I have an '03 Maxima and I just changed the coolant. Is there an air bleed screw anywhere that I need to open while refilling? I don't see one and the FSM doesn't mention one. It only mentions the two block drains (which I didn't remove). The Haynes manual mentions one, but it must be for a different year, cause I can't find one. Anyone know?

 

I know on the water tree on the 3.0, that screw is a hex key screw on the top.

As for the 3.5, I am not sure.

When I did the coolant on the 3.0 (thrre times now), I have not needed to open that screw. Meaning I opened it and coolant gushed out. Open = a couple turns.

Not sure if this helps really. Drinking lunches for the WIN!

 

leave the radiator cap off as you run the car up to temp. air will escape.

 

I have done the same and it works fine this way

 

Even if you leave the cap on, if this method would work, wouldn't it just burp the air into the overflow tank? Or is there a reason it wouldn't be able to?

 

if the cap is open, it goes out...not into the overflow tank.

 

Ok, but if the cap is on and the air goes into the overflow tank, it is purged from the system just the same, right?

So my question is... why do you need to remove the radiator cap?

 

Anyone?

 

either take my advice or dont

leave the radiator cap off as you run the car up to temp. air will escape.

 

yes because overflow tanks are pressurized when....

seriously though

the cap is spring loaded up to a certain temp just like a thermostat.

 

Whatever..... Don't be so sensitive.

I wasn't saying you were wrong, just wanted to know why. There's nothing wrong with asking why. If that offends you then............... grow a thicker skin.

Anyway, I tried your method. It didn't work. Just taking the cap off wasn't good enough.

To bleed all the air out (the heater core had air in it and I couldn't get heat from my climate control system), I had to take the radiator cap off, run the car up to full operating temp, then take a piece of rubber and hold it over the filler neck to create a seal while an assistant reved up the engine. This forced air into the overflow tank and got it out of the system.

Without the rubber piece, revving the engine up just caused coolant to be expelled along with the air. Then when you went back to idle, air got pulled back in. With the rubber piece, when the motor was revved, air+coolant went into the overflow jug. When the throttle was released, coolant was pulled back into the radiator from the overflow jug.

A 1992 sentra se-r I used to have actually spec'ed this method in its FSM, except instead of a piece of rubber, they said to use a "specially modified radiator cap with the valve held open".