Date:         Sun, 25 Mar 2001 18:41:24 -0800
Reply-To:     Scott D Foss <turbovans@JUNO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott D Foss <turbovans@JUNO.COM>
Subject:      Re: HOW TO bleed the coolant system...
Comments: To: zol@FOXINTERNET.NET
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

Zoltan, re Bentley,

        It is pretty confusing on pg. 19.16 in the right hand column.
They are doing fine, telling us to :
 raise the front of the van,
 open the bleeder,
 run the engine,
 add coolant until it comes out the bleeder.

THEY SHOULD JUST SAY CLOSE THE BLEEDER
RIGHT THERE,
and also. . .  . REPEAT.  . if necessary.

I WOULD CERTAINLY ADD
Check the coolant frequently for a few days and add as the level in the
pressure-cap bottle goes does down as the last little air finds its way
to the bottle, showing up as low coolant level there.

        Personally I never have to bleed them.

Some tricks,
If the radiator is empty, like you just changed it, or had the lower hose
off  :
Fill it as much as you can through the temp sender hole.
( get's it about half full ).

Sometimes it IS necessary to run the engine and add coolant with the
bleeder on the rad open.
For jobs like replacing the water pump bleeding usually isn't needed, in
my world anyway.

Take every opportunity to replace some of the anti-freeze / water mixture
that comes along.  The coolant is usually old and heading towards yucky,
and changing even some it really helps.

Be aware that " air leaks in" can occur.  The cooling system does not
become " un-bled"  unless :
-their is an external coolant leak,
- coolant consumption through the engine,
-or air leaks in, like a pin-hole leak or seepage at the radiator or
heater core/s.

Are you having a symptom that is causing you to want to  bleed your
cooling system. . . and if so, what might that be, one wonders.

               Scott


[text/html]