Superduty ABS bleeding.

Kevin 007

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Just did a full brake job on a 99 F series. Master, calipers, rotors, lines/hoses etc. Bled till the cows came home via conventional two person method, vac method, gravity method. After bench bleeding the M/C first.

There is still sponge in the pedal although there is no visible bubbles in the fluid coming from the bleeders.

I hear the ABS module can get air in them and have to get electronically bled by the dealer scanner. I do have use an Autoenginuity scanner (w/Powerstroke Enhanced Package) and called tech support but there is no ABS bleed function on the scan package.

I have tried bleeding the ABS unit manually by cracking each of the 5 lines, 1 at a time while someone pumped and help the brake pedal. There was no noticeable air in it.

Does anyone have any tricks to bleeding the ABS unit without having to use a dealer scanner?
 

79jasper

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Some say to hit a gravel road and lock up the brakes a few times.
But.... I don't know who you talked to, but AE will infact bleed the abs. It's under "service bleed."


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Kevin 007

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Yeah I spoke with AE twice today and they are adamant that they have no service bleed for the 99 that im working on. They have it available for 2004 and up however.
 

79jasper

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Ah, I did see some people say they tried it, didn't work. But wasn't a ton of people. Gravel road may be your best bet.

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Kevin 007

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There is apparently a program or an "app" called Forscan that will work.
I am going to try to get my hands on it. I'd like to get the proper tooling rather then doing the gravel road thing on a customers truck or future trucks that may not be drivable at the time, etc.

Anyone run the Forscan program? Know where to get it?
 

Kevin 007

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Downloaded Forscan, it did what it was supposed to and cycled the ABS Module. Thanks.

Is a single service bleed usually enough or does it sometimes have to get done multiple times? I am still having soft pedal issues with no visible air at the bleeders. Im wondering if I should service bleed a bunch of times? And im assuming the bleed is done with the engine running? Its not even letting me run the function, with the engine off.
 
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