Do I need to bleed all 4 brakes if I only opened one line?

Question

I just replaced the rear rotors, calipers and pads on my '05 Honda Odyssey and did a full brake flush on all 4 wheels' bleed ports when I was done. After driving around for a day, I realized that the left side was leaking slightly. Got the leak fixed, but it took changing out the crush washers around the banjo bolt at the caliper. This means that the brake system was opened again, so I re-bled that line. Do I need to re-bleed the whole system again, or will just that one opened line be sufficient?

Answer 1

Where was the opened line in relation to the bleeding sequence?

The Honda Odyssey sequence is

1. Front Left
2. Front Right
3. Rear Right
4. Rear Left

So if it was the rear left you opened, just bleed that corner and you're good. If you opened the rear right, bleed that one and the rear left. etc.

If the brakes still feel at all spongy after bleeding only one or two lines, bite the bullet and bleed them all.

Answer 2

When was the last time the brake fluid was changed? If it's been over two year, just do the work and bleed the system. Brake fluid absorbs water over time, which makes it boil at a lesser temperature. The longer it's in your braking system, the more it absorbs. If it is anything other than clear, such as a dark amber or even a dark green, just do the work and flush the system. The more water which gets into the brake fluid, the more deterioration will occur in the brake system. Most brake lines are made of steel, which will oxidize and deteriorate due to the water in the brake fluid. Save yourself a lot of money down the road by performing this needed preventive maintenance.