Bought a 2015 Rav4 (J-VIN) with 98k miles and it's been driven in Southern California - NO RUST. Rear passenger caliper is seeping brake fluid (from around the bleeder valve threads) after a well-needed brake flush (possibly the original brake fluid as Toyota and Carfax service records do not show any brake fluid changes). The bleeder was in really tight to begin with. I figure the steel bleeder damaged the caliper threads. What are my options? I am already extended financially so budget is important but my daughter's safety is obviously more important.
What should I do first? Troubleshooting? Do i have to replace in pairs? Are rebuilt ones safe? I'm a big believer in original parts but that seems like it will be too much money.
Being in Southern California, everybody charges a lot more for basic stuff. I guess that's what credit cards are for.
Here's the "final" solution/answer to all of this.
The valve was definitely overtorqued. There was a deformation at the internal end of the valve. The threads on the caliper were worn looking but I did not see any debris and the valve's threads looked ok too.
The OEM caliper assembly replacement I ordered through parts.toyota.com came with the bleeder valve and I didn't know, so I bought a bleeder valve as well. (Most of what I get, you gotta buy every little piece seperately...) The conical end was very clean and had a flat/straight surface.
It's not the threads that seal, the bleeder tightens against a matching seat in the caliper. Take a close look at the tip of the bleeder, if it's corroded or the surface otherwise damaged a new bleeder may fix the problem. If the seat in the caliper is damaged then the caliper would need to be replaced. Rebuilt calipers are OK and while it's best to replace them in pairs it's not absolutely necessary as long as braking action is even after replacing the bad one. (You could also try just loosening and reseating the bleeder.)
The original bleeder valve looks to be in perfect shape. I did buy a generic (O'Reilly "Better Brake" crap) and that didn't stop it either. I did think of taking a tighter-wound electronics Q-Tip and sticking it in there and spinning it just to see if there might be a foreign object preventing a tight seal. Thing is, it appears to be coming from the threads not the bleeder nipple. I have even tightly rolled sections of napkin to absorb amounts of brake fluid in the valve's channel just to make sure it isn't surplus fluid coming out that way.
This problem is soooo unwelcome right now. 🙁
If the bleeder is fully seated any leakage would come through the threads, the fluid can only get to the nipple if it's backed out. You might want to try getting in there with a flashlight and if needed a mirror to get a good look at the sealing surface in the caliper. If you're able to do the work yourself, or have a friend who knows how, rebuilt calipers are not too expensive and not difficult to install.
for reference
is the bleeder cross-threaded? It won't seal properly if it is.
Good point, if the bleeder is going in crooked it's not going to seal properly.
I'm hoping for crud keeping it from sealing!!!
No indication of cross threading, just the really tight condition when I loosened it the first time. Clean thread and no debris or roughness in unscrewing the old one, which I loosened a 1/2 turn by tool then used my fingers to remove and used my fingers to replace it with the generic, again, went in smoothly. No foreign objects were on it either. Being that it hadn't been changed (and I have the entire Toyota service record and the Carfax as well. All brake work only notes brake pad replacements and rotor resurfacing. No bleed or flush notes. The fluid looked like the urine of a junk-food eating guy on a bender (darker than apple cider) fluid. Think dark orange compared to the light lemon of new fluid. No sign of rust, corrosion or damage. Of course, the corrosion could be on the aluminum of the caliper.
At least I didn't pay a premium for this. Got it from a SoCal dealer April 1, barely above private party Kelly Blue Book (below dealer Blue Book). Before the chip shortage made things go nuts. The dealership (Toyota of Orange) has been great, I will call Monday but I do not expect them to cover it, even if their guys were the only ones touching the brakes the entire 98k life of the car. I wouldn't be surprised if they offered, they've been great for this and another Rav4 purchase I made.
Toyota of Orange was tone deaf on this one. The guy who answered hasn't followed through on another thing either, but he was the only guy they'd transfer me to.
So, for $128 including San Diego/California tax, I bought one new caliper, a cojoined washer and bleeder valve and will just replace the thing. My tight budget gets screwed, but a solution was needed. I'll follow up with the dealership as a "by the way, you've done the brakes on this car and you..."
I used parts.toyota dot com and Norm Reeves Toyota seems to have the best online pricing in the entire county and up to probably 100 miles north of them as well.
Definitely sounds like the bleeder valve was cross threaded.
