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Date:         Tue, 13 May 2003 20:31:40 -0400
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject:      Re: Coolant air - prevents fan?
Comments: To: DSF70@AOL.COM
In-Reply-To:  <196.1a4de012.2bf2da3e@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

The bleeding has to done before the engine warms up. Once parts in the engine get near 140F, the water will vaporize with the system not sealed and under pressure. Continuing to bleed a hot engine will result in damage. I don't bother to raise the front of the van as it only makes it harder for the pump to fill the radiator. I bleed the system as follows:

Engine stone cold Make sure all hoses are installed correctly. Direction of coolant flow does matter. Open both heater valves Open t-stat bypass valve Remove pressure cap Fill main bottle; keep filling if level goes down, block is filling up. Get friend to help. Start engine and hold fast idle, 2,000-2,500 rpm. Have assistant open radiator bleeder. Keep main bottle filled, coolant will go down to fill radiator and heater circuits. When steady stream comes out of radiator, close bleeder screw. Top off main tank, install cap. Allow engine to return to normal idle. (if cap is not on, than coolant will back flow out) Close t-stat bypass. Re-install hose from cap to rear expansion tank. You should be done bleeding. Observe operation. Make sure water is flowing to both heaters. If so, turn them off. This should take less than 5 minutes.

As engine approaches normal temp., make sure water is flowing through radiator, when radiator gets hot, make sure fan operates.

If water does not flow through radiator, the system may be air locked again. If so, you need to do some testing of the engine looking for internal leaks. Small amounts of air will work out after a few warm up-cooling cycles if the system is healthy. Make sure the pressure cap is working. If water is not flowing, the fan will never turn on as the fan switch is in the radiator. The radiator can also crack internally allow the water to enter and exit without flowing through the core.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of Dustin Fitch Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 7:31 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Coolant air - prevents fan?

hey all. quick question for ya on my '85 1.9L (no resistor behind L. Headlight). I bled my coolant system today. Naturally, the air must be bled. I'm halfway there. The question is: at first, when she heated up, as I entered the coolant, the fan came on eventually. Then i bled the air the first time.....she got hot...I bled. No fan...neither stage. I got all the way up to near the top line on the heat gauge..blinking LED. Then shut her down. Bled again....lots of air.....still...no fan. Does air in the line affect the fan operation?....even when you've got almost...just about....all the air out of er'? My temp gauge has stabilized but I know I still have some air...I can hear it bubbling a bit still. Not too bad. But still....no fan. I don't understand that....I thought if that switch up front...which is new today and obviously worked once....I thought if when it got hot, it puts the fan on, air or not.. Apparently not. Is it the air in the line still?

My front end is elevated and the relay for the fan is new too. So isn't the fuse. Only thing I've never done is the thermoswitch in the thermostat housing. I know the thermostat is opening eventually, because I have heat and steam at the bleeder valve on the radiator.

TIA

Dustin


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