is the Bleeding tool a completely different tool then OBD scanning tool that My Friends has? He was cycling The HCU with His scanner???
If that scanner does indeed have the capability to cycle the HCU, and purge the trapped air bubbles, that's awesome.
Only higher end scanners have recently come out with that capability (that I know of). A couple years ago, they were over $2k for one, so they are not that popular, or common for an individual to own one.
If thats the case, then this might help you a little.
According to Ford, the ABS service bleed is only for the purpose of clearing the HCU reservoir of air after the system has been opened up-stream. A traditional pedal-pump bleeding it still required after the HCU is cleared.
Dealerships/service shops use the
NGS scan tool, and it has a certain sequence to follow to properly bleed the HCU. It uses vehicle specific programs that are inserted into the scan tool, as not all procedures are the same.
This is from Ford:
If equipped with the 4 wheel anti-lock brake system and the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) has been replaced or is suspected of containing trapped air; bleed the brake system using the procedure below. Conventional brake system bleeding cannot remove the air trapped in the lower portion of the HCU,if a spongy brake pedal is present and air in the hydraulic control unit is suspected, use the following procedure:
1. Bleed the brake system as outlined in the conventional bleeding procedure.
2. Connect a New Generation Star (NGS) tester or equivalent scan tool, to the serial data link connector below the instrument panel as though retrieving codes.
3. Make sure the ignition switch is in the RUN position.
4. Follow the instructions on the NGS screen. Verify correct vehicle and model year go to the "Diagnostic Data Link' menu item, choose ABS Module, choose "Function Tests", and choose "Service Bleed."
Now from here, it all depends on the vehicle model/year on what steps are next. After a couple mins of the service bleed, it tells you which caliper to pump bleed, one at a time. Not all models are bled the same way with the scan tool.
Reason I am saying all this, is if the scan tool your using is not vehicle specific, I wouldn't expect it to work properly using a generic program, but hey, you just might get lucky. Never know, it sure wont hurt to try.
