Coolant Purge Nightmare
tried to do the purge thing 2 days ago after getting back from the Big Bend Open Road Race...waited and waited..temp keeps climbing burping coolant all over the engine and the damn thermostat would NOT open...after about 45 minutes I said screw it and cooled it all down again and yanked the damn thermostat out...reinstalled the housing and reheated the car..heater worked great and let it run, slowly refilling with coolant...came to the top, let it run another 15 minutes and shut it off...have driven it at least 3 times since ( 50 mile trips)without the thermostat and am seeing temps from 180 at 70mph to 205 sitting in traffic. as the speed increases the temp drops...
Works great..to hell with purging it all the damn time.
Works great..to hell with purging it all the damn time.
Originally Posted by DMK
So, whats the exact steps with the funnel technique?
The funnel technique is the same as just pouring in the coolant. Follow the steps I listed and you will be fine. all you really need to do is go through a few heat cycles filling the coolant in between cycles. It isn't rocket science...
I have purged the system on these cars more times than I care to count... motor builds, turbo installs, rerouting coolant lines, you name it. Any time you crack open the coolant system, other than opening the rad cap, you should purge.
Now I just fill the funnel, unscrew the air relief valve until the coolant flows out and tighten it and make sure the overflow is half full. Heat up the car, turn the heat on, listen for gurgling noises, if I hear them, let the car cool and repeat till the system takes no more coolant and I hear no gurgling
True. Take your time pouring coolant in. You can hear it/see it bubbling as you fill the radiator. If you have an hour and now funnel you can try the technique I listed. I've ran the car pretty hard and have had no issues with cooling/coolant so far. My funnel gets here this week so if no video is posted I'll throw one up on the weekend.
I don't want to jack this thread but I've been having a similar problem. I now think I figured it out. I recently started van pooling to work after a year of doing a 70 mile commute to work each way. I've had a slight coolant leak on the right side turbo, to fix it will require the turbo to be pulled off so that will have to wait till later this year. What I was doing is every other day or so I'd just add about 10 oz of water and everything was cool, no problems.
Now with only a 4 mile commute I'd check the coolant level and it appeared it never needed any. About 2 weeks later as I was driving home it sounded like the belt tensioner on the A/C belt was starting to go, the next day I stopped by the local Nissan dealer and picked up the tensioner and 2 new belts, on the way home it over heated. I figured it was the water pump cavitating making the noise. So I spent a few hours fighting to get it purged with limited success. Then I thought it was the thermostat sticking so I replaced it but that was not it, the old thermostat tested just fine. I finally got it purged.
Here's what I think is going on, I can smell the coolant leak from the turbo, there's no water dripping, it vaporizes right at the turbo. As the system heats up and builds pressure I'm loosing a small volume of coolant but after I shut it off it will slowly bleed off the pressure and then as it cools the leak will vent in air rather than pull coolant in from the expansion tank, additionally the air vented in from the leak flows up to the suction side of the thermostat.
I ordered the radiator funnel last week so that will have to do until I can afford to get the turbos pulled off and a new set of 700BB's installed with new injectors and new EMS of some type.
Now with only a 4 mile commute I'd check the coolant level and it appeared it never needed any. About 2 weeks later as I was driving home it sounded like the belt tensioner on the A/C belt was starting to go, the next day I stopped by the local Nissan dealer and picked up the tensioner and 2 new belts, on the way home it over heated. I figured it was the water pump cavitating making the noise. So I spent a few hours fighting to get it purged with limited success. Then I thought it was the thermostat sticking so I replaced it but that was not it, the old thermostat tested just fine. I finally got it purged.
Here's what I think is going on, I can smell the coolant leak from the turbo, there's no water dripping, it vaporizes right at the turbo. As the system heats up and builds pressure I'm loosing a small volume of coolant but after I shut it off it will slowly bleed off the pressure and then as it cools the leak will vent in air rather than pull coolant in from the expansion tank, additionally the air vented in from the leak flows up to the suction side of the thermostat.
I ordered the radiator funnel last week so that will have to do until I can afford to get the turbos pulled off and a new set of 700BB's installed with new injectors and new EMS of some type.
I am doing this right now. It took about 4 quarts after I drained it. I ran the car, pruged it and filled it with about two more quarts. I just ran the car again and tried to purge it and nothing. No air came out and no coolant came out. I took the whole purge cap off and nothing came out! It looked like the line was empty. The heater is still blowing cold air. Help please!
Are you reving the engine up to about 3k-ish, holding it for about 10 seconds, letting it drop back to idle, and repeating? That helps break loose air pockets sometimes.
If NO coolant is coming out with the purge valve cap off, it sounds like you need to add a lot more coolant still.
If NO coolant is coming out with the purge valve cap off, it sounds like you need to add a lot more coolant still.
I added some more coolant and did the rev thing(did that each time before also). I tried purging it again and this time it worked. DRove it around and the heater worked good so it looks like it is good.
(I believe I asked this before in a previous thread but I cant find it)
When I installed my aps system, it had me remove that purge valve on the upper heater core hose...so would using the funnel and revving still allow all the air to escape? I suppose it would also be more effective to prop the front end up to have the rad cap be higher than the heater core eh?
Im asking because occasionally I hear a gurgling in the heater core when I just begin driving my car, and also sometimes when I turn it off :P
Ive drained and filled the coolant 2 times already, I think theres a pocket in my heater core.
When I installed my aps system, it had me remove that purge valve on the upper heater core hose...so would using the funnel and revving still allow all the air to escape? I suppose it would also be more effective to prop the front end up to have the rad cap be higher than the heater core eh?
Im asking because occasionally I hear a gurgling in the heater core when I just begin driving my car, and also sometimes when I turn it off :P
Ive drained and filled the coolant 2 times already, I think theres a pocket in my heater core.
Originally Posted by Zivman
NOTE IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE BE FOLLOWED EXACTLY! IT IS TIME CONSUMING, HOWEVER, ESSENTIAL!
3.1 Remove bleader in the stock upper heater hose.
3.2 Fill radiator and coolant recovery reservoir with anti freeze coolant. It should take 10 quarts, including reservoir. It is important that the coolant is poured through the radiator filler neck at less than 1.5 quarts per minute, in order to allow air in the system to escape.
3.3 When the engine coolant overflows the at the bleader, re-install the bleader
3.4 Warm the engine to the normal operating temperature with the radiator cap installed.
3.5 Run the engine at 3,000 RPM for 10 seconds and then allow it to return to idle speed.
§ Repeat this action three times.
3.6 Stop engine and allow coolant temperature to drop below 120°F.
Use a remote electric fan to assist in this process.
If necessary, refill the radiator and reservoir up to the filler neck.
3.7 Repeat steps 3.3 to 3.6 at least two more times (it may take more) with the radiator cap installed, until the engine coolant level no longer drops.
3.8 Check the cooling system for leaks with the engine running.
3.9 Fully warm the engine and listen for the sound of coolant flow through the heater unit, inside the car; while running the engine from idle to 3,000 RPM, with the heater control set at several positions between cool and warm.
· Repeat this action three times
3.10 If any sound is heard, continue to bleed excess air from the cooling system, by repeating steps 3.3 to 3.6, until the coolant level no longer drops.
***...... the use of the tower funnels helps push air out.
3.1 Remove bleader in the stock upper heater hose.
3.2 Fill radiator and coolant recovery reservoir with anti freeze coolant. It should take 10 quarts, including reservoir. It is important that the coolant is poured through the radiator filler neck at less than 1.5 quarts per minute, in order to allow air in the system to escape.
3.3 When the engine coolant overflows the at the bleader, re-install the bleader
3.4 Warm the engine to the normal operating temperature with the radiator cap installed.
3.5 Run the engine at 3,000 RPM for 10 seconds and then allow it to return to idle speed.
§ Repeat this action three times.
3.6 Stop engine and allow coolant temperature to drop below 120°F.
Use a remote electric fan to assist in this process.
If necessary, refill the radiator and reservoir up to the filler neck.
3.7 Repeat steps 3.3 to 3.6 at least two more times (it may take more) with the radiator cap installed, until the engine coolant level no longer drops.
3.8 Check the cooling system for leaks with the engine running.
3.9 Fully warm the engine and listen for the sound of coolant flow through the heater unit, inside the car; while running the engine from idle to 3,000 RPM, with the heater control set at several positions between cool and warm.
· Repeat this action three times
3.10 If any sound is heard, continue to bleed excess air from the cooling system, by repeating steps 3.3 to 3.6, until the coolant level no longer drops.
***...... the use of the tower funnels helps push air out.
i was reluctant to post here asking about overheating because the typical response is 'your headgasket is blown dude' .. anyway.. drove around for 15 mins.. stop and go.. no overheating... and my heat is back.. i don't remember the last time my heat was working.. i guess the air bubble got bigger.. it was so bad when i tried Aaron's technique the coolant wasn't flowing to the bleeder
i followed these directions and purged my Z numerous times. what else could cause the car to overheat. oil level is correct and im not having any ses or lights come up. someone mentioned i couldve blown a headgasket. say it aint so.....
