Just so you
know, the only radiators that ever need bleeding are the systems on (usually
front wheel drive) vehicles, where the point where you add the coolant is lower
than the highest point in the cooling system. Since water does not go up
hill, you will need to open a bleeder screw at the top of the cooling system
(usually where the top radiator hose meets the engine), while you fill the
system up. If you do not do this, then there will e a big air bubble in the top
of your cooling system and the coolant will not be able to circulate through
the engine, and make things overheat.
The only time
you need to bleed the cooling system in your car, is when you work on it, and
fix the leak or other condition that caused it to have to be opened up and
worked on in the first place. This is not something that you do as a
maintenance item, but the finalsteps in working on certain cooling systems,
as mentioned above. It is no longer necessary to change the coolant on newer
vehicles, as they are equipped with (pricey) lifetime coolant. The only time
you need to buy any of this stuff is when you had some leak out. When you make
a repair to the cooling system, you can pour the same coolant right back in the
engine that you had to drain out of it.
The best way I
know to tell you how to do bleed the system is to explain to you exactly how I
do it. So here goes! Okay, you have fixed the cooling system, and now you are ready
to fill it back up. So pour in the proper coolant mixture for your car in the
cooling system reservoir until it comes to the top, and you cannot add any
more. Then look at the point where the upper radiator hose meetsthe engine.
This is usually the thermostat housing. The thermostat should be changed as a
maintenance item, see your owner manual for the maintenance intervals. Anyways,
on thatthermostat housing, there should be a small bleeder screw. If it is not
on the thermostathousing, just look for the highest point on the engine, ad
there will be a small bleeder screw (if your vehicle requires it) If not, then
dont look too hard for it, because your vehicle might not even need one. At
this point you are going to open (or remove) that screw.
Once the
bleeder screw is out, you can crank the engine and turn the heater on. Turning
on the heater circulates the coolant throughout the entire cooling system, so
you can chase the air out of it. So with the heater on, and the bleeder screw
open, add the rest of the coolant until it comes out the bleeder screw without
any air bubbles. It should be a steady stream. Once you get that steady stream
of coolant, you can replace the bleeder screw, and the radiator cap. Continue
to let the engine run, while you check your work for leaks. A good way to find
out if there is a leak is to place a clean piece of cardboard under the engine
and areas of it that you were working on. If anything drops down on that
cardboard, you will be able to see it right away.
At this point
I will assume that you do not have any leaks, so continue to let the engine run
until it gets up to the normal operating temperature. This is when the electric
fans will turn on. One the fans turn on, let the engine run for about ten more
minutes. This is important because if there is an air bubble in the cooling
system, then it will start to run hotter than normal in this time. If it does
start to overheat, you will need to, bleed the system again, and try again. If
it still overheats, then you will need to double check your work on the repair
(because it probably wasnt fixed right or the wrong parts were changed. I have
written an article about how to diagnose cooling system problems that has
helped many people, and here is a link to that, if you need it.
Hopefully you can get your car back on the road with as little headaches
as possible with the help that I offer you in my articles. I hope they are as
informative to you as it brings me joy to be able to share my knowledge with
others.
Source : Expert Contents
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