Front lift - change fluid procedure?

[carbuff]

Hey Guys,

The 2020MY are now hitting the 5-year mark.

My 2020 owners manual specifies to change the DOT4 brake fluid in the brake and lift system at the 5-year mark.
Brake bleed is easy.

But I can not find a procedure to drain/flush the front lift system. The brake fluid is hellishly expensive, so I want to make sure I do this right.
Not even sure of the capacity, because of the lines, shock reservoirs, main reservoir, etc. And where are the drain plugs? There must be more than one.

Can a shade-tree mechanic do this, or does it require special equipment like the trany flush requires?

Anyone have the GM bulletin that outlines the drain/fill/flush procedure? It would be immensely helpful as everyone will eventually hit this 5-year mark.
Our car was a very early make, so my needs it now.

Thanks!

 

[MKC8]

Buy the shop manual?

 

[Murray20c8]

You should have bought the essential service package. Then it would be paid for.

Edit: Below is not recommended. See procedure PDF in post #5 in this thread
From Google'
Changing the Corvette C8's front lift fluid is simple: safely jack up the driver's side (using proper lifting pucks) to access the fill plug near the axle, remove it with a 17mm socket/extension (tape it to avoid dropping!), add specialized hydraulic fluid (like Dexron VI) until it dribbles out, then reinstall the plug and cycle the lift a few times to burp air, repeating the fill/check process for a proper level (fluid level checked when warm, engine off, just at the fill hole).

 

[JCWP]

Hey Guys,

The 2020MY are now hitting the 5-year mark.

My 2020 owners manual specifies to change the DOT4 brake fluid in the brake and lift system at the 5-year mark.
Brake bleed is easy.

But I can not find a procedure to drain/flush the front lift system. The brake fluid is hellishly expensive, so I want to make sure I do this right.
Not even sure of the capacity, because of the lines, shock reservoirs, main reservoir, etc. And where are the drain plugs? There must be more than one.

Can a shade-tree mechanic do this, or does it require special equipment like the trany flush requires?

Anyone have the GM bulletin that outlines the drain/fill/flush procedure? It would be immensely helpful as everyone will eventually hit this 5-year mark.
Our car was a very early make, so my needs it now.

Thanks!

Get it done at the dealer then they are responsible if there are issues.

 

[ripcard]

Murray20c8, your Google regurge is pure nonsense. Please delete it.

The system does not use DexronVI, that is a tranny fluid. Front lift uses DOT 4 brake fluid. Like any reservoir system such as a brake master, a hydraulic clutch reservoir or the C8 front lift, toping up is at the reservoir. There is no 17mm plug at the axle, because there is no axle at the front. ERays have axles at the front, but they are CV axles. No fluid in them.

Attached is the procedure from the service manual.

 

[carbuff]

Thank you so much @ripcard !

Looks like some GDS2 OBD2 analyzer tool is required to actuate the procedure? So maybe not as simple as a regular brake bleed?

Did you per chance perform this procedure yet yourself?

 

[carbuff]

@Murray20c8

The Essential Service Package does NOT include front lift brake fluid change. I have the package, so I am very aware of what it covers. So is my dealer.
Having said that, all dealers are most confused by this service package, as it is still relatively rare.

Did you manage to get your dealer to perform this service under the package? That would have been a big fluke, and they would have had to eat the cost of it.

 

[carbuff]

Anyone use one of these GDS2 tools to perform the front lift bleed? As per "ipcard's" PDF instructions above.

Is the tool actually necessary to perform this procedure properly?

Also, does anyone know if there is a bleed screw on each shock? I presume so due to that location being the low point in the system, but the procedure does not explicitly state.

 

[Murray20c8]

@Murray20c8

The Essential Service Package does NOT include front lift brake fluid change. I have the package, so I am very aware of what it covers. So is my dealer.
Having said that, all dealers are most confused by this service package, as it is still relatively rare.

Did you manage to get your dealer to perform this service under the package? That would have been a big fluke, and they would have had to eat the cost of it.

Why do you say that. It covers everything that is "required service". And that is required service.
I haven't done that yet I don't think. The last time was within 5 years.

 

[ripcard]

Carbuff, no I haven't done this procedure. Mine is a '23. If you look at the PDF, it shows there are bleed nipples on the lower side of the shocks where the hydraulic piston is. I have a pressure bleeder and when the time comes I will attempt the procedure the same way I do brake bleeding. I'm hoping some of the third party scan/service tools out there will have the ability to perform the procedure so you don't need to have the very expensive GM GDS2. I suspect it is just a matter of turning the pump on while the pressure bleeder does it's thing. The pump may not allow flow otherwise? Just guessing here.

I suspect we will hear more about this as, as you've mentioned, the 2020 models are hitting that milestone. I would wait a bit to see if the dealers get educated more on this in the next few months. Maybe talk to the service manager at a dealer that sells a lot of Vettes to see if they are getting more info on this. I don't think waiting a couple of months will make too much of a difference to the state of the fluid.

There is a thread (Front Lift Service/Maintenance)on that other Corvette forum that has some interesting info related to the fluid. Worth a read.

 

[DAL]

Hey Guys,

The 2020MY are now hitting the 5-year mark.

My 2020 owners manual specifies to change the DOT4 brake fluid in the brake and lift system at the 5-year mark.
Brake bleed is easy.

But I can not find a procedure to drain/flush the front lift system. The brake fluid is hellishly expensive, so I want to make sure I do this right.
Not even sure of the capacity, because of the lines, shock reservoirs, main reservoir, etc. And where are the drain plugs? There must be more than one.

Can a shade-tree mechanic do this, or does it require special equipment like the trany flush requires?

Anyone have the GM bulletin that outlines the drain/fill/flush procedure? It would be immensely helpful as everyone will eventually hit this 5-year mark.
Our car was a very early make, so my needs it now.

Thanks!

I don't know, but I would call my dealer.

 

[DAL]

Hey Guys,

The 2020MY are now hitting the 5-year mark.

My 2020 owners manual specifies to change the DOT4 brake fluid in the brake and lift system at the 5-year mark.
Brake bleed is easy.

But I can not find a procedure to drain/flush the front lift system. The brake fluid is hellishly expensive, so I want to make sure I do this right.
Not even sure of the capacity, because of the lines, shock reservoirs, main reservoir, etc. And where are the drain plugs? There must be more than one.

Can a shade-tree mechanic do this, or does it require special equipment like the trany flush requires?

Anyone have the GM bulletin that outlines the drain/fill/flush procedure? It would be immensely helpful as everyone will eventually hit this 5-year mark.
Our car was a very early make, so my needs it now.

Thanks!

DEALER! Get it right...it's your baby afterall!

 

[HappyCamper]

Why do you say that. It covers everything that is "required service". And that is required service.
I haven't done that yet I don't think. The last time was within 5 years.

I am pretty sure when I bought my maintenance package, I was told the same thing that it is not covered for whatever reason. I am three years away but will ask the question next year when I am in for regular service.

 

[Matt_Orleans]

This is in the fine prints of the Essential Care package that I got from Don.

 

[Jack Raccoon!]

Yes, my Brake Fluid Flush was covered a couple of months ago...