Overheating problem.

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Absolutely not. Cap must be on and tight before you start the engine. That pressurizes the system, as it warms up, to help the bleeding get the air pocket out. It will NOT work if you leave the cap off and as the coolant heats up it will overflow with the cap open.

regards
mech

Ok that's what I figured. I'm at work right now, so I'll check it when I get home and do as you said exactly.

[user removed]

Never let the recovery bottle level get below the minimum or it will suck air into the engine when it cools off and you get to start the process, from scratch, all over again.

Run the heater on max heat to make sure their are no air pockets in the heater core during warm up. When you can not get any more air out of the bleeder you are done. It could take several cold-hot cycles before you get no air and I like to check it after a while to make sure I got all of the air out.

regards
mech

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Never let the recovery bottle level get below the minimum or it will suck air into the engine when it cools off and you get to start the process, from scratch, all over again.

regards
mech

Fun stuff... Yea I'll make sure it never reaches near the bottom. I'm gonna check the recovery bottle level the second when I get home, when it's hot, note the level, take a picture. Then when I get up I'm going to go check it cold and see if it dropped. Even if it did, I think I'll burp the system again anyway just to be sure there is nothing in there.

Oh also, I'm going to check both the radiator hoses to make sure one isn't hotter then the other.

[user removed]

Originally Posted by Baltothewolf

Ok that's what I figured. I'm at work right now, so I'll check it when I get home and do as you said exactly.

Check the recovery bottle when you leave work. You could carry a small container of coolant to top off the radiator and recovery bottle. Of course, in those hot temperatures I would not run the heater .

Bleed when you get home, then let it cool and top off again. Never run it with the cap off unless you are checking for proper thermostat operation and opening temperature, which you have already done when you replaced the thermostat.

regards
mech

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Check the recovery bottle when you leave work. You could carry a small container of coolant to top off the radiator and recovery bottle. Of course, in those hot temperatures I would not run the heater .

Bleed when you get home, then let it cool and top off again. Never run it with the cap off unless you are checking for proper thermostat operation and opening temperature, which you have already done when you replaced the thermostat.

regards
mech

Problem is I'm on a 4% slope here at work, so I can't tell where my recovery bottle is at exactly.

And 90% of the time on my way home from work the past, 3 weeks I have used the heater, it gets down in the 50's at night (that's cold, for me at least).

I will burp it when I get home though before I go to bed.

[user removed]

Use the heater, it helps to get any air circulated out of the system. The absolute best way to get it completely bled is to drive the car on your commute and use the commute to avoid running the engine unnecessarily.

The recovery bottle cares not about a 4% slope. Check to see that the coolant is filling the recovery bottle when you stop with the engine hot, at your destination The bottle usually has a cold and hot mark. As long as you check it consistently cold and hot you know the level and if it has changed through several cycles (cold-warm).

When the changes are exactly the same and you can't get any more air out of the bleeder, youre finished with bleeding.

If you open up the system, anywhere except at the cap when cold, you get to start the bleeding process all over again.

regards
mech

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Use the heater, it helps to get any air circulated out of the system. The absolute best way to get it completely bled is to drive the car on your commute and use the commute to avoid running the engine unnecessarily.

The recovery bottle cares not about a 4% slope. Check to see that the coolant is filling the recovery bottle when you stop with the engine hot, at your destination The bottle usually has a cold and hot mark. As long as you check it consistently cold and hot you know the level and if it has changed through several cycles (cold-warm).

When the changes are exactly the same and you can't get any more air out of the bleeder, youre finished with bleeding.

If you open up the system, anywhere except at the cap when cold, you get to start the bleeding process all over again.

regards
mech

Wait so I don't even open the recovery bottle when cold once I'm done bleeding air? Also, my recovery bottle only has a 'min' and 'max' line. Nothing in between.

[user removed]

You do not need to remove anything to check the recovery bottle or to bleed the system, except to open the bleeder. Only open things when the engine is cold or you could get burned badly by scalding hot water, a real danger when you have a big air pocket that gets super hot then gets hit with colder water and you have a geyser of scalding water blowing out of the radiator and all over you.

YOU WILL ONLY DO THAT ONCE!

I have'nt

regards
mech

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

You do not need to remove anything to check the recovery bottle or to bleed the system, except to open the bleeder. Only open things when the engine is cold or you could get burned badly by scalding hot water, a real danger when you have a big air pocket that gets super hot then gets hit with colder water and you have a geyser of scalding water blowing out of the radiator and all over you.

YOU WILL ONLY DO THAT ONCE!

I have'nt

regards
mech

So I just got home from work, and before bleeding I thought I would feel the radiator hoses. I touched the bottom one and I could grab it and hold it with my hand forever if I wanted to, it was barely luke warm. I touched the top one and had to apply ice to my hand, and it still hurts. My dad, who has tough as hell hands, couldn't even touch it for more then 1/4 of a second. What does this mean?

Forgot to add, car did not overheat on way home from work.

[user removed]

It means you should keep bleeding it until it has no air. I would call the hot top and luke warm bottom hose working right, but KEEP BLEEDING. I could hold my hand about 5 seconds on 185 degrees. I think yours is around 200, which is fine if that was what it called for and you should not see it go beyond 225 (thats a guess). Make sure your coolant is 50/50 not more or less (helps heat transfer).

Now if you climb a steep grade like before what does it read? That's a stress test and it will probably go higher than other times. When that reading (after climbing a steep grade) causes the temp to skyrocket but there is no air bubble and the cooling system operates normally otherwise, you need a radiator.

regards
mech