Water-cooled engines use a radiator and a pressurized cooling system to dissipate heat. The radiator is filled with antifreeze diluted with water that circulates through the cooling system. Antifreeze will lose its effectiveness over time, so regular maintenance of your cooling system requires that you periodically drain the old coolant and replenish it with a 50-50 antifreeze and water mixture. However, after the radiator has been drained and refilled, many passageways in your radiator may be holding air. You need to bleed the air from the radiator, or your cooling system will not function properly.
Instructions
- 1
Open the hood. Let the engine and radiator cool down if the vehicle has been driven recently.
2Open the coolant reservoir cap in a counterclockwise direction once the engine has cooled down completely. Fill the reservoir with a 50-50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water to the full mark. Leave the cap off.
3Start the engine and turn the heater on. Turn the heater temperature control to its maximum setting. Let the engine run until it has reached its normal operating temperature. This will take several minutes if the engine is cold.
4Shut the engine off and let it cool down completely. Check the coolant reservoir level. Add a 50-50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water to bring it to the full mark if it is low.
5Start the engine and let it warm up again to normal operating temperature. Shut the engine off and let it cool down. Check the coolant reservoir level and refill if necessary. You may have to go through the warm-up and cool-down procedure up to three times to get all of the air out of the system.
6Replace the coolant reservoir cap by twisting it on in a clockwise direction. Close the hood. Check the coolant level frequently over the next several days and add a 50-50 mix to the coolant reservoir if needed.
