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BRAKE SERVICING
When changing the front disc brake pads it is VERY important to open the bleeder screws on the caliper when pushing the piston back into the caliper to make room for the new pads. This will push the old fluid out the bleeder screw rather than back through the ABS unit.

Over time brake fluid gets sediment in it and the ABS unit contains VERY fine mesh screens and sensitive reset switches (ABS codes 61,62 etc..). If the mesh screens clog up with the sediment there is NO WAY to clean them and the ABS unit will need to be replaced at a cost of around $800. There have been MANY cases of ABS units malfunctioning after a three year old or more truck has had a front pads changed. The malfunction sometimes happens a week or two after or even before the truck even leaves the shop. Without this pushing of the piston back in at brake pad change time, the sediment doesn't move and does no damage or affect anything. When the ABS unit fails it is very likely that the next one installed will also fail as the sediment is still resident in the brake system. It has been known that Dealer technicians who do not know of this problem have accidentally ended up in using the ABS unit as a VERY expensive filter, replacing it two, three, even four times on one vehicle in the belief that they have had four "bad ones" in a row! If sediment contamination occurs the complete brake system must be flushed including the use of compressed air to blow through the lines with air (Unfortunately makes it very difficult to bleed the air out but is worth it to ensure the system is totally clean)

This procedure is worthwhile on all ABS systems, but for our Syclones and Typhoons it is CRITICAL!! If you take your truck in for the pad service you MUST specifically talk with the technician working on it and tell him to use the bleeder screw procedure.