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Zebedee 
Vanorak
Joined: 08 Jan 09
Location: Maryport
Status: Offline
Points: 1121
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 Topic: Bleeding the cooling system
Posted: 02 Mar 11 at 17:54 |
 Steve B wrote:
This is page 2....please take the time to read page 1 and especially the first post by Baxter......the one that took the time to type all this useful(obviously useless to some!?!) information.......
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Oops. 
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T3ADICT
Vanorak
Joined: 21 Jul 05
Location: LeightonBuzzard
Status: Offline
Points: 4215
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Posted: 02 Mar 11 at 00:43 |
Baxter wrote:
There is always a 2 speed fan, 2 slightly different systems.
1. Early 1.6 D "CS" engine has 2x 2 pin switches at the top of the rad, one switch does low speed, one switch does high speed.
2. Later, normal most popular style is the 3 pin switch which has one commin supply terminal then depending on the temperature depends on which terminal is made live to operate each speed on the fan.
The fan in both cases is shunt wound to achieve 2 speed operation. |
ive got a van with the early type rad..
will the hoses to the rad fit straight onto a later one??
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WHY T3's.... because they are just so adictive, and having one just aint enough
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Steve B
Vanorak
Joined: 26 Apr 05
Location: Mong free zone
Status: Offline
Points: 13190
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Posted: 02 Mar 11 at 00:21 |
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This is page 2....please take the time to read page 1 and especially the first post by Baxter......the one that took the time to type all this useful(obviously useless to some!?!) information.......
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Gandalf
Yardie
Joined: 18 Oct 09
Location: Southampton
Status: Offline
Points: 347
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Posted: 01 Mar 11 at 19:24 |
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I fill mine through the one behind the flap.
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89 Cali Pop Top
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Zebedee
Vanorak
Joined: 08 Jan 09
Location: Maryport
Status: Offline
Points: 1121
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Posted: 01 Mar 11 at 18:33 |
So the tank i the engine bay must be full but what about the one behind the flap? Mines 1/2 full in the engine and looks to be empty behind the flap.  Do i need to remove the pressure cap and fill it to the brim then fill the one behind the flap to the max mark too or just fill the flapped one to max?
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jed the spread
PROBATION
Bullshitter
Joined: 13 Sep 05
Status: Offline
Points: 1365
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Posted: 01 Feb 11 at 16:25 |
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Mine was a cracked head, swapped it over for a good one. It's fixed now...
Jed
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[URL=http://www.whatatool.com[/URL]
My real name is Jarrod Walsh my number is 07940177101 or email Jed@campervanCulture.com for enquiries.
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jed the spread
PROBATION
Bullshitter
Joined: 13 Sep 05
Status: Offline
Points: 1365
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Posted: 03 Jan 11 at 21:33 |
icky wrote:
I've got issues in my cooling system too :(
Overheating, pressurising, blowing header tanks... but the radiator never seems to get warm; it does let me bleed stuff out of the radiator though (but the hottest it ever gets is lukewarm!) - and the heater matrix has now started leaking :(
Never buy a van off a guy who says 'it never gives me any problems and i drive it daily' |
Mine does that, I am replacing my blown head gasket next week 
jed
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[URL=http://www.whatatool.com[/URL]
My real name is Jarrod Walsh my number is 07940177101 or email Jed@campervanCulture.com for enquiries.
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niko
Vanorak
Nice fella.
Joined: 01 Jul 07
Location: Stroke On Tent
Status: Offline
Points: 2639
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Posted: 03 Jan 11 at 20:30 |
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i have never had overheating problems...just bothered that my tank is half full...when it should be full..and i never knew.
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1989 westy Joker now with TDi
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icky
Vanorak
Joined: 01 Jun 06
Location: Windlesham
Status: Offline
Points: 1424
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Posted: 03 Jan 11 at 20:12 |
I've got issues in my cooling system too :(
Overheating, pressurising, blowing header tanks... but the radiator never seems to get warm; it does let me bleed stuff out of the radiator though (but the hottest it ever gets is lukewarm!) - and the heater matrix has now started leaking :(
Never buy a van off a guy who says 'it never gives me any problems and i drive it daily'
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Engine cranes = the ultimate tool to test the tensile strength of Everything you didn't disconnect!
- 2000 MK4 Golf GT TDi
- 1994 LT Panel Van
- 1997 LT Minibus
- 1984 Volvo/VanHool Alizee
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peet
Vanorak
Soft Southern Shite
Joined: 03 Jan 06
Location: Crawley
Status: Offline
Points: 3319
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Posted: 03 Jan 11 at 19:43 |
And a very important point is fit a vw (if available) or decent supplier temp gauge sender (I resort to them Brickwerks cowboys)!
FIT A GSF or any of your local motor factors ones it will fit but be WRONG and show overheating!!
I muppetly listened to factor people n few other people an got thru 3 senders recently and it was only after fittin the Brickwerks one it cured a (non existant)problem where I had stripped the whole water out lookin for a non existant overheating problem!! Lesson learnt for me don't be a muppet too!  |
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Firefighter twisted Firefighter...
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niko
Vanorak
Nice fella.
Joined: 01 Jul 07
Location: Stroke On Tent
Status: Offline
Points: 2639
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Posted: 03 Jan 11 at 17:04 |
took my van for a run today...first time in over a month.
i need to change / renew my antifreeze...so was reading up on "how to bleed the system"
Mr Baxters info says that the tank in the engine bay should be full to the brim.
mine is ..and always has been (i think) only full to the seam ....
when Mr B says full to the brim....does that mean ...literally ?
also
is it best to drain the whole system to empty...then add new stuff.
or to drain half out and replace with fresh antifreeze.
where is the best place to drain from...do you just pick a hose that you can get to...and remove it.
(i wish i could understand even a little bit of this mechanicalisatyion stuff) 
thanks ...keith
Edited by niko - 03 Jan 11 at 17:05
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1989 westy Joker now with TDi
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cruz
Vanorak
Joined: 06 Feb 09
Location: Preston, Lancs
Status: Offline
Points: 1155
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Posted: 02 Aug 10 at 19:10 |
I would sort it if I could but the bleed valve is the old early "rare as rocking horse shit" type.
The slot that used to allow it to be opened with a flat screwdriver is buggered
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rowlesy
Vanorak
murdered the murderwagen
Joined: 09 Oct 05
Location: up unit!
Status: Offline
Points: 6466
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Posted: 02 Aug 10 at 19:02 |
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he's still got one on the radiator so i would of thunk it'll be rite!
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UberFukz broke another! sucky sucky five dollah!
always out numbered never out gunned! RWS welding 07846 380 467 (worcs)
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Joker_Club
Vanorak
Joined: 14 Sep 06
Location: Sunny Lancs
Status: Offline
Points: 3733
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Posted: 02 Aug 10 at 18:35 |
You might have a job letting the air out if the bleed valve is shut  Better to sort it out while you`re in there.
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Sunny Lancs
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cruz
Vanorak
Joined: 06 Feb 09
Location: Preston, Lancs
Status: Offline
Points: 1155
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Posted: 02 Aug 10 at 11:10 |
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Does it matter if the bleed valve in the engine bay won't open? My early style valve is buggered (oooeeerrrr)
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JB
Groupie
Joined: 24 Nov 09
Location: Scumbria
Status: Offline
Points: 234
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Posted: 03 Feb 10 at 19:23 |
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I never had much trouble filling my t3 with coolant - and had to do it several times due to some crap head gasket water seals from GSF which lasted 1 month and 2 months respectively, I put them on as I bought the van with known cooling issues. I replaced one in a festival campsite in wales, which drew a small crowd, which was slightly embarrasing when I forgot to re-connect the distributor.. Funnily enough after that the engine didn't break again!
Anyway - the way I did it, after reading all the mad ways then seeing what actually worked, was to open the bleeder on the radiator and in engine bay, heater to hot, fill the header tank. Start engine, keep adding coolant till it comes out the radiator, revving as necessary to get it to suck it up, close bleeder. Top up tank, rev, top up tank, repeat till it takes no more, screw cap on, fill expansion bottle. Done. It didn't suck much more in after. Takes about 20 mins at most. Maybe mine was easier than most, it wasn't difficult. The water pump in mine was pretty powerful. Was harder than my t4 - that's a doddle..
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If it ain't broke - fix it till it is..
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oldjets
Newbie
Joined: 17 Dec 08
Location: Bath
Status: Offline
Points: 1
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Posted: 11 May 09 at 13:41 |
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Baxter
Just had to replace water pipe on my 1.9 in a hurry - failed just before I was due to set off for Vanwest. After reading pages of conflicting and frankly worrying stuff on the Club 80-90 forums - jack front up, jack back up, change thermostat a couple of times etc..... I was not looking forward to bleeding the system, but stumbled accross your post, thank goodness. Printed it out, followed it to the letter, no jacking up, no problems. Worked a treat, heater worked first time, no cold pipes, thermostat opened, rad got hot, fan cut in when it should - job done. The run to Vanwest was 50 miles - no drama on way there - van ran perfectly fully loaded, all temps normal: great weekend.
Thanks for this post! It cuts through all mystique on the cooling system on these vans. I will now spread the word to whoever asks...
Cheers, Oldjets
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Baxter
Admin Group
Scruff Daddy
Joined: 29 May 04
Location: Huddersfield
Status: Offline
Points: 8060
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Posted: 31 Aug 08 at 18:49 |
Some thermostats have a "Jiggle pin" for the same reason.
They were never fitted to the t3 though.
I have done it in the past, but you shouldn't really need to.
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AngeloEvs
Groupie
Joined: 23 Sep 07
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 248
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Posted: 31 Aug 08 at 15:35 |
Simon will probably disagree with this, but I have never liked thermostats that don't have the bleed hole in the upper ring. I have a drilled a 3/16th hole and this allows coolant to fill the radiator and into the engine block the instant you switch the engine on. It takes slightly longer for the engine to warm up and it runs at a slightly lower temperature which is exactly what I want for LPG. The van drives very sweetly too and the economy has not been affected, in fact it is better on LPG! Bleeding the system is far simpler now as the radiator immediatley fills to the brim and I don't get any air locks in the thermostat housing. I still run it to full temp. and beed is as per instructions supplied by Simon.
Edited by AngeloEvs - 31 Aug 08 at 15:42
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Baxter
Admin Group
Scruff Daddy
Joined: 29 May 04
Location: Huddersfield
Status: Offline
Points: 8060
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Posted: 31 Aug 08 at 15:14 |
yep, I've ommited that bit, all the petrol engines have a small bleeder valve, on the earlier ones it's the plastic valve to the left of centre of the engine bay joining the 2 rubber hoses together, and thre metal pipe over the engine, best to open it for a bit until the uppermost pipe is felt to be warm,
On later engines it's on the thermostat housing cap, again, undo it once the engine is warm and wait till you feel the pipe go warm, this tells you coolant is passing through it and not air!
:)
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Bleeding the cooling system
