Bleed your Radiator
Have you noticed your car's engine overheating soon after replacing the fluid in thecooling systemor a system's part? Air might've found its way into the system. This pernicious problem mainly affects vehicles with a low hood line. Which means many modern vehicles. To fix the problem, you need to bleed the radiator-and the rest of the system. If it isn't purged,trapped airwill form hot spots that can-and eventually will-crack and even warp the engine. Fortunately, you can bleed the cooling system at home following a simple procedure.How to bleed the radiator-and the cooling systemFinish filling your car radiator with coolant and replace the radiator cap. Then, find thebleed screw/valve on the cooling system. Usually, you'll find this bleed screw on the thermostat housing. Find the housing by following the upper radiator hose towards the engine. The hose stops at the thermostat assembly.Do you know how many bleed screws/valves your cooling system has? Some vehicles come with more than one bleed screw. Check your car owner's manual-or workshop manual for your particular make/model/year vehicle. You may find a copy of the repair manual in the reference section of your local public library.Engage the parking brake and block the wheels to prevent the car from accidentally rolling. Then, connect a clear hose of the proper diameter and length to the bleed screw/valve and place the other hose end into a drain pan.Set the transmission to Park (automatic) or Neutral (standard), start the engine and let it idle until the car warms up-this may take between 10 to 15 minutes.Once the engine has reached operating temperature, crack the bleed screw/valve open using a wrench. Watch the coolant flowing through the clear hose. When you see the stream of coolant coming out without air bubbles, tighten the bleed screw. Repeat the procedure with the other bleed screw, if necessary.After you finish purging all air from the cooling system, turn off the engine and wait for the engine to cool. Then, check the coolant level in the reservoir. Add fresh coolant, if necessary, to bring the fluid to the correct level.After refilling your car radiator with coolant, replacing the cooling system fluid or a system part-such as the water pump, radiator hose or thermostat-be sure to purge the air from the system. When you bleed the radiator (and the cooling system), you protect the engine from overheating and serious damage.And your wallet from expensive repairs.
