Two days ago my car started suddenly getting really hot on the highway. I got home and found that a clamp on my lower radiator hose came off and was draining fluid. I replaced the clamp and filled with more coolant mix.
The car still overheated and the reservoir was bubbling. So I just figured that there was air in my line. When I went to go bleed the circuit... there is no bleeder valve where it's supposed to be. It's just an empty hole.

So my question is...
Can I bleed the coolant circuit without a bleeder valve?


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I use a "spill free funnel" whenever I do work that involves removing and adding coolant. This should help you get it done. Fill the funnel installed on radiator until its about halfway up the funnel. Let the car idle with the heat blowing for 5-10mins. Jack the front of the car a bit for best results.

 

The funnels do work well. If you don't have one you can leave the radiator cap off and run the engine and keep pouring in coolant as needed. The car must be level or facing uphill. The heater slider needs to be on full hot. When the engine warms up and the radiator starts to overflow, put the cap on and test drive. Then park in the same way, level or facing uphill, wait until completely cold, and check the radiator. If it is not completely full, repeat the bleeding process.

If you keep getting bubbling even after bleeding, it is likely the head gasket is blown.

 

Welcome to HT
You need to put all the info in your OP or someone else will tell you too lol..

That helps us diagnose, even if vague..

Now, that said, you cant find the bleed valve thats usually at the engine side of the upper radiator hose?(engine specific sometimes, thus above comment) Cause, if there was a hole there, it would be leaking as it just goes to an open neck.

Also, these heads warp at a slight fever, so hopefully we can get you bled and on the road with nothing else wrong!

 

A empty two liter soft drink bottle, with electrical tape wrapped around the bottleneck, can be a very good spill free funnel.

 

Follow this procedure:

1. Make sure you have no coolant leaks. ZERO. Radiator core, heater hoses, IACV, etc., ZERO leaks.

2. Maybe your radiator cap needs to be replaced. If it doesn't hold the required pressure any longer, your system will boil over. Bad rubber seals in the cap may cause pressure loss.

3. Make sure radiator fan works (disconnect fan switch connector, use a paperclip to jump the 2 terminals on connector). The fan should come on. If not, swap the radiator fan relay with the A/C clutch relay or other like-relay to see if the relay itself is bad (or use multimeter to test circuitry). If relay is good, but fan still does not come on, replace fan.

4. Make sure fan kicks on when car reaches operating temp. If not, replace fan switch located on thermostat housing.

5. Make sure the hose from the radiator to the overflow reservoir is air tight. The cap itself doesn't have to be air tight on the reservoir -- just the hoses connected to it.

6. Make sure the other small hose under the reservoir cap (inside overflow tank) is installed and also air tight (zip tie may be necessary here)

7. Fill and bleed cooling system as mentioned in previous posts, then fill overflow tank between low and full marks.

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*If the above steps do not resolve your overheating issue, check for signs of a blown head gasket:

1. When the engine has COMPLETELY COOLED DOWN, remove radiator cap, fill rad. with coolant, start engine, keep rad. topped off and observe for any bubbles coming out from radiator especially if there's signs of smoke/engine exhaust coming out from radiator. If all seems normal, reinstall cap and proceed to new step.

2. Check oil dipstick for signs of coolant contamination. If the dipstick shows milky oil on it, coolant is leaking internally into the engine and mixing with the oil.

3. With car running, check for smoke coming out of the exhaust. If the exhaust gasses have a slightly "sweet" smell to it, you may have coolant leaking into the engine's combustion chamber.

**The above 3 steps will HELP in troubleshooting but may not exactly confirm a diagnosis. Consult a reputable technician in your area to confirm any of your findings.

Other possibilities:
-Stuck thermostat
-Bad water pump
-Clogged Radiator
-Extreme auto racing without sufficient cooling system upgrades


Good luck!