So I had my radiator replaced a month or so ago... yesterday the weather decided that it was winter and it was 25 degrees out. The heater is definitely not working right. I have already tried opening the bleeder valve but no air comes out, just coolant. I have also tried putting the car up on ramps and running/revving the engine with the radcap removed. This morning it was 24 degrees and thank goodness for the heated seats or I would have been freezing my nuts off.
Anyone have any other good tips for burping the coolant system?
Tips for bleeding the cooling system
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jiggersplat
- Posts: 352
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:21 pm
- Car: 2008 Infiniti M45x
1995 Toyota Supra TT 6-spd - Location: Alexandria, VA
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svard75
- Posts: 1564
- Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 3:26 am
- Car: 06 M35x
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Tips for bleeding the cooling system
It's called burping the coolant hehe. What I always do is ensure my radiator is filled to the top when cold. Try that then run the engine with max heat till NOT. Then shut off allow to cool and repeat until there's no more room for air. If you still have air after this process you may want to go to a shop and have them perform a coolant flush.
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jiggersplat
- Posts: 352
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:21 pm
- Car: 2008 Infiniti M45x
1995 Toyota Supra TT 6-spd - Location: Alexandria, VA
Re: Tips for bleeding the cooling system
they are flushing the heater core right now.
Re: Tips for bleeding the cooling system
You need this:
Lisle 24610 Spill-Free Funnel
About $35.00 on Amazon. It is basically a large funnel with airtight adapters allowing you to keep the fluid level fill point above everything else while system is burping.
(You have the right idea when you alluded to raising the front end up high to keep the radiator fill at the highest point of the cooling system.....this funnel does that for you keeping the car on level ground).
Keep the heater on while doing this so coolant flows through the core.
Burping this system is a PITA, only other way to to it better than this is pnuematic/vacuum bleeding.
SVARDS posting is basically how I do it, using the lisle funnel kit. I cannot express enough how careful you need to be while working with this stuff. Follow all safety procedures. I had a recall for the fan controller on my 2006 M years ago. The idiot tech let my car get to operating temps, then shut it down when the fan did not come on at specified temps. He then made 2 mistakes back to back.
The jerk opened up the system hot, that was steam/antifreeze shower #1.
He then poured anti freeze in, started the car, continued to add, and when the air pockets locked up system, he got another anti freeze/steam shower. I cannot believe how fortunate he was that he was not scaulded....not once, but twice!
Lisle 24610 Spill-Free Funnel
About $35.00 on Amazon. It is basically a large funnel with airtight adapters allowing you to keep the fluid level fill point above everything else while system is burping.
(You have the right idea when you alluded to raising the front end up high to keep the radiator fill at the highest point of the cooling system.....this funnel does that for you keeping the car on level ground).
Keep the heater on while doing this so coolant flows through the core.
Burping this system is a PITA, only other way to to it better than this is pnuematic/vacuum bleeding.
SVARDS posting is basically how I do it, using the lisle funnel kit. I cannot express enough how careful you need to be while working with this stuff. Follow all safety procedures. I had a recall for the fan controller on my 2006 M years ago. The idiot tech let my car get to operating temps, then shut it down when the fan did not come on at specified temps. He then made 2 mistakes back to back.
The jerk opened up the system hot, that was steam/antifreeze shower #1.
He then poured anti freeze in, started the car, continued to add, and when the air pockets locked up system, he got another anti freeze/steam shower. I cannot believe how fortunate he was that he was not scaulded....not once, but twice!