PearlJammzz

So I am trying to burp coolant in my 92 Accord lx and I'm at a loss as to what i'm doing wrong. Here is what I do..

I make sure the radiator is full and then I put the cap back on. I start the car up and turn on the heater to full hot. I take the bleeder valve on the back-passenger side of the car and every little bit, I'll open it spurting the coolant out. I do this until the coolant comes out mostly-constant. Not in weird sputters. I can never seem to get all the air out though.

Is there something I am missing? I feel like a retard because I can swap a new engine and everything in, but for whatever reason I am missing somethin on the bleeding of the coolant lol. Thanks guys!

P_Adams

In most cases, the bleeder screw is more than sufficient to purge any residual air from the system; But every once and a while it just doesn't do the job.

When I run into one of these %^$#'s I resort to raising the front end enough that the radiator is now the highest spot of the cooling system.
Six (6) to ten (10) inches seems to be sufficient.
Top off the radiator, replace the cap and off you go....

P

Ross 2.0

Or if you want to do it even faster invest in one of these.

PearlJammzz

^^^link to said kit? Looks like you just pop it onto the radiator, fill with coolant and then just rev the motor and let it heat up and push the bubbles out?

AtoZ

i have the same problem with an accord from time to time. so, what do you do after jacking it up? are you sayin that all you need to do is jack it and fill it up without bleeding at the nipple or running the engine. need the specifics please.

P_Adams

Put it up on a set of ramps (or such)
Crack open the radiator cap
Start the engine and let it reach operating temp (thermostat opens)
Rev it a few times to force additional circulation
Top off the Radiator
Top off the Overflow bottle
Install cap(s)

P

johnlear

I never bother chasing the last little bit of air, in my experience it self bleeds into the expansion tank, and coolant is then drawn back into the system. Never had a problem...

E.Honda

Fill system....run with cap off until the fan cycles 3 times....Put cap on and drive.

SuperSlow

^^
But I rev it a couple of times after 3 cycles just to move any small bubbles out.

AtoZ

[QUOTE=P_Adams;37111639][QUOTE]


P Adams, it sounds logical, like bleeding a plumbing system: physics and its variables.

one other thing i always wanted to know was how do you know when all the air, or brake fluid, or any fluid is free of air. you cant see inside these systems. is it a matter of amount: a gallon, half gallon, a quart, is a pint enough? or is it a matter of time: bleed for 10 seconds or 60 seconds? for example, if the idle starts fluctuating, i bleed it, but only coolant comes out. i cant see any air bubbles in it, so perhaps i should put a clear hose on it?. Helms says to open the bleeder first and then add the coolant, but my owner's manual says to add the coolant first and then open the bleeder. If I follow Helms method, I see coolant - period. with the owner's manual method, i can hear the air coming out and then coolant follows, so of those two, i prefer the owner's manual method.

what i am trying to express is when is it enough? when are you done? when to stop? could there be air only an inch away? a moment away? ready to come out and then you decide to stop. evidently lots of folks have stopped too soon. i recall only one time when it was rather easy to do (while flushing) as i remember it, i only had water in it, and i could bleed all i wanted to because a quart of tap water is free, and suddenly the bleed stream got longer and came out with more force. but when i do the coolant, especialy in cold weather, it only runs slightly over the end of the nipple, often pulsing slightly. its next to impossible to tell.

as for some of what i have read here, keeping the bleeder valve open at the same time the rad cap is off is a big no no, unless you put a hose from the nipple to the rad neck and let it bleed into itself. that worked for me once, but i find it annoying to hook up without a special hose. keeping the nipple open (rad cap closed) when running the engine is better but i suspect it lets air in around the threads, especially if the nipple is loosened too much.

AtoZ

if the car is jacked way up when the engine is running, could that interfere with the oil pumps ability to pick up and circulate oil? the dealer lifts always have the car on a level, but then agian that is what happens driving uphill. still, i noticed that when i change my oil if i am not on a level surface, the oil level can be off as much as half a quart. so i wonder how much of an angle it takes to stop the pump from picking up the oil. some mountainous towns have very steep angled streets. i suppose that answer depends on the particular vehicle and where the pump is located and how the oil pan was designed. just curious.

P_Adams

You've pretty much answered your own questiom.
It would have to be a rediculously steep angle.
You'd probably have a better chance of uncovering the pickup doing high G turns to the left or tilting the car to the right.

Ross 2.0

Just look up "coolant funnel"
You can bypass all the silly jacking the car up and everything with this dandy device.

PearlJammzz

I rolled her up on ramps and let the fans cycle 4-5 times and filled the overflow. It's MUCH better now! I imagine what air is left will fix itself over time. Thanks guys