[MR2] MKI filling coolant

[DAVIES, BARRY S (BARRY)]

I second Kurt's response, but would emphasize not taking it to a
mechanic. Its not likely that they would be familiar with the procedure,
and may not bother to find out.
The car came equiped when new with a length of bleeder hose in the
bottom of the frunk or thereabouts. Chances are its squished and
unusable if it has just sat there for 20 years. Any 1/4 inch plastic
tube will do.

The front bleed screw is a white round knurled knob with a screwdriver
slot, about the size of a quarter, located about the center of the front
bulkhead in the frunk.
Attach a length of tube, and stick the other end into a gap in the
reinforcing strips in the hood, just to hold it in place.
Then open the knob a couple of turns.

The engine compartment one is located adjacent to the thermostat, has a
plastic thumbscrew and has (should have) a tube leading off to the
coolant recovery bottle. 
Open this one a couple of turns too. There is a bleed/drain valve on the
back of the block behind the oil filter. I've never bothered with this
one. 

Fill through the pressure cap, but making sure the recovery bottle has
plenty. Make sure coolant flows up both tubes.
Repeat ad nauseum for a couple of days.
Good luck,
Barry



-----Original Message-----
From: mr2-bounces at mr2.com [mailto:mr2-bounces at mr2.com] On Behalf Of Kurt
Krueger
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 12:55 PM
To: felix at crowfix.com; mr2 at mr2.com
Subject: Re: [MR2] MKI filling coolant

 
> But I was surprised to see much more complicated ionstructions in the 
> owner's manual, involving hoses, bleeding air, etc.
> 
> What is the proper thing to do here?  Should I do what I planned but 
> get a garage to do the right thing in a few days?  I am not much of a 
> mechanic and don't have a good level place to do things like this, so 
> I don't mind paying the mechanic to do it right if necessary.  I am 
> more worried about doing any danage to it right now.

The procedure is not that complicated, it just involves opening a couple
of valves with tubing attached.  And some patience to let the air
escape.
I find it helps to shake the car.  Do not fill it without the bleed
hoses attached, lots of folks have had issues with trapped air bubbles.
Head damage is possible, erratic idle is almost a certainty.  Depending
on how much coolant boiled away you could have air bubbles at those
bleed points.

And even after you do the bleed, there will still be some air that will
travel to the filler cap on the water hoses.  For the next several days
every time you stop and it cools off, open the cap and top it off.  Even
if you pay a mechanic to do it, make sure you top it off.

If you take it to a mechanic, make sure they know what they're doing.
More than one member has had trouble when a mechanic doesn't follow
procedure.


_______________________________________________
MR2 Mailing List
MR2 at mr2.com
http://mr2.com/mailman/listinfo/mr2_mr2.com