two last things

[nyle]

ok so I have two issues keeping my ti off the road. the primary issue being coolant bleeding. i know there are a bunch of threads on this. but the symptom i have seems odd to me? I fill it up, let it flow through the system without turning the car on. blah blah blah. Then I turn the car on, and rev using the throttle body with the cap and bleed valve BOTH removed. the coolant level drops when I rev, and I get hot air only when I rev. All this seems normal. Except. A significant number of bubbles come up every time I rev... Is this right? The engine had NO coolant in it whatsoever when I started, so I figure that may be a factor. But i've done it a ton of times. Could something be loose that lets air in when the engine revs? Ideas?


The other issue. I went this morning to try to bleed one more time before I went to work. The car didn't start. No crank. I have a feeling that this is just the ground strap but I wanted to throw it out there for discussion.

[b.u.ti-ful]

If you have to keep adding coolant, then there must be a leak.

Do you get a lot of white smoke out your tailpipe?

[nyle]

no smoke. I don't have to add a lot. I think its more because of some leaking out while the bleed valve is open.

[nyle]

bump.

starting problem is fixed. the bleeding thing though. if i squeeze the rad hose going from the bottom of that radiator to the thermostat, i hear swishing. Which means there is obviously still air. No matter what I do, I can't get it to fill all the way.

[b.u.ti-ful]

Do you get coolant coming to the very top of the bleed screw hole when you fill the reservoir?

[nyle]

yeah. but like i said if i squeeze that bottom rad hose then bubbles will come up and the level in the expansion tank will go down a tiny tiny bit. I thought at first that maybe there was just a little bit of air trapped in there. but i've done that for hours. and it still acts exactly the same.

[b.u.ti-ful]

If the bleed screw hole does not look like this, you have not filled it completely:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/E36-Coolant_Flush/pic8.jpg

[nyle]

it will look like that though.

then i squeeze the hose, and the level comes up a little, a couple little bubbles come up, and the level drops down a little lower. but i've done that for hours.just keep at it?

[dave45056]

have any hills there? try parking iit on an uphill incline and bleed again. if the level keeps dropping, you have a leak... if you don't see it coming out of any place then 2 suspects are: head gasket and radiator. A coolant pressure test and a leakdown test can help you narrow things down.

[nyle]

Well. I've been doing it on a slight incline, and have the front jacked up. The engine was just replaced with one from bav engine (bav recycling subdivision). They do run over all those pressure checks to make sure engines are in good condition before they send them out. The radiator was bought just before the engine. Basically my whole cooling system is new. Minus the heater core and some hoses. I'm baffled. I am quite sure its not a head gasket. my old engine had a blown hg, and i was shown by a mechanic what symptoms that has when you try to bleed. radiator... ok maybe.

[b.u.ti-ful]

I had to fill my reservoir past the max fill line in order to get the bleed hole to top out.

Don't worry, the level will go back down to the line.

[nyle]

i've been filling it to the top of the reservoir. it will sit there and not move. unless i squeeze the hose.

[b.u.ti-ful]

Have you run the engine at all?

Go ahead and let it warm up while watching the temp gauge.

This will open the thermostat and move the fluid through the system.

Then top off again.

[nyle]

yep. i've been doing all this. for three days.