How do you bleed a car radiator?

Answer 1

Depends upon what kind of car it is.... some have a air vent somewhere in the thermostat housing (where the upper radiator hose attaches). You can try slowly squeezing the upper radiator hose, which will work some of the bubbles out. Once the radiator is full, you can start the engine w/ the radiator cap off... this will help to get most of the air bubbles out as well.... just be careful, because as the coolant heats, it will bubble out of the radiator.... sometimes it it better to put the radiator cap on to the first notch... so overflow can go into the recovery tank....

Answer 2

Fill the radiator to the top. Leaving the cap OFF, start the engine and let it come up to normal operating temperature. As the level in your radiator drops, add coolant. Squeeze the radiator hoses to push any air into the radiator. Don't get your fingers caught in the fan or belts.

You might want to have a mechanic do this.

Answer 3

Some cars have a bleed fitting, usually around the thermostat housing, that will evacuate the air trapped inside the system. If not, then take the radiator cap off and run the engine to hopefully evacuate the air out. If you still have air in the system that is causing it to overheat, then drain the system (while off) and refill while the engine is running to "burp" the air out. Oh, and buy yourself a repair manual specific for your car.

Answer 4

Uhh.. Start the car from cold with the radiator cap off. Keep the radiator topped up while it warms up.

Answer 5

while above answer [firebird's] is correct , some cars require a bleeding procedure [certain 3,1 Chev's, many renaults, subarus,any rear engined /water cooled volkswagon/late model porsche etc.]
on most of these cars back-filling the block through the top radiator hose and then filling the radiator works.
on some models you will have to partly fill the system then pressurize it and then locate and open the bleeder valve[s]until a solid stream of coolant comes out . on most honda 4 cyl. engines the valve is on cyl head neat top hose connection and if opened before filling will self bleed. good luck i hope this helped.

Answer 6

never heard of bleeding the radiator but you can bleed the motor, there is a valve near the waterpump that you have to open to get air pockets out of the engine so it will take fluid from the radiator on these newer cars.

Answer 7

look for a knob on the back of the radiator facing the motor block, down at the bottom on either the right or left side or even both sides. Unscrew them and they will drain the fluid out.

Answer 8

i own a shop and if you keep the cap on it and the reservoir full on it,it will pump that air out of it,if you remove the cap from it,its going to over flow with anti freeze,and your going to waste a lot of good anti freeze,try filling it up,and keep the reservoir full,and let it bleed its self out,good luck hope this helps.