coolant issues

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2005 Vibe
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Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:19 am

coolant issues

Post by 2005 Vibe »

My 2005 1.8 was in for service and the mechanic claims I need a head gasket. The car had never over heated, showed signs of coolant loss or coolant in the oil. But when he attempted to refill the coolant it would not bleed the air out. Is this normal? Please help
star_deceiver
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Re: coolant issues (2005 Vibe)

Post by star_deceiver »

From what I've read on here, the air can be difficult to burp out. It might need to be driven a bit.
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Water boy
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Post by Water boy »

I know on my '03 5.3 van there is a specific procedure to get the air pocket out in the service manual.Wonder if the Vibe has a special procedure as well?
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2005 Vibe
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:19 am

Re: (Water boy)

Post by 2005 Vibe »

stealership suggested if i drive it i may blow a rad hose from the built up air pressure. must be a way to bleed the air recommended by a manual somewhere? Thanks for posting help Vibe people2005 Vibe 246k
blindman10
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:04 pm

Re: (2005 Vibe)

Post by blindman10 »

the service manual doesn't mention anything about specific bleeding methods. Here is the pdf link. Seems pretty straight forward to me.Here is a link to a thread discussing bleeding air during a coolant flush. An excerpt states-Quote »-Refill radiator with a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze.-Fill radiator to the top of the neck and start engine and let it warm up.keep adding fluid to radiator, you now have to burp the system by reving the engine with the cap off, you'll see bubbles burst as the come up. repeat until no more bubbles-Button it up and take it for a ride and check the fluid levels again and burp if neccesary.Keep an eye on the fluid levels for a few days.If you follow the above method of running it with the rad cap off it will avoid any over pressure issues and should successfully bleed most of the air.Did you happen to get a new thermostat installed with this flush? There is a bleed hole on this item that would definitely make proper bleeding difficult if installed incorrectly...just an idea.
2005 Vibe
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:19 am

Post by 2005 Vibe »

Nnew stat was put in, old one was ok. Air was almost continuous as if the head gasket was blown. Again I do know the coolant fluid was ok and it was not overheating prior to rad flush
djkeev
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Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:51 pm

Re: (2005 Vibe)

Post by djkeev »

Beware of your mechanic!! There are tests to check for exhaust gases in coolant. Ask for those results, I'd even be present for the test! Your mechanic has been suddenly ushered into the questionable competency category!!Proceed carefully and keep a tight clasp on your wallet.Dave
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2005 Vibe
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:19 am

Post by 2005 Vibe »

Thanks Dave, there will be a carbon test this morning, I will try and be present for this test. I guess if the exhaust gas pressure created the bubbles I would have to assume some coolant should show up through the exhaust.
djkeev
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Re: (2005 Vibe)

Post by djkeev »

Quote, originally posted by 2005 Vibe »Thanks Dave, there will be a carbon test this morning, I will try and be present for this test. I guess if the exhaust gas pressure created the bubbles I would have to assume some coolant should show up through the exhaust. Most often there is coolant being burned but not 100% of the time. Sometimes the crack or problem is small enough to have high compression gases being forced into the cooling system but too small to allow coolant so seep into the combustion chamber.IF you have coolant in your combustion chamber it will be most noticeable in the Morning when you first start your car. During the night the engine cools off and everything contracts and any cracks will open up in the cold. Once warm, cracks often self heal. If you do have cold seepage of coolant There will be clouds of white smoke when you start the engine in the morning. The white smoke will have a smell to it that is best described as a "Sweet" smell.Often a basic exhaust "sniffer" probe used for emission testing can test for a bad head gasket or crack into the combustion chamber. Simply remove the radiator cap and let the sniffer probe do it's thing. IF there are exhaust gases in the coolant it will register on the meter.Good LuckDave
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