DamirGTI 342 Posted December 22, 2007 Hello ! I've been repairing my mates 205 1.1 - head gasket , timing belt , water pump etc... and i have some problems with bleeding the cooling system ... This is how I've been doing - first open up the bleeding nipples on the thermostat housing and the one at the top of the heater matrix hoses , open up the plug on the top of the radiator and start to pour coolant inside the radiator , when the radiator was filled fully up to the top the coolant was starting to leak on the first nipple on the thermostat housing , then i close that nipple , refit back the radiator plug and lift up the exp. bottle and start to fill coolant inside the bottle , after a few min. the coolant was leaking on the upper heater matrix bleeding nipple so i close it fill the exp. bottle to the maxi mark and lower the bottle back down on the original position ... then i start the car for a 5min. with heater on , then switch off , unscrew one more time first thermostat housing nipple - was fine no air there , and then the heater matrix nipple on the top -also fine coolant leaking out without air ... so i was thinking that it's fine .. However the guy said that after hes been driving the little red lamp (on the corner of the dash ...) was starting to illuminate and that he hears some water bubbling/moving sound when he drives the car in corners ... so me thinks that theres still trapped air inside How do you bleed this TU coolant system properly ?! Thanks ! Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
swordfish210 20 Posted December 22, 2007 thtas pretty much the way that i do mine, but when i start to drive it and the red light comes on (which it has done the past 3 times i'v dome it) i simply open up the cap on the header tank and let the air bleed it's self out Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 22, 2007 Ok. but for what is that little red lamp anyway ?! (it looks like radiator symbol ..) I will try to re-bleed the system tomorrow once again ... i was thinking can it be done easier if i : fill the exp. bottle to the maxi. mark , open up all bleeding nipples and blow inside the exp. bottle in order to remove trapped air ... can it be done this way ? it's a bit stupid coolant bleeding system on these TU engines , on XU engines this operation is much easier i bleed out my 1.9 in 2min. without any problems Thanks ! Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jrod 7 Posted December 22, 2007 The light is a low coolant warning. The way you've done it sounds fine but I always finish off with the engine running and open the top nipple for a bit just make sure all the all is gone. I doubt you'd hear low coolant so he probably has lots of water in his sills. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 22, 2007 The light is a low coolant warning.The way you've done it sounds fine but I always finish off with the engine running and open the top nipple for a bit just make sure all the all is gone. I doubt you'd hear low coolant so he probably has lots of water in his sills. I've done that also , open up the top nipple with the engine running but then the nipple cap launched like a rocket away in the air and the coolant starts to spray all over my head was a bit funny there was i holding my finger on the nipple so that the coolant doesn't pour out and was starting to think how to stop this leaking as i couldn't find the nipple cap (was night and i was alone so there was nobody to help me ..) so i wiggle myself a little from the front to the side of the car with still holding my finger on the nipple and unscrew with my other hand the cap from the tyre valve , and fit this tyre valve cap on the bleeding nipple Finally later i found the original bleeding nipple cap under the car Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sutol 0 Posted December 22, 2007 Have you tried running it with the cap off for a few minutes so as it does not pressurise before it has bled itself. Worth a try. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toddydal 1 Posted December 22, 2007 have you tryed lifting the expansion tank up in the air and tie it to the bonnet and remove the cap and run the car,the car bleeds better with the expansion tank lifted up higher Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 22, 2007 (edited) Have you tried running it with the cap off for a few minutes so as it does not pressurise before it has bled itself.Worth a try. No , i didn't i do that every time on my XU engine (I've forgot that , and i was a bit in the hurry to finish this 1.1 TU car ) , was thinking that on these TU engines it's enough to bleed the system just via the bleeding nipples ... Will do this bleeding job tomorrow once again properly and at day light when i see what I'm doing and when is not so cold outside Cheers - thanks ! Damir Edited December 22, 2007 by DamirGTI Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy 191 Posted December 22, 2007 Normally, they're fine after the method you used. You need to see if the system is pressurising while it's running, sadly it *could* be that the HG isn't sealing very well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 22, 2007 (edited) Well the head on this engine was very warped was overheated at least 4 times by non careful owner , the guy at the machine shop had to skim it down 5 times ... But there's no sign of the head gasket problem - no bubbles inside the exp. bottle , no water/oil mixing , no white exhaust smoke (well a little bit when the engine is cold but that clears later ..) , no overheating or coolant loosing everything seems fine to me ... How do i test if the system is pressurising ? Thanks ! Damir Edited December 22, 2007 by DamirGTI Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy 191 Posted December 22, 2007 Maybe just air in the heater matrix clearing then. If it's pressurising, it'll bubble into the bottle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 22, 2007 (edited) I'll try to re-bleed it again a few times , must be an air lock somewhere in the system as he said that he hears coolant moving/whirling on cornering (so it well could be the air trapped inside the heater matrix as he hears that when driving , whirling from inside the car ... ) and this red light turning on-off while driving Thanks ! Damir Edited December 22, 2007 by DamirGTI Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rippthrough 98 Posted December 22, 2007 Put the cap back on and blow down the overflow with the bleed nipples open - bleeds the lot perfectly in 5 minutes flat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 22, 2007 Put the cap back on and blow down the over flow with the bleed nipples open - bleeds the lot perfectly in 5 minutes flat. Sorry but can you explain me a little bit more , i don't understand where exactly i must blow ? if i fit the exp. bottle cap ... i was thinking to remove the exp. bottle cap and then blow inside the bottle with nipples open .. Thanks ! Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rippthrough 98 Posted December 22, 2007 There's a little pipe off the reseviour near the cap - blow down that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 22, 2007 There's a little pipe off the reseviour near the cap - blow down that. Ok. i understand now what you mean , but this system has only one pipe on the bottom of the exp. bottle which goes to the radiator ... and the cap on the top with nothing else (i have that small diameter hose on my XU engine beneath the exp. bottle cap , but there's no such hose on this TU engine exp. bottle - it's a 91year 1.1 TU engine ..) pics : Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy 191 Posted December 23, 2007 Check for system leaks, especially the heater matrix, that would explain everything that's happened! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 23, 2007 Check for system leaks, especially the heater matrix, that would explain everything that's happened! Hello ! Yes bingo guy came back today and I've look all around the engine everything was fine no leaks from the coolant pipes , head gasket , water pump , radiator ... then I've look inside the car and there was the carpet all green/wet from engine coolant and heater matrix radiator leaking on the corner ... bugger ... But why was this happened ?! because of the coolant/antifreeze changing ? Cheers ! Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy 191 Posted December 23, 2007 Matrix age usually. Result. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 24, 2007 Hello ! Just one more thing - till what mark do you fill the exp. bottle on these TU engines ? up to the maxi. mark in the middle of the maxi. and min. mark or over the maxi. mark closer to the top of the bottle ? Thanks ! Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy 191 Posted December 24, 2007 The seam in the middle generally. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 342 Posted December 24, 2007 Ok. Thanks ! Damir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
