Hi Have to help fix a friend's 2003 Honda Accord EX, V6 model, 5 speed automatic, and just trying to verify things since i've never worked on an ABS car before. The rear left caliper blew out after the brakes were driven past severe wear and rusted rotors (to the point where apparently the brake pad was completely ejected from the caliper, which caused the caliper to overextend, the rubber piston boot to be damaged, and brake fluid to spray all over the inside of the wheel). Said vehicle was limped back home and parked now for months up on a jack until I could get to it as the person had another car. (I had a brief chance to check it then, topped off the brake fluid in the master cylinder, blockedthe leak the best I could shoving back the brake piston and stuffing stuff in there, but was not able to return to the problem until multiple months later which is now)


Now the problem is I dont know anything about ABS, i've heard that you can't use a one man bleeder ever on them (but don't know if this means there are problems with two man bleeding vs needing professional equipment to do), i've heard about 'dual circuit' systems that might have an entire second circuit somehow needing bleeding or that could be screwed up by air in the main brake lines. I honestly don't know whats what. :-P So can someone who knows help me understand what the case is with this generation accord, as well as ABS vehicles in general? Including what order I should bleed the corners in, whether it needs anything like jack up the other side while doing so or whatever other tricks needed.

 

There is no special bleeding procedure on the caliper on Accords with ABS.

You should take a look at the abs reservoir to see if it is filled to the proper level. If it is low, then you would have to fill and possibly bleed that system.

 

2003 Accord doesn't have a separate reservoir for the ABS. The fluid simply flows through the ABS modulator when you bleed the brakes.

I'm not sure why you couldn't use a pressure bleeder, except the difficulty of getting a cap adapter to fit. The reservoir is partly tucked under the sheetmetal of the windshield cowling.

The bleeding order seems a bit strange; but I think it's just because of the arrangement of tubing around the ABS modulator. Same order for 1998+ Accord, at least through 2003 (I used to have a 1998 & a 2003).
Left-Front
Right-Front
Right-Rear
Left-Rear

If the master has drained, then you might have to pump the pedal in order to work the bubbles out of there. Bench-bleeding the MC might be better, but if you don't want to remove it, you just need to be patient & you'll use more fluid than you might expect.

 

Just did my brakes, nothing special about bleeding the brakes other than the order, furthest first, closest last.