RAF_gti 0 Posted February 10, 2007 Evening Managed to fit my new radiator with no major problems, which kinda shocked me! My question is how do I refill with antifreeze/water? Halfords state a 50/50 mix so that part is easy. Is it just a case of starting off with a bit of water, filling with the required solution then topping up with water? How do I go about bleeding? Will the system do it naturally? Sorry for the inane question, I've been fortunate enough in the past of never having to do this before! Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alastairh 47 Posted February 10, 2007 (edited) They way i do it. Check all connected, you decide yourself on the mix as different conditions. But fill it up, turn the engine on with the cap off, leave it for a few minutes and give it a few revs checking the level. Then take it for a spin and check again. If in dought mate, do a search for stuff like this. Alastair Edited February 10, 2007 by Alastairh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshpug 1,666 Posted February 10, 2007 best off getting yourself a Haynes book of lies for starters! I find it better to mix the coolant beforehand so that you know that the concentration is correct as you never know for definite how much is still in the block and pipes unless its from a dry rebuild. as for bleeding theres a screw on the thermostat and on the top heater matrix hose, fill up the system with these open until coolant comes out of them free of bubbles, then close them and continue to fill up, once the resevoir is full start her up minus expansion tank cap. you will more than likely get some bubbles from the tank, top up as neccesary. while its warming up squeeze the top hose to make sure any air still in the system is flushed top the expansion tank, blipping the throttle by hand often frees up some air, again, top up as necessary. then leave to cool and re-check the level. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
inferno 1 Posted February 10, 2007 Top up with the mix u require, run the engine on a fast idle with the heater vents on hot to check warm air blows within a few mins, theres a bleed screw near the heater pipes under the bonnet if it doesnt get warm. then turn the heaters off, leave engine running untill the fans kick in, u may want to undo the thermostat bleed screw too, keep topping up as u go. the water might begin to over flow before the fans turn on, i wouldnt worry too much, but a neet trick would be to cut the bottom off a 2/3litre bottle, and ram the neck in the header tank to extend the tank hight. when the fans kick in and turn off again, the level will have dropped, top up and put the cap back on.stop the engine and check fluid level when cold. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pug_ham 245 3 Cars Posted February 11, 2007 Bleed points picture, click here. Graham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_gti 0 Posted February 11, 2007 Cheers lads I'll be having a go tomorrow, no doubt you will hear if thing's go wrong! Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob_the_Sparky 10 Posted February 13, 2007 FYI, the thermostat bleed screw is often bust. Early cars had a crap plastic screw in there which breaks almost instantly! Brass allen key type on later cars is better but make sure key is in place properly, brass is somewhat soft... Rob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
