95 Civic EX D16Z6

I'm using a pressure bleeder. I attached the hose to the slave bleeder screw, loosened the screw, and started cranking on the hand pump. I thought it was working but a ton of air and fluid kept going through.

I started getting suspicious so I tried something. I tightened the bleeder screw and and tried the pump again. It built up pressure for a second but it went back down and it kept pulling fluid and air even though the screw was tightened. Is this a bad bleeder screw or something? I'm trying a different screw in the morning unless you guys have some other idea.

Extra question. My reverse lights aren't working, I replaced the bulbs and it still doesn't work. Are there fuses on these vehicles or reverse lights? Or a reverse switch somewhere on the trans?

 

Well, power bleeders are nice in certain instances, but not this one. There is a pretty specific method to follow in the FSM, and it is recommended you follow it. It can be done easily by one person in under 20 minutes, assuming your master and slave cylinders are good, and your clutch lines/fittings are sound and leak free.

Short version: Supply fluid, multiple pumps of clutch pedal, loosen bleeder on slave, allow air/fluid to pass, tighten bleeder, check fluid, pump pedal multiple times....etc. rinse and repeat until all air has been purged AND you get positive clutch fork travel. AND if your master/slave cyls are NEW and haven't been bench bled (when the instruction that came with them say it is needed), get to it.

(Some guides say to block the clutch fork until you feel some pressure feedback during bleeding, pumping past that initial pressure can cause damage, but it is not always necessary, and isnt for newbies)

As for your reverse lights, the IS a switch screwed onto the rear topside of your trans, it SHOULD have a pigtail/plug on it and be properly connected. If that all meshes with what you see, you should be looking at fuses, then the wiring circuit, and if all else fails, the reverse switch (which you can actually check first by checking for continuity when unplugged and trans in reverse).

 

Easy way to bleed your clutch. A DIY straight from my build thread. It sounds like you might be using the hand pump wrong, or it might be damaged.

Yes, your transmission has a reverse switch. It's on the passenger side of the transmission, near the bottom. Hard to miss it - it's the only sensor down there. There is a fuse, too. Do your clock and gauges work? If so, then it isn't the fuse - they all share one.



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#15, 10A fuse.

 

Thanks for the replies guys, I guess I'll give the traditional method a shot.

Also, my clock and everything work so I'll take a look at that reverse switch.

 

It's easy to test. Pull out the voltmeter. Unplug the switch. Apply leads. Should get infinite resistance. Now shift into reverse. Should get zero resistance. If you don't get zero resistance in reverse, then either the switch has failed, or the piece inside the transmission that pushes that switch has failed (which isn't exactly common...).

 

I finally got the clutch pedal right. @MisereNoire I think you were right about that power bleeder. It was probably sucking in air around the threads the whole time. Regular method takes longer but it works best.

As for that reverse switch, is it the one that's dead on the top of the trans and plugs in that junction where O2 harness plugs in?

 

#6 is the reverse switch.