Brake issues. Air bubbles, bleeding, abs programming? no idea where to go next

[Kater_tot3]

2011 3500 6.7
I’m not super savvy on this truck, it’s got way to many electrical components and it’s my husbands work truck, not mine.

A few weeks ago left rear caliper seized. Replaced left caliper, rotor and both rear brake pads. Immediately the pedal was super spongy, no brakes until almost on the floor. We re bled again, same thing. We gravity bled, same thing. Replaced right caliper and no change. Pressure bled with mechanic and nothing. We were about to replace master and booster but after pinching lines mechanic isn’t sure that’s it. He’s narrowed it down to the ABS.
Mechanic went ahead and called the dealer, dealer who also thinks it’s something in the ABS and said they have to actually unplug the computer to fix it, reset to factory programming and then re install, as well as reset aftermarket programmer. Apparently it’s an issue for this specific year?

Has anyone dealt with this? We’ve been trying to fix this issue for almost a month and the truck still doesn’t have brakes, but I’m so wary of dealerships and their $125/hr labor. I can’t find anything online if someone having a similar issue.

 

[muddy12]

I don’t know if these newer trucks even have proportioning blocks any more? but I blew a wheel cylinder on a truck years ago, and the little valve inside the proportioning block(the part that blocks fluid to either the front or rear if you blow a line) became seized, and caused all kinds of trouble with bleeding the lines after the repair.




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[Kater_tot3]

Hmm I’m not sure. We replaced the modulator where 2 lines go to 3 thinking that’s where it was. We’re all just hanging our heads against the wall at this point, I’ll see if it has them.

 

[chrisbh17]

How are you bleeding them? I saw gravity, but are you using a pressure bleeder? Like a Motive PowerBleeder?

Ive had more success with a pressure bleeder like that than trying to use a MityVac to vacuum bleed.

You can also try pulling the ABS fuse (or disconnecting the battery) and waiting a little while before attempting to bleed again.

FWIW most vehicles Ive owned said you need to do something fancy about the ABS setup when bleeding, but Ive never done anything other than pressure bleed and it all worked out fine.

 

[Kater_tot3]

We pressure bled twice.

Hmm might try the fuse thing!

 

[chrisbh17]

Are you bleeding all 4 corners?

Another thing to try is a cross-bleed....my 2001 Frontier really needed a cross-bleed instead of the common-sense bleed from the farthest corner to the closest.

 

[Kater_tot3]

I’ve never cross bled, would never think too. It’s at the shop now so I’ll suggest it.

 

[Tach_tech]

Are the right calipers on the right side? As in are the bleeders on the top of the caliper?