Bleeding Cooling System

G

Grizzly9

Member
Hi Peeps, can't find any links on here or tinternet on E86 bleeding procedure. My gauge has gone into red last couple of days so need to bleed system. Has new water pumps, thermostat, expansion tank and coolant. I hear alot of 'squeeze bottom rad hose while running engine with cap off' .
Is that not what the two bleed screws are for?
Any advice ( about airlocks) would be great thanks.
 
Open bleed screw, put heaters on full and fan on lowest setting and slowly pour in water, should sort itself out. Take it for a drive get it up to temp, come home let it cool then check and top up if necessary.

If you can get the front end up in the air that will also help. :)
 
Simon is right, I have done this job loads on various Bmw's and people make such a fuss about it, raise the car, it's a bugger to do ect its so simple, open bleed screw, heater on hot and fill it up.
 
Update.
All air seems to be bled from system, but it seems to have a blockage in the radiator as after about 10-15 mins the needle goes from normal(in the middle of guage) right over to the red. The bottom rad hose feels cool to the touch indicating that it's not circulating correctly.
Water pump x2 and Thermostat + Expansion tank were changed last year and it's hardly done any miles since then. I am now thinking of getting the Rad off and having it tested to rule out a blockage. Can't think what else it can be!!
Discuss......
 
Before going to trouble of removing the rad, take the stat out and chuck it in a pan of boiling water. Not unheard of that new ones fail quickly and easier to check than stripping the rad out.

Actually thinking about it, you don't need to remove the rad to check. Just take off top hose and bottom hose and run a hose through it from a tap :thumbsup:

Also make sure you pour slowly when refilling with coolant so you don't put air in as your filling up.
 
Yeah, I checked water pump in case that had failed but the impellers seemed ok. Besides 'Sludge', damaged fins, shopping trolley's, bicycle frames and illegal immigrants, is there any other causes of blockage within the Rad?
 
It's highly unlikely to be blocked. You can test it easily by unclipping the two hoses at each end and running water through the rad using a hose.

My view: It still needs bleeding, your symptoms are nothing more than an air lock and the mistake I see time and time again is people thinking they have bled the system just because they get air-free water from the bleed screw.

The last time I bled my M54 engine after removing the water pump, I took over an hour to bleed. It's a slow, painful job and you need over 10l of coolant to do it. Also, do not bleed it with the engine running, just on Ignition II with heaters on full, lowest fan.

Once happy, get it up to temp and make sure you have hot air from the blowers. Not warm, hot! This is the final indicator that the system is bled properly.

Do everything methodically, you should be measuring how much coolant you take it and how much you put in so you easily see if there is an issue...
 
Was the temperature ok before you fitted the new parts,if it was I would first check the thermostat.Not having fitted one to your model,could it be possible to fit it incorrectly .
 
Think I have the same problem...The pipe from the block to the Thermostat snapped at the block at the conector....new pipe on topped up the coolant and its still pumping out cool air...opened the bleed screw (which I have now buggered ) have the nose up... thing is water seems to be pumping ok...but when I do the key/ throttle/ 10 second thingy I dont hear mine....bottom pipe is staying cool, is there a way to check the water pump?
..mine is on a E85 2.0
 
tartan-ninja said:
Think I have the same problem...The pipe from the block to the Thermostat snapped at the block at the conector....new pipe on topped up the coolant and its still pumping out cool air...opened the bleed screw (which I have now buggered ) have the nose up... thing is water seems to be pumping ok...but when I do the key/ throttle/ 10 second thingy I dont hear mine....bottom pipe is staying cool, is there a way to check the water pump?
..mine is on a E85 2.0
Click to expand...

Hi, I think the reason you don’t hear your pump after the 10 second thing is because you don’t have an electronic pump-it’s mechanical I believe & the engine must be running for it to function :oops:
Rob
 
Found this guide if it helps
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/BMW_Z4M/15-WATER-Draining_and_Filling_Cooling_System/15-WATER-Draining_and_Filling_Cooling_System.htm
 
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