jseklund

Hi Guys,
I know this is somewhat of a common problem, but I'm not sure if I'm missing something. I did my timing belt about two weeks ago, and haven't really had heat since. I STFA and found that this is common and that some people had a couple different variations of the procedure in the Bentley.

I pulled the hose near the battery and got the hole so that fluid could come out. I also bled at the front of the engine by the power steering pump. Coolant came out of both locations. Still no heat.

I found that someone said to rev the engine while the hose is off, until coolant comes out and then push it back on while the engine is revving...still no heat.

I read that you can pressurize the resevoir with 20 psi air, until coolant comes out the hose.I did this to both small hoses that go to the resevoir - the one in the front and the back, and coolant came shooting out of the hose end immediately.

The funny thing is, when I put my hand on the heater core hose with the bleeder - it is typically ice cold. Throughout the bleeding process, I have managed to get fluid moving through it that went from being cold to red hot. When it's red hot, I figure I should be set and button it up. I've had it actually go BACK to being cold again though after it has become red hot. i.e. - I'll keep the flow going and then it will become cold.

As it stands right now, I have heat - as long as the engine is under throttle. As soon as I let off the gas, it almost instantly becomes cold again.

I'm not really sure how the plumbing works behind the firewall, so I don't know what I'm missing - but I don't know where this cold fluid could be coming from. I mean, if it starts cold, and then I get hot fluid to push through - how can cold fluid be put back into the system? I'm baffled.

Not sure what I could be doing wrong, or how I can fix this...maybe the answer is just more bleeding but I've already bled through about 1/2 - 3/4 of a gallon.

Your thoughts on this would be a big help...thanks!

jcman

Are you sure the thermostat was replaced in the right direction?
Did you leave the coolant tank cap off when running to operating temp burping "squeezing" the big hoses "top hose" off the radiator?

jcman

Do this with the heat calling on full in the cabin?

jseklund

So, at first, no - didn't have the coolant cap off the resevoir. Stupid mistake. I did take it off after I realized the mistake.

Cabin air is calling for Hi.

Thermostat was put in with the bleeder screw at the top, if I remember correctly. I can second guess myself - but that is what I intended to do and I believe I did.

I will try to burp the large hoses again - all the hoses are red hot with the car running....

jseklund

Still no heat here....I'm gonna try bleeding some more, unless someone else has a solution...thanks.

jseklund

Just an update on this - I haven't had much time to look at the car in the last week or so. I have, however noticed something.

When I bought the car, the rollers that open and close the vents for the passenger side and driver's side vent near the door were both broken. Don't ask me how this happened, I have no clue and didn't notice it for a while. The vents have been stuck in the closed position since I've owned the car.

What I have noticed, is that when I am idling and have the climate control sent to the dash vents, the middle vents get cold, but there is still heat radiating out of the two closed vents....just not blowing because the doors are mostly closed.

When I'm driving, heat comes out of the center vents full force.

Does it still seem like a bleeding problem??? I find this strange....