DIY: 1-man Hydraulic Bleeding Kit for those with Air Compressor!

I'm in no rush for brakes.
As with everything, I noticed it's very good to weigh your options waaay ahead of time, and once your mind is set, just start hunting for best price. At least that's what I did for the last year and 1/2.
Doing this, got me a OEM MAF @ 144 bux (VDO Siemens) which for the 3l is one of the most expensive. Same with the alternator regulator - OEM Bosch, got it for 44 bux (If I lived in the US, it would have been 38...). The list goes on.

I noticed that if a part (which you would expect to) fails, you're kinda in a bind, and either you shop in a hurry, or you go to the dealer. There's no room to wiggle and you're had....

Thanks for the links Jason.

Hints were kindly added today by RDL to the following brake bleeding thread that should be referenced in this, the canonical brake bleeding thread:

Originally Posted by rdl

I visited a friend to scrounge an old style plain (no level sensor) ATE master cylinder cap for my homebrew pressure bleeding project. We started trading stories, shortcuts and tips and I picked up a couple of clever tips; new to me at least. It wasn't all business though, a brewski or three were involved as well.

Avoid draining the master cylinder reservoir while bleeding
With a narrow neck bottle of your favourite brake fluid, turn the bottle upside down in the reservoir. Contrary to "common sense" the bottle will not empty. Rather the brake fluid will stay in the bottle until the reservoir level falls below the bottle's mouth. Then only enough will flow to submerge the mouth of the bottle again. So, you can bleed away with a one quart reserve automatically refilling the reservoir as required.
It would be good practive to wrap the master cylinder opening around the bottle of brake fluid with a clean, lint free rag or plastic wrap to minimize access of moist air to the brake fluid. Also surround the reservoir with catch rags to absorb any spills as you invert the bottle - unless you are very fast and very good.

You can verify the physics behind this effect with a bowl or sink and say a plastic bottle of drinking water. Fill the sink, fill the plastic water bottle. Quickly invert the bottle and stick the neck underwater in the sink; perhaps hold a finger over the bottle mouth until it is submerged. You will see a bubble of air in the bottom (now top) of the bottle. But the bottle will not empty itself until you lift the bottle clear of the water level in the sink. And flow will stop if you re-submerge the mouth.

Prevent loss of fluid while changing calipers, etc.
I've always cringed at the common habit of pinching rubber flex brake hoses to prevent draining the reservoir and "airing" the master cylinder. My friend had a solution. Before opening the brake circuit, depress the brake pedal and prop a stick against the seat to hold the pedal down. The master cylinder seals are now past the ports from the reservoir and there is no flow path from the reservoir through the master cylinder to the caliper. You will get a few initial drips from the open line, but not a steady dribble or stream.

BTW, I don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence, but this trick does NOT eliminate the need for bleeding after the repair. But you won't have to worry about bleeding air out of the master cylinder and ABS/DSC block. And your brake hoses won't be crushed, possibly damaged.

Avoid setting DTCs when pressure bleeding with EasyDIS
DIS has a service function to run the ABS pump and cycle the ABS block valves to flush any micro-bubbles off the fine ports and passages out into the brake lines to be expelled in further bleeding. However, it also wants the reservoir pressurized for this cycle. Pressurizing the reservoir, means the car's master cylinder cap must be removed for the pressure cap. And the ignition must be turned on for EasyDIS to communicate with the DSC/ABS module.
Don't do as I did and simply lay the car's cap aside. The level sensing float will fall to the bottom and set a couple of DTCs. Instead, place the cap upside down so the float falls toward the cap, i.e. the high/full position. No DTCs will be set.

For the record, this was posted today:

Originally Posted by edjack

Not unusual for the six to take 2-3 bleeding operations (from cold) to get all the air out.

Compare this method with the one you are using.

TIS M54 Bleed Procedure edited version

It's very difficult to remove the air in the cooling system of the six. Try this procedure from the TIS. It assumes you have already topped up the system. You may have to do this 2-3 times. Some even jack up the front of the car by a foot or so.

TIS M54 Bleed Procedure.

To ensure the cooling system is properly vented, it is absolutely essential to follow the steps below:

1. Undo cap but do not remove from expansion tank. This prevent excessive discharge of coolant from the expansion tank.

2. Turn on ignition.

3. Set heating controller to max. temperature.

4. Set blower to low level. This opens the heating valves and sets the auxiliary water pump in operation.

5. Run engine and briefly press accelerator pedal three to four times (approx. 4500 to 5000 rpm) to flush engine cooling circuit.

6. In doing so, do not run engine for longer than approx. 30 seconds; otherwise coolant will heat up and expand.

7. If the coolant level in the expansion tank drops in the process, top up the expansion tank to the max. cold fill level.

8. Screw on cap tightly and allow engine to warm up until thermostat opens.

9. Check coolant level. Pay attention to differing expansion tank designs.

Transparent expansion tank:

Allow engine to cool down before checking coolant level. Coolant temperature must not exceed 30 deg C. If ambient temperature exceeds 30 deg C, allow engine to cool down at least to ambient temperature.
Check coolant level and if necessary top up coolant to max. cold fill level (see marking on expansion tank).

Note:

The tank mark indicates the fluid level at approx. 20 deg C. Use recommended coolant only.


Black expansion tank:

Allow engine to cool down before checking coolant level. Coolant temperature must not exceed 30 deg C. If ambient temperature exceeds 30 deg C, allow engine to cool down at least to ambient temperature.
Check coolant level and if necessary top up coolant to max. cold fill level (the ball on the float needle is on the same level as the top edge of the expansion tank).

Note:

The tank mark indicates the fluid level at approx. 20 deg C. Use recommended coolant only.