How To Get The Air Out of Your Zoom Brakes
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- čas přidán 11. 06. 2024
- This instructional video will show you how to bleed the air from hydraulic brakes on a Zero 10X electric scooter. The same process can be used on any other bicycle or scooter with spongy hydraulic brakes. The method is called "Lever Bleeding".
00:00 Introduction
00:29 Why Bleed ?
01:13 Zoom Brake Peculiarities
02:01 The CycEarth Bleed Kit
06:54 Starting The Bleed
08:17 Common Mistakes
08:57 Finishing Up
Bleed kit available here: www.amazon.com/CYCEARTH-Bicyc... - Auta a dopravní prostředky
The kind of video I was looking for
This is the video I needed, I've been struggling for a month repeating the procedure as explained in some other videos, I just followed you instructions and your great tips solved my problem, thank you for sharing.
No worries! Glad it helped!
Thanks for mentioning about the little washer. Doing friends brakes and it fell out un- noticed. Brakes went spongy again overnight. Luckily found the washer on floor.
Thanks so much for providing this alternative method of bleeding brakes. My Paselec GS9 eMTB came equipped with Zoom hydraulic brakes. After 600 miles of usage, the rear brakes suddenly went spongy, and eventually the brake lever bottomed out. This model of brake has the additional cable to signal the eBike to stop power to the motor, so that helped a bit; but I was completely dependent upon the front brakes. Zoom changed the size/threads of the oil fill hole in 2021, so mine is the larger for the eBike that I purchased new in September 2021. Your method worked for me on the first try. Due to obstruction by the shift lever assembly, I was unable to rotate the brake lever unit far enough to remain level, so I had to remove it from the handlebar before the bleeding process. Despite the need to hold the syringe upright while pumping/flicking the bubbles out of the line with the other hand, the process was successful. Neither of my local bike shops service Zoom brakes, and they both recommend replacing them due to so many reports of them being problematic. I tend to concur now, but your brake bleeding method allowed me to get back on the roads/trails until I get some Tektros or Shimanos. Thanks again! Who knows... you may have prevented a potential accident if my front brakes had also given out.
Hey Styx, glad to hear it worked out for you. Yeah, an upgrade is probably the best long term solution. Stay upright! 😉
Brilliant. Thank you so much. I'd been struggling along with only front brake working on my zero10x and even that was starting to fade. I bought one of the full bleed kits and had a go but was left frustrated with the result (plus it's tricky trying to do it by yourself). I added your method in just now and as a result I've got a rock solid rear brake now. I'll be doing exactly the same for the front (without the full bleed process) to get the fronts up to scratch. Thanks again.
Been watching peeps redesign the wheel with brake bleeds all week - this vid is super informative and direct - nailed it thx!
Thanks ! Glad it helped 😉
Hi again, Please ignore my previous comment. I found a Torx bit that worked perfectly. Thanks again for the procedure. It worked like a dream.
Perfect! Just what l needed (plus the bleed kit and oil) to fix the spongy brakes on my girlfriend’s new Ebike. Thanks!
Great video. Thank you very much for posting it.
What a great tutorial! Thank you very much. I really appreciate your way to present and explain, it feels way more interesting and "grown up" for me then most other videos at YT do.
Great job mate! 👍
Thanks Mister Sunny! I'm glad it was helpful to you.
Stumbled across one of your videos, now watching all Zero related ones, very good guides, thanks!
Hi Eliran, thanks for the positive feedback. Glad you found them useful. Enjoy your ride !
Great video and brilliant points at the end regarding the incorrect ways it can't be done - another great informative video
Thanks Tim !
Excellent instruction. Thank you!
Thanks! You're welcome !
A proper video. Thank you from BK!
Thanks Sean !
Great video. Just did an upgrade from Zoom hybrid brakes to full hydraulic on my Mantis. Started on the front as the original one failed totaly. Rubber boot split and lots of leaking with no clamping pressure at all! I had previously bought the full hydraulics from another scooter owner, who upgraded to Nutt brakes. I was trying to be clever and not let any fluid out, so i wouldn't have to bleed after, but discovered it's very hard to route the hydraulic line up the stem without fluid leaking out, so need to put more in the system and bleed brakes using your method.
What a fantastic video. Great. Thank you very much for perfect step by step clarity!
Hi Ronnie, thanks for the positive feedback! I'm very glad my little video has been helpful to you 🙂
@@MarksElectricLife I've just getting a Kaabo Wolf Warrior and my left brake lever wobbles is there any way to tighten it up. Its the same Zoom brake lever as in this video. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Amazing! I'm going to try this on my vsett 10+
Very informative video 👍🏻
Hey Mark, just wanting to send a big thank you for this video.
Been trying to bleed some hydraulic brakes unsuccessfully as recommended by others. Watched your video a "whala!". They're perfect.
Thanks again. From Ben in Melbourne.
Hey Ben, thanks for the positive feedback. Very glad hear my video got you on the right track!
Thanks so much this was everything I needed to know
Thanks Steven, glad to hear it helped!
looking for this video for a long time thanks I think that’s the problem on my zero 11x love the video
Hi, thanks for the positive feedback and good luck with your 11X !
Thank you for great help
06:55 Shimano oil to use: Hydraulic mineral oil for disc brake
Great video. Easy to understand. Thanks.
Thanks Bart ! Glad you found it useful.
Yep great video,thank you for the heads up about the washer and orings,i did a complete oil change and used the flick lever method with the funnel still attached instead of syringe to finish off air bleed,worked a treat,for info the ezy mtb kit with copper had correct nipples.
Great Video Thanks
Thanks!
Thank you for the amazing video! My rear brake wasnt working at all and i didnt know about bleeding air. Turns out mine was pretty much all air at this point, pumping it out like you showed worked but after 45minutes i simply resorted to unplugging the rear brake hose, filling the serynge with shimano brake fluids and simply dumping some until all that was coming out was a nice stream of brake fluid, it does waste alot of it but after doing that a quick 15minutes of bleedling and now my rear brake works wonder! (Outside the fact im due for new pads..)
Funnily enough, for the fittings in the kit, mine worked as shown while the plastic one didnt fit. I also dont have any metal ring inside my fill port on both brake (first time opening the fill port). Anyway, really tankfull, i daily ride an electric bike until i get my own motorcycle and not having brake on something that easely reach 40km/h is well...not exactly stress free...
You Sir. Have saved me a lot of $. Thumbs UP!
Glad to have helped Brian!
Excellent video !!! Tooks me a 5m to fix my front brake. Thank you very much 😊
You're welcome!
My zoom brakes are different. The bleeder screw and hole are bigger than yours with a coarse thread. I had to use the biggest metal fitting in the kit. I did it just like you said and it worked great. Lots of air in a brand new Aventon Aventure. I now have the braking power that I should. Thanks !
Hi Ronald, thanks for the positive feedback. I'm guessing your bike probably has the Zoom HB 875 brakes that are made for the retail market. It seems there is a cheap/nasty look alike that is made in the same Chinese factory for OEM distribution. The makers of cheap Chinese e-scooters buy these and put them on their "top-line" scooters so they can boast of having hydraulic brakes. However these brakes are pretty crappy and don't even have a bleed valve on the calipers, making it impossible to replace the fluid, if required. That said they are probably slightly better than mechanical brakes. Enjoy your ride !
Thank you so much
No worries!
Well done.
Thanks Michael !
Thanks a ton for this video. I used this on my Vsett 10+ and the brakes are firm again! Not sure if the vsett version of the zooms are different but mine had no washer and required a slighlty larger adapter but it all came in the kit so not a big deal.
Hi John, thanks for the positive feedback. Glad to hear it all worked out ok for you ! Cheers, Mark.
If this works you are a legend !
Hi, Thanks for a very informative video. The best I've seen on the procedure. When I attempted to bleed my Zoom brakes I could not remove the screw to the fill port. It appears to be a 2.5mm hex screw but that hex key will not work. Do you recall which tool you used to remove this screw? It appears you are using a torx wrench/bit. Thanks in advance.
great vid
Thanks!
ty!!!
Excellent video and thank you for confirming that Zoom hydraulic brakes utilizes brake mineral oil. That seems to be be a state secret with other videos and from Zoom as well.
Quick question if I may? Once the air is properly purged from the lines does the oil in the syringe naturally fill the displacement without any need to depress the syringe plunger to fill the any gap displacements left in the lines?
Hi FDR, thanks for the positive feedback! Yes, the beauty of this method is that it leaves the reservoir perfectly topped up with oil. When you pinch off the plastic tubing and unscrew the fitting you will find the oil level sitting near the top of the thread. When you screw the cap back into place it will displace a tiny amount of oil which is a good sign that there is no air space inside. Happy days !😊
@@MarksElectricLife Much appreciated and thank you!
@@rockewoelk5852 You're welcome RW !
Thanks for this video, it was very easy to understand and I was able to fix the spongy brakes on my brand new Dualtron City in about 10 minutes. I did notice a few things were different as I went along. At first I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to follow the steps.
1. I bought a kit from the same manufacturer "Cycobyco" and it had Zoom brakes listed on the cover. However, there were NO instructions or connector diagrams for Zoom brakes. It only listed the other brands.
2. The black plastic connectors in your kit were yellow with black washers in my kit. (an improvement IMO). None of them was the same shape as the one you used. The kit does contain black plastic connectors, but they're all identical and they connect the syringes to the plastic hoses. I took the stopper (I forget the proper word) out of my brake master cylinder and tested the connectors one by one. I started with the (silver) metal ones and was able to find one that fit, it already had a washer on it.
3. When I removed the stopper from my brake I was careful to check for a washer. I found that it wasn't metal, it was a black rubber O ring which was hard to see at first and it stayed on the thread of the stopper. I put the stopper in a pill bottle so the washer wouldn't get lost. By the way, my brakes didn't need a Torx bit, they had sockets for standard Allen keys.
4. Those red clips on the hose are great to stop leaks but horrible to open. Next time I will use hemostat forceps.
5. At first I was worried while I was bleeding the brakes because I didn't see many bubbles, however the brakes lost their sponginess within a minute. I did "flick" the brake levers to bring up more air.
6. When I was finished and putting everything away, I left the hose connected to the metal connector I used for the brakes, so I'll know which one to use next time.
Hi Rose, thanks for providing that detailed info for Dualtron. It sounds like the brakes are slightly different to mine. Glad it all worked out ok for you! ☺
Awesome ! Thanks for sharing, it works great on Nutt brakes ✌️chears
HI Riako, thanks for the positive comment. That's good to know it works on Nutt brakes also. Ride on !
My right Zoom brake lever didn't actually have the metal washer. I watched this video before hand and made sure to check for it as I was unscrewing, but there was only the rubber seal. Any ideas where I could even purchase one? For now I just doubled up on the rubber seals and am hoping it's enough. Thanks!
I'm going to try this and I have a feeling it's going to work because I have been doing it wrong (watching the other videos).
Hey thanks for the very informative videos. I was wondering if you know which type of brake pads those zoom brakes take?
Zoom MTB Bike Brake Pads for HB-875 HB-870 HB-100 Shimano M595 M596 M585 M775 M355
Another great vid mate. Have you tried any other type of hyd brakes? Wondering if I should upgrade to some 4 pots at some point.
Thanks OMD! No, I haven't tried any other types but I suspect there are better brands like Nutt, Shimano etc. To be honest I am very happy with the current braking distance (under 5m from 25 km/h) and I think that any faster deceleration could over-stress the scooter frame. Ride safe!
nice video, your in sac?
Hi Mark. I was wondering if you could give me advice: I have ordered 11 inch tires for my 10 inch Zero 10X. Will this work?. I heard that a 90/65-60 will work if I modify the mudguards.
Thank you for the video.
My rear hydraulic brake barely operates and I tried to follow the instructions. The bubbles kept coming, so I decided to pull on the syringe to create negative pressure.
There were many more bubbles coming out and I was continuing that for over an hour and they keep coming out.
I believe, I might have an air leakage in the hydraulic system.
What do you think?
Hi Denis, yes that doesn't sound good. There may be a leak or broken line somewhere. Check for oil spillage anywhere. If your scooter is under warranty I would make a claim to have it fixed.
Excellent video Mark. Trying to help my brother with his almost new e bike zoom brakes. He hasn’t had the bike a month and the rear brake is spongy already. Are there any theories out there why and how air gets in? Thanks Mark
Hi Win, thanks for the positive feedback! Often the scooter is shipped with air in the lines - poor QA from the factory. That was certainly the case for mine. If you bleed them so they work well and then the problem comes back quickly (within a week or two) then I would suspect a leak somewhere in the system. Check that all bleed ports are sealed properly. If he still has problems then a replacement brake kit may be needed. This should be a warranty claim if it is a new scooter. Good luck ! Mark.
Hi, sorry to say I can't help you there. You should try calling your local importer/distributor first. If that fails I would take the washer from your LH brake to a local engineering supplier/firm and see if they can match it. Good luck !
Thanks for the instruction, looks simple enough. Do you know if those Zoom brakes come with the reservoir pre primed with oil? i.e., if I replace one is the resevoir full of air?
Hi, I cannot say for sure as I've never bought a complete assembly, however from what I read on various forums they come pre primed with oil.
@@MarksElectricLife Appreciate it, thank you..
I've tried everything like 10 times and my brakes will have great steady pressure for 30 or so lever pulls then it will get spongy. I don't know what to do it's not leaking fluid anywhere. I'm at a loss, I might just have to replace the whole system idk
Link for the kit? UK
Wow great video! Is Lever Bleeding suitable if one is replacing the entire Zoom caliper? The front caliper on my Apollo Pro (same brakes as your Zero 10X) is leaking around one of the pistons and has lost all the fluid. Wondering if I will need to do the full syringe-from-the-bottom type bleed. Thanks!
Hi Kupe, thanks for the positive comment. I believe new Zoom brakes come pre-charged with fluid - i.e. you must order the entire system, including master and caliper with lines. If that is the case then you may be able to get away with just the lever bleed. I can't tell you for sure as I have never replaced the whole system (or caliper for that matter). To be honest though, if I was going to go to all the trouble of replacing everything I would probably pay a few more $$ and upgrade to Nutt or Shimano brakes. Good luck !
@@MarksElectricLife Thanks! I'm not sure if Apollo is sending me just the caliper or the entire Zoom set. Hopefully I'll know soon! While I have you (and thank you again so much) are both the silver pistons in the caliper (behind the pads) supposed to move? It appears that one of the pistons on my bad caliper is deeply recessed and frozen.
@@Kupe241 Hi Kupe, yes they should both move. It sounds like one is seized. Good luck with the replacement. Maybe you can give me an update on how you fare? Cheers, Mark.
@@MarksElectricLife Thanks Mark for confirming my suspicion on that piston. Will do and thank you again for your amazing channel!
@@Kupe241 No worries !
Hello I just recently got a new 10x and I’ve been dealing with my disc brakes ever so slightly rubbing not enough to create a performance resistance however enough that it is causing noise it’s a very light rubbing that’s creating a noise that becomes very annoying, wondering if you’ve dealt with this and or have any idea how to deal with it, I took it to the distributor they just told me it’s normal but clearly I don’t believe it is when I’ve had another one before this and I can’t recall every hearing it on my previous scooter, same model different brand. Ty
Hi there, first thing is to make sure the caliper is correctly aligned. Do this be loosening the two bolts that hold it to the frame and then pull the brake lever in and hold it with a cable tie, whilst you re-tighten the caliper bolts. If that doesn't fix it then you have a bent disk rotor. There is a video on how to fix this on the Electric Scooter Guide channel here: czcams.com/video/ZchQVZH8kA4/video.html. Good luck !
my zoom brakes dont have any weird hole like this one, just a round hole. the screw cap only have rubber seal and I hope I did not actually dropped any metal ring.
Can this gravity technique work even if the brake line doesn't always run vertically ? (rear brake)
Hi SR. Over time any air in the lines tends to float up to the top of the system, so the method shown works on front and back brakes. It's possible that a small amount of air could remain in the section that slopes upwards towards the back brake caliper but this would be an insignificant amount and would not be noticable in the brake handle.
How do you fill with fresh oil? That is the question.....
HI Dumb question- so using the first method where you squeeze the lever for 20 minutes.
Do I leave the lower valve by the break calliper closed?
Or do I need to drain it first ?
Or do I leave it closed the whole time?
Leave it closed the whole time.
Excellent. I'd just loosen the brake lever and make in parallel to the floor for a proper bleed.
I’m having this issue myself, I tried this method but the fluid doesn’t appear to move inside the syringe. Could it be an issue with the master cylinder? Help please
Hi, to be clear the fluid level in the syringe shouldn't change but bubbles should appear and rise to the surface.
Do you have a link for that kit man?
Hi CL, try here: www.amazon.com/CYCEARTH-Bicycle-Shimano-Hydraulic-Professional/dp/B07H2DQMMQ/
Hi mate, just wanna ask you on how to flush those zoom brakes, where can i suck out the oil, from the top or from the calipers?
Hi FP, I'm afraid I can't answer that question. I have tried to find a bleed port on these calipers and there doesn't seem to be one. Luckily I didn't need to flush the entire system. You may find that a simple lever bleed, as shown, does the trick. Good luck !
@@MarksElectricLife Thanks Mate!
May I ask what is the purpose of the red plastic below the reservoir? Thanks
Hi Rick, I think you are refering the the hose clamp. This is used to stop fluid from draining when you disconnect from the brake assembly. See 04:04
@@MarksElectricLife Thank you for clearing that up, some tutorials don't use the hose clamp so I wondered what it is for.
@@rickaristotlejorge2618 Yes, interestingly those people tend to suggest holding a large wad of paper towel in your hand to absorb the spilled oil, but this is not needed if you use the clamp provided in the kit.😉
You know that tiny washer you said not to lose when you take out the break screw? Mine didn't even have one! I legit was so careful and as it was unscrewing all I saw was the rubber o ring and nothing inside the screw hole. Also I don't have 2 holes, it's one big hole. So, do you have any ideas wherever I could purchase a compatible washer?
Hi, that's interesting! If you have a new Zero scooter with Zoom brakes (?) then maybe they have changed the design - probably coz too many people were losing the washer. If there is only one hole and not two smaller holes each side then you probaly don't need the washer. As far as I can tell the purpose of the washer is to cover the two smaller holes so that the 'O' ring makes a good seal.
@@MarksElectricLife I actually have the varla eagle one, which is the same scooter rebranded. Just received it and only have 37 miles on it. So I'm guessing you're right, model update?
This video was so helpful thank you!
@@dykealiscious No worries ! I would say you are lucky because you have the newer design. Enjoy your ride !🙂
I've seen others use the velcro strap to hold the lever compressed while unscrewing the syringe and I noticed you didn't do it. What difference does it make?
Hi, none as far as I can tell. They do this to prevent air being drawn in when the lever is released. However, if you have done a good job this won't happen anyway. Basically, as long as the fluid level is touching the thread (meaning some will overflow when you replace the plug) then you're good to go!
@@MarksElectricLife Cool, thanks for the quick answer!
Hello can i ask if your zoom hydraulics brake lever is wiggling ?
Hi HG, no it doesn't wiggle.
Mine keeps leaking oil on the bottom onto the caliper 😫
Do you also get brake pads when buying
Hi Romey, I'm afraid not. You will need to order pads separately. Regards, Mark.
I apologize if this is a dumb question as I'm completely new to all of this... But how do you get rid of the existing fluid in the brake lines? I want to completely remove the old fluid and replace it with new fluid. I saw a video where the person took out the calipers, and drained the fluid from the calipers with a syringe and then did what you showed in your video. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you!
Hi FPV, not a dumb question at all. Most hydraulic systems have a bleed valve on the caliper that allows you to drain the fluid and then recharge. Unfortunately I cannot find any bleed valve on these Zoom brakes. So the only way you could possibly drain the whole system would be as you saw in the other video.
@@MarksElectricLife Oh I see! Actually, what you're saying makes sense. I have the Varla Eagle One and don't see a caliper valve on thete either. So how do I go about getting all the old fluids out?
@@fpvflyer4758 Sorry, but I don't know.
@@MarksElectricLife No worries. If I have to replace the brake pads on the zoom, do I just replace the pads and do this, or are there additional steps? I have a Varla Eagle One.. Which is basically a rebranded zero 10x
@@fpvflyer4758 No, you should be able to just replace the pads. Use a flat tool to retract the pistons so that the new pads will fit into place. because you are going from thin to thick pads there shouldn't be any need to refill the fluid. Video for bicycle here (process is roughly the same for scooters): czcams.com/video/Xqw0SaZl-jo/video.html&ab_channel=ParkTool
How can you tell if this process is needed, my zoom brakes are very grippy however I find that if I don’t squeeze the brake hard it slowly starts to get closer to the handgrip if I squeeze the brake gently it almost releases the brake and then grips again but the brake lever is closer to the handgrip. Is this a sign that it must be done?
Hi, I would say yes, you need to do this process. Your brake lever should stop hard at the same position regardless of how softly you pull it. Also, if you pump the lever and the stopping point changes with each pump that is a sign you have air in the lines.
@@MarksElectricLife thanks just purchased the kit off Amazon never had to do this with my last scooter same brakes not sure why this happened with a fairly new scooter! Ty for the info and video instructions!
@@BFM777 Hi, yes, the same question came to my mind when I had this problem with my new scooter. Quality control is not very good on these Chinese scooters. Good luck with the bleed!
@@MarksElectricLife will this also improve the stopping power as well? Or does it just improve the lever pull from being spongy?
@@BFM777 Hi, mostly it improves the lever pull but I found that without the slack in the system I could pull up in a much shorter distance.
i upgraded my brakes to hydraulic. when inserting oil via syringe, screw snatched off and got stuck inside brake lever. what im i supposed to do now? see pics: i.ibb.co/4Nvxg44/20210602-205236.jpg - i.ibb.co/WV4WQqf/20210602-205308.jpg
Bleed both levers?
Yes, you need to follow the same process on both sides. In my case the spongy brake problem was only on the front brake lever (RHS). But I decided to bleed both sides just to make sure they both had the same solid feel. Ride safe !
@@MarksElectricLife ok. i wanna upgrade my shitty wire zoom brakes to zoom hydraulic. do i need to bleed brakes first time too? is it included oil or what? thanks
@@microsoft1665 I think when you order the Zoom hyd brakes they come preloaded with oil and in theory you can install them without needing to bleed. I'm dubious though since you would have to disconnect the calipers to feed the hydraulic lines through the scooter frame. I suggest you do more research before buying. Good luck!
@@MarksElectricLife so if i have to disconnect calipers, what am i supposed to do after? just like in your video on both sides?
@@microsoft1665 Correct!
I have probably done wrong because it didn't work at all and I don't understand why... Moreover the plastic plug broke so I'll have to buy another, what a bad day for me 🤣😂
Very sorry to hear that! If you have the same kit as me then there should be two black plastic fittings in it. Anyway better luck with your next attempt ! 🤞
the more brakes wears out, the more brake lever is going towards handle, thats should be ok
Way too expensive a solution. I can buy a new set of these Zoom brakes for $41. Take the plunger out of a syringe and disconnect any hose that might be attached to it. Ram it in the hole, it fits and seals, pour some oil in the syringe and start pumping the lever. Done. Go buy some brakes instead of this kit.
Hi ST, thanks for the comment! I see two problems with that approach. Firstly, if you ever get air in your new brakes you'll be up for another $41 to replace them. Secondly, it takes much longer to replace brakes than to bleed them and you still need to bleed the new ones anyway. And, as the saying goes, time is money.