Coolant bleeding do I have a problem?

[cubensis]

Hello all,

I have just made a repair to the coolant pipe that runs around the engine bay, I lost about 2 - 3 liters of coolant while I did it.

I've put everything back together and been following the guide on brickwerks. However I have run the engine so it's hot, the header tank is full and not moving, the pipes are warm indicating coolant is circulating and i've bled the screw on the thermostat housing so only coolant comes out when loosened.

Although i've done all this when I try to bleed the radiator using the bleed nut on the top left of the radiator a small amount of air comes out but I can't get it to the point that any liquid comes out. I was hoping that I could have coolant coming out a tiny bit then i know that the radiator is full of liquid and not air. The radiator gets hot right up to the top, which leads me to my second fault, The fan doesn't come on when the temp dial goes over half way, it was up to 3/4 before and the fan didn't come on, the fan has always worked in the past.

So, i'm thinking there is air in the system giving a false reading, but i'm unsure how to get anymore air out. I haven't jacked the front up as I don't have a jack and the brickwerks guide states it isn't needed.

Does anyone have any ideas / advice? We are away at the weekend and my GF doesn't know the van is poorly!

[AdrianC]

I have just made a repair to the coolant pipe that runs around the engine bay, I lost about 2 - 3 liters of coolant while I did it.

If that's all you've touched, you shouldn't need to bleed it. All you've lost is the water out of the header tank, no further in.

To get water out the rad, hold the engine at about 2-3000rpm. Rest your toolbox or something similar against the throttle pedal. That'll increase flow in the system enough to overcome the extra height of the top of the rad.

[cubensis]

Ah right, cool

There may be to much coolant in then, that would just work it's way out wouldn't it?.

My van doesn't have a rev counter, where abouts is 2500 revs? Am i revving it like mad or just a steady rev similar to the revs you'd give it when starting?

[AdrianC]

There may be to much coolant in then

Not possible.

My van doesn't have a rev counter, where abouts is 2500 revs? Am i revving it like mad or just a steady rev similar to the revs you'd give it when starting?

Nice steady bimbly cruise revs.

[cubensis]

Okay cool, thanks.

So, put a toolbox on the accelerator and do I have to wait until the engines hot to expect actual coolant to come out of the bleed nut on the radiator?

[Mocki]

It has to be up to working temp so the thermostat has opened before it goes to the rad..... Needle just off the stop is where it opens on mine... But warm air out of the heater should tell you

[AdrianC]

Even easier way to tell if the 'stat has opened - since the grille's off to bleed - just put a hand on the rad to see if it's getting warm.

[cubensis]

Thanks everyone, i'll report back tomorrow!

[ghost123uk]

Don't do as I did once, (many moons ago) = got it up to temp, undid the rad bleed screw too far and it shot out under pressure and hot coolant squirted / gushed out at a considerable rate

[CovKid]

Always thought you were a bit of a geezer John.

[ghost123uk]

Always thought you were a bit of a geezer John.

Spelling Ok, artistic licence

Here is an artists impression of what happened

[cubensis]

Give up!

When the van gets hot the fan isn't coming on even though it was working fine.

I had the van up to temp and couldn't get any coolant to come out of the radiator so I don't know whats going on.

The temp went to 3/4 on the dial, and still not fan, then I walked around the back of the van and coolant was pouring out of the expansion tank.

I'm thinking air is in there and has expanded pushing the coolant out, does air expand more than liquid when hot?

Anyway, it's in the garage at 9am tomorrow, it's beat me!

Really hope he can fix it tomorrow because we are meant to be going to final camp down!

Thanks for all the advice anyway!

[kevtherev]

reads like the thermostat has not opened.
the fan didn't come on because the radiator wasn't even warm.
the fan switch is on the rad.

taking the thermostat out would confirm this

[cubensis]

Hi Kev, yea the thermostat opened, the pipe behind it was warm and the radiator was warm right up to the top, it's recently had a new thermostat in.

[kevtherev]

the rad was warm ..not too hot to touch?