How To Bleed Your Cars Cooling System

Getting all the air out from your cooling system after a water pump or thermostat replacement tin be really difficult.

Your engine could easily overheat, and information technology may actually damage your engine seriously if you are not doing it right either.

There are some steps that will make the whole situation much easier. Follow this step by step guide and get all the air out quickly and safely.

Different Methods of Bleeding the Car's Cooling Organization

Fill Coolant (2)

There are actually two unlike methods of getting the air out from your cooling system.

Sometime Manual Method

The transmission method is the old-style variant of bleeding the cooling system.

Some cars have one or more air bleed valves to become the air out from the organisation, and some cars don't have this air bleed valve, which makes it a lot more than difficult.

To practice this method, you do not need any special tools, and you will get a step-to-footstep guide on how to do it afterwards in the article.

Vacuum Method

The new method, which I utilise myself, is the vacuum method. You need a vacuum tool for this and compressed air (depending on the tool) to employ this method.

Withal, this method creates a vacuum and sucks out all the air from the cooling system within seconds, and and so fills all the vacuum space with the coolant. This is a really efficient method if you have the tool, and you will never have to worry about automobile cooling bleeding anymore. You volition go a perfect result every fourth dimension, and the procedure takes under a minute.

If y'all are interested in one of these tools, you tin discover one hither on Amazon. Please note you need an air compressor for this tool.

If you do not feel that information technology is necessary to buy ane of these tools and do not want to get to a workshop to do it, it is also fine. This is the style I do information technology when I do non have access to a vacuum bleeder:

How to Bleed Your Cars Cooling System

This is a guide on how to manually drain your machine'southward cooling system without whatever special tools. Retrieve always to be conscientious when it comes to auto cooling systems considering it will reach boiling temperatures.
It is much easier to do this if you are two people, and then make sure to bring a friend! Follow these steps to bleed the coolant system easily:

Total Fourth dimension: 30 minutes

Step ane: Become the Coolant Ready

Coolant Mix

The showtime step in this guide is to make certain your anti-freeze is ready. You should always use the right coolant that is required by your manufacturer. The wrong type of coolant could damage your engine!
If yous are not sure which coolant you should use, check your repair manual or contact your authorized dealer.
Generally, mix the coolant with 50% water and 50% coolant (if information technology is a full-bodied anti-freeze coolant).
Always read the clarification of your coolant for the correct instructions. If yous alive in a cold country, you accept to make sure that the coolant mix is correct. If your coolant freezes in your engine, information technology will destroy your engine.
RELATED: ten All-time Engine Antifreeze & Coolants

Step two: Jack up the front of the auto

Jack Up Car E1611338560184

A step that not many people do but go you a much amend issue is to raise the front of your vehicle first. With this method, you will get the air out of the motorcar a lot easier, specially if your filling cap is at your radiator. If yous have a car with an external expansion tank installed in the engine's rear, this may non exist necessary.
To raise the car's front, you could either employ a floor jack or put the machine on a steep hill with the front upwardly.
When raising your car with a flooring jack, always also use Jack Stands to prevent whatsoever accidents.

Pace three: Fill up Coolant to MAX

Fill Coolant

Now when the machine front is raised, information technology's time to fill your coolant equally much every bit possible. If your engine has air drain valves, open up them simultaneously every bit you are adding the coolant. Shut them when coolant is flowing out from them.
Anti-freeze is toxic, and yous should always check that your coolant is not flowing down in any wells on your floor or the road. All coolant should be returned to your local environmental assessment. Keep in mind that if whatsoever animals drink the coolant, they can become very ill, leading to expiry. Use anti-freeze with care! When you have filled your coolant as much equally possible, go to the next step

Step 4: Start the engine

Starting Car

You lot should now get-go your engine. The all-time way to do this is to get help from a friend. When you start your engine, the water pump could button out some coolant from the radiator if at that place is air inside the system. To prevent this, a tool like this installed on your radiator is preferred:

Step 5: Turn the climate control heat to max

Heat Cabin 1 E1578916665204

After you have started your engine, y'all should at present plow the climate control rut to MAX. It depends on the machine, only many cars use a valve that will restrict the coolant from flowing inside the car's thermal pack if the climate control is set to cold.
Other cars redirect the airflow and not the coolant flow, so this step will non make a deviation with these cars. No matter which model you have, it's an like shooting fish in a barrel step to put your climate control to the MAX oestrus.

Stride half-dozen: Rev the engine to 3000-4000 rpm

Rpm Limit

Put your friend into the car and let him rev up your engine to around 3000-4000 RPM. This could cause the coolant to flow out of the radiator if you lot exercise not use the spill tool. Go on the RPMs steady while you are working in the organization. Make sure that the coolant is not getting too hot while you piece of work on it, though.

Pace 7: Open Bleed Valves Carefully

Coolant Bleed Valve E1611338814623

While your friend is revving the engine slightly, you tin at present loosen the air bleeding valves. Ensure the coolant temperature is not as well loftier as it will exist dangerous to work with your car then. Exist circumspect to any coolant temperature peaks and coolant leaks at this point. Open up the bleed valves advisedly until it comes to water from them and then closes them. Do this a couple of times until it only comes coolant from them when you open them.

Step 8: Refill coolant if necessary

Fill Coolant

Close your air bleeding valves. Let your engine idle again and recheck and refill the coolant level and lower the front of your automobile. At this bespeak, you lot should repeat these steps until you become heat within the motorcar and your coolant temperature reaches 90c and stays there. Put your radiator cap back. If your coolant temperature is now at 90c (work temperature) and yous have oestrus inside your car, the air should now be gone from your vehicle. Alert: Hot coolant tin cause harm to you if it's non used with care.
RELATED: Low Engine Coolant – Is it Safety to Drive?

Step 9: Get for a examination drive

Drive Car

You should at present make sure that you can't notice any leaks afterwards your repair. If information technology seems adept, take your car out for a long test drive. Be very attentive almost your coolant temperature during the exam drive, and make sure the machine does not start to overheat. Overheating can cause your head gasket to blow, and you actually do not desire that to happen. Check all the functions and the temperature of the climate control.

Pace 10: Fill coolant again

Refill Coolant E1611338886692

If your exam bulldoze went well without whatsoever temperature peaks or other strange behaviors, open your hood and recheck your coolant level. Check for any coolant leaks.
After this, yous can let your vehicle stand for a couple of hours, and then take another test drive, practice the same procedure and cheque for leaks and the coolant level.
Afterwards all these steps, your repair should now be successful. If there are any strange behaviors, repeat this guide or go on your troubleshooting.
RELATED: Tin you use merely water without any coolant in the radiator?

Supply:

  • A friend

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Magnus Sellén

Magnus is the owner and main author of MechanicBase. He has been working as a mechanic for over 10 years, and the majority of them specialized in advanced diagnostics and troubleshooting. Certified Automotive Diagnostic Technician.