Brake Service Mode How-To

[Murse-In-Airy]

Because the MME doesn’t follow the normal rules for getting into and out of brake service mode, here is a plain language version adapted from the tech manual.
First, a couple caveats. You will not be able to enter or exit Brake Service mode if you have any fault codes pertaining to the brakes. These must be cleared with a diagnostic computer first. If you don’t have one, and you have faults, you‘re SOL. Bleeding the brakes also requires a diagnostic computer, so really don’t open the brake line. Caliper pistons can be compressed without needing a brake winding tool. The procedure calls for the ignition to be in the “on” position. I still don’t know if that means “on” as in accessory mode, or on as in “Ready to drive” mode. The tech I spoke with said either would work. But here’s the simple Version:

To enter Brake Service Mode:
1. Car turned “on” and in park.
2. Hold the accelorator down. Do not release until told to.
3. Hold the parking brake switch DOWN. Do not release until told to.
4. Turn the car off.
5. Turn the car “on” within 5 seconds.
6. Release the accelerator pedal and parking brake switch.
7. Get out of car.
8. Slap the side of the car while saying aloud, “Well I’ll be, that guy on the interweb was right.”
9. Enjoy your brake work.

To cancel/escape/leave/or otherwise deactivate Brake Service Mode
1. Car turned “on” and in park.
2. Hold the accelerator down. Do not release until told to.
3. Hold the parking brake switch UP. Do not release until told to.
4. Press the brake pedal down for at least 1 second.
5. Release the brake pedal (continue holding the accelerator and parking brake switch)
6. Turn the car off,
7. Turn the car back “on” within 5 seconds.
8. Release the accelerator and parking brake switch.
9. Get out of car.
10. Clean the greasy finger splotches off the start/stop switch and the parking brake switch. You really should have cleaned your hands before deactivating brake service mode.

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[GoGoGadgetMachE]

8. Slap the side of the car while saying aloud, “Well I’ll be, that guy on the interweb was right.”

 

[revmatchtv]

Is there any way you can post the pages pertaining to bleeding the brakes? I'm wondering if it's possible to bleed the brakes without a diagnostic computer?

I want to flush my brake fluid and use high performance track fluid. Do you know if any independent dealer would have the appropriate diagnosticcomputer?

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Is there any way you can post the pages pertaining to bleeding the brakes? I'm wondering if it's possible to bleed the brakes without a diagnostic computer?

I want to flush my brake fluid and use high performance track fluid. Do you know if any independent dealer would have the appropriate diagnosticcomputer?

I could but all it says is “plug in to FDRS and follow the prompts.” There isn’t any other instruction on the page.

 

[revmatchtv]

Ahh, ok thank you!

 

[KidGalahad]

Did a search for brake bleeding and came up with this thread, wanted to give my experience real quick.
For starters, I know nothing about brakes, this was all done by a local shop. i had my calipers powder coated, and they decided to bleed the brakes. They didnt have the proper electronic/computer tools, and it started throwing all sorts of warnings upon start. Brake warning, hill start assist warning, pre-collision assist not available, plus about 4 others. Basically, the car is drivable, but only 2 brakes are working, and none of the driver assist functions work, such as one pedal mode, drive mode, cruise control, etc. They called a local Ford place, and are taking it there on Monday.
Sorry for my lack of knowledge on terminology and such, but hopefully the basic story makes sense.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Did a search for brake bleeding and came up with this thread, wanted to give my experience real quick.
For starters, I know nothing about brakes, this was all done by a local shop. i had my calipers powder coated, and they decided to bleed the brakes. They didnt have the proper electronic/computer tools, and it started throwing all sorts of warnings upon start. Brake warning, hill start assist warning, pre-collision assist not available, plus about 4 others. Basically, the car is drivable, but only 2 brakes are working, and none of the driver assist functions work, such as one pedal mode, drive mode, cruise control, etc. They called a local Ford place, and are taking it there on Monday.
Sorry for my lack of knowledge on terminology and such, but hopefully the basic story makes sense.

Makes total sense. Because the shop shouldn’t have opened the brake lines without knowing what they were doing. Be careful. Your brakes are all but non-functional. Them even letting you drive away that way makes them liable.

 

[GrumblesTheDog]

Bumping this thread - I am working up the nerve to do a suspension swap on my MME. Many videos (of other cars) show people removing the caliper, rotors for improved accessibility. If there's no way around it, simply removing the calipers shouldn't require bleeding right? Ie just get into service mode before removing them and exit after bolting them back on?

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Bumping this thread - I am working up the nerve to do a suspension swap on my MME. Many videos (of other cars) show people removing the caliper, rotors for improved accessibility. If there's no way around it, simply removing the calipers shouldn't require bleeding right? Ie just get into service mode before removing them and exit after bolting them back on?

Correct. You can remove the calipers. Just don’t go very far with them. As long as you don’t open the brake fluid circuit there is no need to bleed.

 

[HughJazzol]

Stumbled onto this very informative thread.
Let's say that in X years, I will need to replace my brake pads...I use one ped drive, relax.

Will it be impossible to change the pads without entering this brake service mode? Why is that? These brakes behave differently than in an ICE car, I suppose???

Thanks

 

[Trielectric]

Old stuff about brakes. Do not ever add fluid to your brake system, if you do not have a leak. Dealers are terrible about not following this rule. Your fluid goes down because of pad wear. If the level is below the low line replace your brake pads. If you are not driving through lots of water, I would not recommend changing the fluid until greater than 75000 miles. The heat of the pads will cause most of the moisture to evaporate out of the system. This last statement may not be as true as it used to be, since electric cars do not heat their brakes up as much as ICE cars do.

I am making a guess that the Mach e brakes work like my current I-Pace brakes. The electric rear brakes are used by the cruise control to keep your following distance behind the car ahead of you (in conjunction with regen). So intown driving will cause the rear brakes to wear much faster than the front brakes.

 

[Teslaeata]

Old stuff about brakes. Do not ever add fluid to your brake system, if you do not have a leak. Dealers are terrible about not following this rule. Your fluid goes down because of pad wear. If the level is below the low line replace your brake pads. If you are not driving through lots of water, I would not recommend changing the fluid until greater than 75000 miles. The heat of the pads will cause most of the moisture to evaporate out of the system. This last statement may not be as true as it used to be, since electric cars do not heat their brakes up as much as ICE cars do.

I am making a guess that the Mach e brakes work like my current I-Pace brakes. The electric rear brakes are used by the cruise control to keep your following distance behind the car ahead of you (in conjunction with regen). So intown driving will cause the rear brakes to wear much faster than the front brakes.

Heat from brakes will cause moisture to evaporate from effectively sealed brake lines?

Be very careful about advising on things that are safety related and you know nothing about?

Golden rule: always follow manufacturer’s recommendations. Fluid change 2 yrs UK and 3 in US I think.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Stumbled onto this very informative thread.
Let's say that in X years, I will need to replace my brake pads...I use one ped drive, relax.

Will it be impossible to change the pads without entering this brake service mode? Why is that? These brakes behave differently than in an ICE car, I suppose???

Thanks

The main issue requiring brake service mode is the electric parking brake which engages automatically. If you don’t enter service mode, the parking brake will have the pads hard against the rotor and you won’t be able to get the caliper off to change the pads. Service mode disabled this allowing you to freely remove the caliper, change the pads and rotors if needed, then put it all back together.
Worse than that, you could dummy it up like me, and have a front caliper off when you turn the car on, at which time the car automatically applies the brakes on startup. I blew the piston right out of a front caliper because there was no pads or rotor to stop it. Then it had to go to the dealer to be bled after I got it back together. And it was only sheer luck that the seal didn’t get ruined.

 

[Trielectric]

Heat from brakes will cause moisture to evaporate from effectively sealed brake lines?

The brake upper reservoir is the high point in the system, where the heated moisture will float to.

 

[Teslaeata]

The brake upper reservoir is the high point in the system, where the heated moisture will float to.

Absolute bollocks, and dangerous advice which I am not sure you’re trained and qualified to provide.

The brake wheel units is where the heat is, if there is moisture in there which will boil you already have lost your brakes and should have long since changed your brake fluid according to the makers’s recommendations.

The moment the moisture boils you have vapour lock and no brakes, that is:

BRAKE FAILURE = DEATH

Simple as.

The boiled vapour will condense long before it could ever reach metres or yards back to the reservoir which it cannot reach anyway because of the seals in the system.

If you have some cock-eyed opinion that you shouldn’t change your brake fluid to save a few of your American dollars is fine……..for you……but not for the other road users who you put at risk of property damage, injury or even death, but please don’t use this nonsense to convince yourself you’re right in doing so and mislead others into doing the same.

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