Rep Power: 319

Replacing the pollen filters and bleeding the brake lines is recommended to be done every 30k miles under severe driving conditions. Replacing the pollen filters do not require any special tools, you just pull out the old ones and insert the new. The best price you can find on the OEM ones can be found at H and A Accessories.com, at $25. Lets begin,

1) Stop by your local dealer or order your filters online. They will give you 2 different filters (one for each side), one is about $30 and the other is $20.



2) Empty out your glove box and remove the 2 plastic tabs in the far back that keep it from falling. They just pop out.



3) Once it's hanging down, you'll see the blower unit. To remove the cover for the filters, press the tab on the left side and pull it out.



4) You see the 2 tabs for the filters on the right side. Pull out on the first one, then slide the other one over and pull it out.



5) Here we have the old filters removed:



and comparing them with the new filters:



6) Both the old filters were the same, unlike the new ones I received.

New filter 1:



New filter 2 (note the difference):



7) Turns out that filter #1 (middle) is the same as the 2 filters I was using before, as shown in the pic below. Filter #2 (bottom) seems to be more generic.. I have no clue why there are 2 different ones. If someoen finds out, let me know so I can update the DIY.



8) Install the new filters with the air flow matching what it says on the filter housing, then put everything back together.

 
Rep Power: 319

Now, bleeding the brakes. I have never worked with brakes before, so this is a first time thing for me. If something in this procedure is incorrect, someone should let me know so I can update the post immediately. After searching a number of posts about the subject, I felt confident enough to try it on my own. Here we go,

1) Gather all your supplies and tools. You will need a 10mm and 8mm wrench, 1/4" or 3/16" tubing, about 1 quart of quality DOT 3 brake fluid (manual says Genuine Honda fluid only, your choice), a container maybe 6" by 6", and an assistant.



2) Jack up your whole car on jackstands, or drive up a ramp or whatever. It isn't necesary to remove the tires to get to the bleeding screws, but it gives you more room and light to work with.



3) Begin the bleeding process on the front drivers side wheel. It is critical that you bleed the lines in the correct order: go from the left-front, to right-front, to right-rear, then finish up on the left-rear.

4) Locate the bleeder screw and remove the rubber cap



5) Slide on the 10mm wrench, then attach the clear hose to the end of the bleed screw. Submerge the other end in a container of new brake fluid. The hose doesnt need to be any longer than 20", so cut off what you don't need. The shorter the better.





If you are using 1/4" tubing, i recommend you use a wire tie to secure it to the bleeder screw to prevent any air from getting into it.

6) Before you begin to bleed the lines, a few things you should know. Top off the brake fluid in your reservoir. It MUST be at the MAX level at the start of the procedure and checked after bleeding each brake, so add fluid as required. If the fluid falls below the MIN line you will screw up your brakes by letting air into the master cylinder.



Be careful not to get brake fluid on your paint. If you suffer the misfortune, wash it off immediately with ajax and rubbing alcohol. ..just kidding. Use water.

Make sure no dirt or other foreign matter contaminates the brake fluid.

7) Here we go! Have your assistant get in the car and slowly pump the brake pedal several times, then apply steady pressure. Now, loosen the bleed screw to allow air to escape. You'll know air is escaping by the air bubbles you see in the container of brake fluid. You should not leave the bleeder screw open for more then 5 seconds or you'll run your reservoir dry real quickly, since brake fluid is also released with the air. once you tighten the bleeder screw, your assistant can release the brake pedal. At this time you wanna check your reservoir and make sure it is still plenty above the MIN line. If it is, you can repeat this step again, and keep repeating it until you see no air bubbles.

I found myself having to refill the master cylinder reservoir for every 15 seconds worth of bleeding (about once every 3 cycles). I had to repeat the step 5 or 6 times per wheel before I was satisfied I got a majority of the air out.

8) Once you've completed the 2 fronts, you can move on to the right rear. The bleeder screw is right behind the drum. You do everything the same as the fronts, only this time the screw is an 8mm





9) That's it! Now just top off your brake fluid so it is at the MAX line and put the cap back on. Make sure you've tightened all the bleeder screws well and covered them with the rubber cap.. you don't wanna leave a trail of brake fluid everywhere you go. The fronts should be tightened to 6.5 ft lbs and the rears to 5 ft lbs.

Pour the container of old brake fluid into something that can be sealed up tightly and tossed. If you're gonna keep the rest of the new brake fluid, make certain the cap is on very tight. You can't let any moisture get into the bottle.

Hope you find this useful!

 
Rep Power: 315

umm....where's the credit to VINH?????
ahem.....

 
Rep Power: 319

vinh was my pedal pusher lol vinh your garage owns me.

 
Rep Power: 0

awesome diy man!!!

 
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good job....hell im on 77k with the orriginal brakes and fluid. no problems, and still plenty of pad left.

 
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Great DIY.
Did you notice any change in your car with the new filters?

 
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excellent job man ty i needed this

 
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same question for me, we shall do this sometime in vinh's garage.. when vinh does it, i'll probably do it, so let me know

 
Rep Power: 309

Great Job !! I just vacuumed my Micron Filters though ... stretching that almightly dollar.

On the part of bleeding brakes ...
How much fluid did you use ??
Does only Air come out of the Bleeder screw, or do you need to flush all the fluid out ??

thanks again for that awesome DIY. .

Please ask Derek to post this into the DIY section of 7thgencivic.com

 
Rep Power: 305

I have 2 pieces of advice for brake bleeders that will help you...

1) invest in a set of speed bleeders! you can do the entire job yourself without worries with these puppies. http://www.speedbleeder.com. Essentially what they do is allow you to open the bleeder valve and a spring/ball mechanism inside keeps air out and lets fluid flow. This way you can pump your brakes yourself. They will run you about $20 for the set depending on where you get them.

2) Switch between ATE Super Blue and ATE Super Gold each change. They are the exact same formulation, but the difference in colors allows you to see when you have flushed the old fluid from your lines more easily. Change from gold to blue and see blue coming out very obviously. Change from blue to gold and just the opposite, you see gold instead of blue.

If you autocross or opentrack alot, esp in hotter weather, changing your brake fluid is very important to reduce brake fade and keep your car on track.

hope this helps.

r

 
Rep Power: 0

great diy

 
Rep Power: 319

You only need about a quart. As you are bleeding the lines, fluid will come out along with the air. I noticed that first I'd get a lot of bubbles, then fluid would follow. I didn't wait too long after the fluid started to drain to tighten the bleed screw. after 6 attemps at bleeding it, you should successfully remove all the old brake fluid from the line.

 
Rep Power: 0

On the Speedbleeder website, they do not list the Civic 2001/2002 as
one of the cars for which they have a compatible product.

Did you have to special order?