Fiat Bravo Quiz
Maintenance

Visual inspection of the brake lines

In this manual: Maintenance
Dear Reader — 1Engine — 35Engine lubrication — 3Engine cooling — 10Ignition/spark plugs — 14Fuel system — 10Petrol fuel injection — 13Diesel injection system — 13Exhaust system — 7Clutch — 7Transmission / Gearshift / Automatic Transmission — 5Front Axle — 11Rear axle — 4Steering — 9Wheel alignment — 1Brake system — 22Wheels and tyres — 10Body — 34Heating — 6Electrical system — 39Lighting system — 14Instruments — 7Windscreen wiper system — 8Vehicle care / tools — 6Jump Starting / Towing the Vehicle — 3Jacking up the vehicle — 1Fiat Bravo / Brava Maintenance Schedule — 1Maintenance — 38Wiring diagrams — 5
~1min read

  • Raise the vehicle.

  • Clean the brake lines with cold cleaner.

Caution: the brake lines are coated with a plastic layer to protect against corrosion. If this protective layer is damaged, the lines will corrode. For this reason, brake lines must not be cleaned with a wire brush, emery cloth or screwdriver.

  • Check the brake lines from the master cylinder to the ABS unit and to the individual wheel brake cylinders with a lamp. The master cylinder is located in the engine compartment under the brake fluid reservoir.

  • Brake lines must be neither kinked nor crushed. They must also be free of rust pitting or chafing. Otherwise, replace the line up to the next connection point.

  • The brake hoses connect the brake lines to the brake calipers on the moving parts of the vehicle.

    They are made of high-pressure-resistant material, but over time they can become porous, swell or be cut by sharp objects. In such a case, they must be replaced immediately.

Sichtprufung der bremsleitungen

  • Bend the brake hoses back and forth by hand to check for damage. The hoses must not be twisted.

  • Turn the steering wheel fully to the left and right stops. The brake hoses must not rub against any suspension components in any position.

  • Connection points of brake lines and hoses must not be wet with leaked fluid.

Caution: if the reservoir and seals are wet from leaked brake fluid, this does not necessarily indicate a defective master cylinder. Rather, brake fluid has probably escaped through the vent hole in the cap or through the cap seal.

  • Lower the vehicle.

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A quick Fiat Bravo quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.