How do you bleed the cooling system?
Discussion
Lots of bleeding going on!!! I'm trying to get some things sorted but think I have lots of air trapped in the system etc. How do I bleed it? I've tried using the bleed nut on the rad, but sometimes I get the impression that the water isn't always circulating properly whilst idling etc.
I can't immediately locate the threads that have described this before but in short;
Bleed the air out through the swirl pot top nut/screw, not the radiator.
From someone else's thread I learned that using a large plastic funnel that can be screwed into the top of the swirl pot helps you to allow air out without losing all of your coolant, and you can keep topping up the funnel as needed.
Hope that helps.
No doubt someone will have bookmarked one of the better descriptions and post it for you.
ETA
You can do a fair job of it through the swirl pot (as above) without the funnel, but the funnel does help get that last bit of air.
Bleed the air out through the swirl pot top nut/screw, not the radiator.
From someone else's thread I learned that using a large plastic funnel that can be screwed into the top of the swirl pot helps you to allow air out without losing all of your coolant, and you can keep topping up the funnel as needed.
Hope that helps.
No doubt someone will have bookmarked one of the better descriptions and post it for you.
ETA
You can do a fair job of it through the swirl pot (as above) without the funnel, but the funnel does help get that last bit of air.
Edited by Goaty Bill on Sunday 31st March 17:53
Hi Chris, Ensure that the expansion tank is at its normal level as this varies from car to car, then refit pressure cap, remove nut on the swirl tank ant top up, undo the bleed screw on the rad until tha air has gone, tighten bleed screw and top up swirl tank and refit nut, run up to temperature ( fans cut in) and make sure the heater is in the hot position, allow to cool completely and remove pressure cap to release the pressure then check the level in the swirl tank and top up and re-bleed rad. and that should be that. Long winded i know and someone may post an easier way which will make both of us happy
Hope this helps
Jamie
Hope this helps
Jamie
Thanks guys.
I tried it today, but I'm not convinced everything is working as it should, however, I didn't turn the heater on, although I'm pretty sure it was on hot.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of pressure in the hoses. When I squeeze the hose from the stat to the swirl pot, it is soft and empty. Same again from the swirl pot to the radiator. I'm not sure if it is air that is circulating or if the pump isn't pumping.
I tried it today, but I'm not convinced everything is working as it should, however, I didn't turn the heater on, although I'm pretty sure it was on hot.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of pressure in the hoses. When I squeeze the hose from the stat to the swirl pot, it is soft and empty. Same again from the swirl pot to the radiator. I'm not sure if it is air that is circulating or if the pump isn't pumping.
Is that with the engine hot? as the water pump only circulates the coolant and does not create the pressure. the coolant getting hot creates the pressure. If you have had it up to temperature and let it cool and the swirl tank is still full then i would say you were ok unless there is a blockage but i would think it would over heat if there were. Is the heater blowing hot air?
Heater is blowing hot air. The past couple of times I've looked, the expansion tank is empty, but the swirl tank has been 3/4 full. Fans cut in and engine cools (at least whilst driving it yesterday). Its difficult to see the temp as the send is useless. I'm currently waiting for my Roverguage lead to arrive!
The expansion tank is not full on mine, it's fairly low which I think it's correct. It's the swirl tank ( the brass screw) this wont be full because the excess water will just flow into the expansion tank. So it will be a little bit lower.
If the heater is hot this implies water is circulating and you said the fans cut in and out, so water is moving around heating and cooling.
As long as you are letting the water get pressurised and its hot then it sounds OK. Make sure you check your jubilee clips I had to nip one up again, had a slight dribble.
I have just gone through this changing water hoses and radiator done a couple of hundred miles now and my eyes are not glued to the temperature gauge now. Oh and no puddles under the car now!
If the heater is hot this implies water is circulating and you said the fans cut in and out, so water is moving around heating and cooling.
As long as you are letting the water get pressurised and its hot then it sounds OK. Make sure you check your jubilee clips I had to nip one up again, had a slight dribble.
I have just gone through this changing water hoses and radiator done a couple of hundred miles now and my eyes are not glued to the temperature gauge now. Oh and no puddles under the car now!
When the fans cut in the temp is about 92 degrees, and they go off at about 86. if the swirl tank level is at 3/4 then you either need to top up, or you may have a leak, the expansion tank should have some coolant in it but the amount varies from car to car. Half fill the expansion tank and refit the cap then top up the swirl pot using Goaty Bills funnel method and start the engine and let it "burp" itself for a little while then refit the swirl pot cap and recheck after it has got hot and cooled, if the level has dropped then you may be loosing coolant somewhere, dont forget to check the heater control valve (passenger side against inner wing behind the dash)as its easily forgotten.
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
What should I be looking for, what does it do and what would I need to do with it!?It is working as you can turn the heat up and down i presume.
It is on the passenger side on the inner wing behind the dash(you will have lay on the floor and look up to see it) and has a pipe in and a pipe out and a cable to operate it, check it is not leaking, if it is you can get a fiesta one i think for about £10 on the bay (see alt parts lists). If its dry alls good. Try all the jubilee clips you may find one is weeping slightly and also check the pipe that is blanked off for the plenum heating (passenger side of inlet manifold a pipe with a bolt stuck in it (thats what a lot of them have) this was leaking on mine.
It is on the passenger side on the inner wing behind the dash(you will have lay on the floor and look up to see it) and has a pipe in and a pipe out and a cable to operate it, check it is not leaking, if it is you can get a fiesta one i think for about £10 on the bay (see alt parts lists). If its dry alls good. Try all the jubilee clips you may find one is weeping slightly and also check the pipe that is blanked off for the plenum heating (passenger side of inlet manifold a pipe with a bolt stuck in it (thats what a lot of them have) this was leaking on mine.
I have a dim and distant memory of this procedure being described on PH, but the geezer got the front of the car raised so that the air came into the swirl pot.......but I may be remembering something else. I do remember the bit about the funnel and screwing it in, and I think he did the procedure with the engine running and kept filling via the funnel.
Someone will know what i am talking about and will correct me - or the effects of the red wine will wear off.....
Someone will know what i am talking about and will correct me - or the effects of the red wine will wear off.....
The goat's Patented filling funnel;
ETA
I can see how it might, but I've never bothered (so far). Probably next time.
And yes, once I start filling, I keep the car running too.
I can't claim to be an expert mind; I followed the advice in that elusive original PH post, and it seems to have worked better just topping up and praying.
ETA
QBee said:
...
but the geezer got the front of the car raised so that the air came into the swirl pot.......but I may be remembering something else. I do remember the bit about the funnel and screwing it in, and I think he did the procedure with the engine running and kept filling via the funnel.
...
Apparently raising the front helps to get those last few bubbles out.but the geezer got the front of the car raised so that the air came into the swirl pot.......but I may be remembering something else. I do remember the bit about the funnel and screwing it in, and I think he did the procedure with the engine running and kept filling via the funnel.
...
I can see how it might, but I've never bothered (so far). Probably next time.
And yes, once I start filling, I keep the car running too.
I can't claim to be an expert mind; I followed the advice in that elusive original PH post, and it seems to have worked better just topping up and praying.
Edited by Goaty Bill on Monday 1st April 09:20
From memory this is what I did.
Screw a plastic funnel into the swirl pot opening. Fill expansion tank to 'normal' level and replace cap. Open radiator bleed screw and allow air out, tighten screw. Set heater to max heat. Top up funnel until half way up. Start car and allow to idle, as the coolant expands and the air is purged the system will 'burp' through the funnel, keep it topped up. Allow the 'stat to open, this will see a dramatic drop in the level in the funnel, top up to the top of the swirl pot and switch off engine. Remove funnel and replace brass plug. Allow to cool and check level in expansion tank.
Hope this helps.
Screw a plastic funnel into the swirl pot opening. Fill expansion tank to 'normal' level and replace cap. Open radiator bleed screw and allow air out, tighten screw. Set heater to max heat. Top up funnel until half way up. Start car and allow to idle, as the coolant expands and the air is purged the system will 'burp' through the funnel, keep it topped up. Allow the 'stat to open, this will see a dramatic drop in the level in the funnel, top up to the top of the swirl pot and switch off engine. Remove funnel and replace brass plug. Allow to cool and check level in expansion tank.
Hope this helps.
Had lots of trouble getting my heater to work but ChimpofDarkness's method worked for me .... raising the front of the car seemed to be the most help.
ChimpofDarkness
3,068 posts
47 months
[report] [news] Wednesday 14th November 2012
First off the heater in these cars is extremely effective, there is nothing wrong with the design of the system at all.
If your heater is not performing well, then there is most definitely something wrong.
When I first bought my Chimaera the heater wasn't very effective, especially at speed on a very cold day where things could get uncomfortably chilly.
A rad blind helped, but it was always a bit of a compromise between being warm on the move & running the engine too hot when city driving.
I assumed they were all like that
I was wrong
After bleeding the cooling system properly the heater proved itself to be a proper little furnace even on the coldest day.
I now only ever use the full hot setting on the very coldest day when on the motorway for sustained periods, as soon as I slow to pass though a town it's essential to turn it down or you absolutely cook.
I don't use that rad blind any more, the heater works perfectly without it and the car runs a maximum 85* on the TVR temperature gauge idling in traffic.
It does seem these cars can run perfectly well with air still trapped in the cooling system, and the place that air sits is the heater matrix.
There is definitely a drop in cabin temperatures as speed increases, but if your heater fails to keep you warm on a cold day at speed you need to bleed the air out of the matrix.
If your car has recently has a top end rebuild, it's extremely likely they didn't bleed the cooling system properly, there is a proven process that if not followed will almost certainly leave air trapped in the heater matrix.
Follow these steps, then tell me your heater is still ineffective.
Jack & support at the front so the nose of the car is as high as possible (this helps encourage a good flow around the heater and force the trapped air out)
Remove the brass plug from the swirl pot & insert a large funnel
Open the heater valve fully by putting the heater control to it's hottest setting (it may be worth checking it's truly fully open at the valve itself)
Fill your large funnel you the brim with coolant and start the car
Increase engine revs and wait for the thermostat to open (you can feel the hoses to establish the thermostat has opened)
Keep filling your funnel (IMPORTANT: Don't let the coolant in the funnel drop to the level of the swirl pot)
Rev the engine to get the water pump spinning, this will aid circulation & help burp the air out
Keep adding coolant to your big funnel as the level falls and the trapped air gets burped out
Go back inside the car & check the heater performance, if all the air has burped out you should have a continuous column of water circulating around the heater matrix and an extremely effective heater
Switch off, remove the funnel, replace the brass swirl pot plug, then drop the car back on it's wheels
Go for a drive to test the heater performance at speed
After following this process I would put money on you having a fantastic heater again
Edited by ChimpofDarkness on Wednesday 14th November 09:18
ChimpofDarkness
3,068 posts
47 months
[report] [news] Wednesday 14th November 2012
First off the heater in these cars is extremely effective, there is nothing wrong with the design of the system at all.
If your heater is not performing well, then there is most definitely something wrong.
When I first bought my Chimaera the heater wasn't very effective, especially at speed on a very cold day where things could get uncomfortably chilly.
A rad blind helped, but it was always a bit of a compromise between being warm on the move & running the engine too hot when city driving.
I assumed they were all like that
I was wrong
After bleeding the cooling system properly the heater proved itself to be a proper little furnace even on the coldest day.
I now only ever use the full hot setting on the very coldest day when on the motorway for sustained periods, as soon as I slow to pass though a town it's essential to turn it down or you absolutely cook.
I don't use that rad blind any more, the heater works perfectly without it and the car runs a maximum 85* on the TVR temperature gauge idling in traffic.
It does seem these cars can run perfectly well with air still trapped in the cooling system, and the place that air sits is the heater matrix.
There is definitely a drop in cabin temperatures as speed increases, but if your heater fails to keep you warm on a cold day at speed you need to bleed the air out of the matrix.
If your car has recently has a top end rebuild, it's extremely likely they didn't bleed the cooling system properly, there is a proven process that if not followed will almost certainly leave air trapped in the heater matrix.
Follow these steps, then tell me your heater is still ineffective.
Jack & support at the front so the nose of the car is as high as possible (this helps encourage a good flow around the heater and force the trapped air out)
Remove the brass plug from the swirl pot & insert a large funnel
Open the heater valve fully by putting the heater control to it's hottest setting (it may be worth checking it's truly fully open at the valve itself)
Fill your large funnel you the brim with coolant and start the car
Increase engine revs and wait for the thermostat to open (you can feel the hoses to establish the thermostat has opened)
Keep filling your funnel (IMPORTANT: Don't let the coolant in the funnel drop to the level of the swirl pot)
Rev the engine to get the water pump spinning, this will aid circulation & help burp the air out
Keep adding coolant to your big funnel as the level falls and the trapped air gets burped out
Go back inside the car & check the heater performance, if all the air has burped out you should have a continuous column of water circulating around the heater matrix and an extremely effective heater
Switch off, remove the funnel, replace the brass swirl pot plug, then drop the car back on it's wheels
Go for a drive to test the heater performance at speed
After following this process I would put money on you having a fantastic heater again
Edited by ChimpofDarkness on Wednesday 14th November 09:18
Had my car out over the last couple of days and temp wasn't getting above 55 while on fast a roads, possibly heading to 60 when in traffic.
Heaters were not warm at all. Stopped at tesco this morning and stayed in the car while the wife did some shopping and the car got up to 70 degrees with a nice warm heater.
Let it cool down and just been out to the garage and bled the system using a funnel. Didn't seem to much air in it.... heaters nice and warm, car got to 92 degrees on the dial and the fans kicked in.
Need to take it for another drive for a retest but is there anything else I should check?
Heaters were not warm at all. Stopped at tesco this morning and stayed in the car while the wife did some shopping and the car got up to 70 degrees with a nice warm heater.
Let it cool down and just been out to the garage and bled the system using a funnel. Didn't seem to much air in it.... heaters nice and warm, car got to 92 degrees on the dial and the fans kicked in.
Need to take it for another drive for a retest but is there anything else I should check?
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