the bleed with that thing multiple times for them, pressure bled, done everything he knows. It won't clean it out. He's gonna use my T2 to try it on that thing next time it's in.

Pounder

I love it when a plan comes together !!!!

jjc508520

Following....

aerovette99

What an OUTSTANDING writeup. I am considering one also. They are about $315 from China, and come with a Candi 32mb card. I'm not real certain as to what all of this is, but if it will work the ABS for PROPER bleeding, then it's worth its weight in gold. Since I replaced my pads and pressed in the pistons, all the gravity bleeding and regular bleeding has not brought back my brakes. They have been decent, but not like they were prior to pressing in the piston. Air had to have gotten trapped in the ABS, because I bled this car so many times, and used 2 quarts of brake fluid in the process.

Rx7Rob

Kick'n this old one alive ...

I'm using the nano (T2 clone) on a 2000 (no active handling). I drill down through the menus as listed above and only see auto-test but not auto-bleed. Auto test runs for about two seconds. Do the non-active handling cars have auto-bleed?

Guess I could crack a bleeder and try running the test.

k24556

The purpose of the auto-test is to cycle each element in the module briefly to validate noDTC codes pop up. It does not sequence the solenoids in proper order to get air out of the system.

The knockoff clones don’t support auto bleed for 2000 or older IIRC. My clone T2 will auto bleed my 02 Z06. I have an AutoEnginuity scan tool, and they did not have an auto bleed for my 02, and I no longer own an older C5 to see if the function is available.

You might try lying to the tech 2 on model year, telling it your car is a later year. I think it may not auto bleed because the pin outs from the electronic side to the solenoid are different. Don’t know for sure,though

Rx7Rob

Excellent idea!! I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

Rx7Rob

Bummer, didn't work. It won't communicate with the car if I select 2001 or 2002.

There is a TCS test that I can access for the 2000. Sounded like a lot more things were happening as compared to the ABS test. No idea what its doing, I thought the 2000 had an unsophisticated TCS and only backed off the throttle when the wheels slip.

k24556

I think the Chi-coms all used the same firmware in the knock-off T2’s I bought one in 2009 or so when they started showing up. Back then, I had a ‘00 FRC that was a track/street car. There was no auto-bleed function then. I have a newer T2 clone, the first one croaked. and it is the same way.

I always had good pedal, and ABS would occasionally activate when it should have, so I quit worrying about the condition of the fluid in the ABS. Some will say activation will flush the ABS, but I never saw evidence of this, I always used ATE fluid and when it was available, would switch from yellow to ATE blue every other year.

On my 00FRC, it did not have the optional AH/ VSES, but TCS would activate in certain turns on the track when I tried to pour the beans too early to get the back to rotate a bit. So even with the “basic” TCS it would try to “protect me”. HPDE organizers used to set up wet skid pads all the time, and you HAD to turn off TC to get the car to skid and rotate. I will say that the 00 TCS was slow and tended to activate too late in a spin, and not be much help. A wet skid pad would show that in spades. I [think] in a spin, TCS really didn’t activate ABS unless you were on the brakes. It sure enough takes away power, though. If you left-foot brake, you have to turn off TCS or the car will go wet-noodle limp on you. I found this especially when MY idea of a balanced car differed from the car’s idea of balance. The car wins, though. As in relationships with women, You have to ASK a car, not TELL a car.

Rx7Rob

Absolutely, TCS is off for every track day and most street days.

Was on the wet skidpad last weekend. Got deep into ABS when spinning. Pedal went from feeling normal to hard as a rock when in ABS. When back on the track for the next session, pedal was soft / low. Guess I'll just do a standard bleed.

k24556

What brake calipers are you running. If the stock, then maybe boiled fluid or pad knock back.