My heater doesn't work very well and so I tried bleeding it. After loosening the bleeder valve, I started up the car and coolant started leaking out right away, no air or anything. What should I do next?

 

First reach for the lower heater core hose, after the has been running for some time and see if it is warm. If not, you can conclude that the heater core is plugged. See how the top radiator hose feels as well. thermostat could be stuck open or closed. I am going through the same thing as you. I have a plugged heater core, so I will need to try flushing the system.

 

could also be the valve on the fire wall i removed mine and the heat worked much better

 

A clog heater core is not a usual thing to come by, by the time you get a clog heater core your radiator will be effected to the point of it not cooling properly and possible over heating for no obvious reasons.

Your problem is due to the angle of the motor and cooling system.
1) Jack up the front end as high as possible
2) Remove bleeder screw for cooling system
3) Top off radiator until coolant comes out bleeder screw
4) Re-install bleeder screw
5) Start engine and set heater control to full hot, no need to turn on blower motors. Once you have the temp control to full hot the heater valve will open allowing coolant to flow through the heater core, but if it pleases you, turn on the blower motors
6) Keep the radiator cap off until the thermostat opens and you can see coolant flowing in the radiator
7) Top off the radiator and coolant reservoir one more time and re-install the radiator cap.
8) Lower the car and you're done, enjoy your heat.



Quick questions, did your heater system stop working all of a sudden? Did you recently do any cooling system repairs were you had to drain the coolant? In the end you might have a bad thermostat.

 

So how about my problem? You mentioned a clogged heater core is rare. What else would cause no pressure or increase in temperature on the lower radiator hose? It must be getting some coolant in, because there is luke warm air. Already bled the system and replaced tstat.

 

Let's start from the begining. What was your original problem and what did you do to attempt to fix the problem? From your post above it sounds like your original problem was that your heater wasn't working that great, so you tried replacing the t-stat in an attempt to repair your lack of hot air. Which would require draining and filling the cooling systtem. In your original post you gave a vague discription on how you bleed the cooling system. Learn from our trials and tribulation, these engines can be very finicky if not bleed properly

Here are a few other pics to study. Recently I changed my radiator, the original radiator sprung a leak in the plastic tank. No big deal I figured, went to the salvage yard got a used radiator, came home and installed it. Removed the bleeder screw and filled the radiator untill coolant was coming out. I even started the engine to make sure. Long story short the front end of my car was on a slight decline, which created an air pocket on the cooling system that would have never came out by itself without doing the bleeding procedure I listed above.

Here's a pic of the exact location where I remove and replaced the radiator, look pretty level doesn't it?


But at a closer look you would realize the front end is on a 1/4" decline for proper water run off of the driveway. This level was placed right next to the LF tire with the front of the car to "your" left. This was enough of an angle to run havoc on my bleeding process


Bottom line, try my bleeding process above and see what happens, you have nothing to loose. And to get back on the possibilities of the heater core being cloged, let me ask you this. How's the internal condition of your radiator? Remove the cap and take a look see, if your radiator tubes are clean and in good condition it's a99.9% chance your heater core will be in the same condition.

Now if your radiator is fill with all types of crap and calcium deposits then we might explore the possibilities of a cloged heater core, but a sharp guy like you would have notice a cloged radiator, and would have ran can of radiator flush knowing that your heater core might be crap

 

Well I flushed it, and it works fine! Nice warm heat. Lot of stuff flew out. Thanks for advice tho!!!

 

definitely look into the heater core and the hoses connecting

 

Thanks for the ideas guys, I'll try the flushing again while jacking up the front end, and I'll also feel those heater core hoses to see what I can find out.

 

What if I were to just park on a steep incline instead of jacking the front of my car way off the ground? That would work too, wouldn't it?

Oh, and I bought the car in the summer, so I didn't really test out the heater. I've had it now for 6 months now and it's never been very warm.

 

So you're back

 

Ok, so I parked on a pretty steep hill and followed the steps (from CandiMan to bleed my coolant system, and the coolant just came right out of the bleeder valve as soon as I took the radiator cap off. It doesn't seem then, I guess, that I have an air bubble (unless the hill was to steep or something).

What's my next step to get my heater working?

 

Going back to your first post you mention your heater wasn't working very well, have you tried replacing the thermostat? Besides attempting to bleed the cooling system, what else have you done to try and fix the problem?

 

I haven't tried replacing the thermostat yet. How much does it cost to do that? And no, I haven't done anything else other than bleed it twice.

 

Ok lets try that first and see what happens. Changing the thermostat in a VE is like changing the oil in a VE, very easy. I really don't want to go into the details on how to change a t-stat, just grab a few hand tools and change it out.

 

I also have lukewarm heat and have been living with it. About a year ago I tried bleeding it exactly like the FSM said (don't remember the exact steps), but nothing ever came out through the bleeder screw hole. Anyone know what would cause that?

Thanks, Colin.

 

not enough coolant?
you didn't loosen the screw enough?

 

You have to take off the cap on top of the radiator for the coolant to start flowing. You could just unclamp one of the hoses and do that instead.

 

I think I had enough, because after the car cooled off, there were no air pockets in the radiator and I didn't need to add more coolant.
I got irritated and removed the screw IIRC.
Now I may not have done that, can't remember for sure.
Rather than open the cap? And if so, which hose? The top radiator hose?
Thanks, Colin.

 

bleed with the cap off and keep adding coolant while the car is running with the cap off.