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I’d like to add these things:
It will take several fillings and some waiting for all the air to get out if the system has been drained. Add coolant until it empties the bleed hole, then stop. Stop and wait because when air rises to the high point and exits, the level will gradually decrease. Until the level at the bleed screw stops lowering, keep adding coolant. Your system is now thoroughly bled! After the drive, I did not need to add any more coolant.
In This Article...
SamxK
Update: To cut a long tale short, the system was successfully bled, and the vehicle is now operational.
Long story short, I’d like to share what I learnt with everyone who I encountered during this journey (and future guests who will face my problem). The coolant cleansing technique described by E46Mango may not always work when the engine is off since air may still be trapped in the system if a significant amount of coolant was lost, i.e., emptied completely. The engine off approach needs a specialized coolant pump, which I did not have, to consistently remove air pockets from the systems.
Here’s what I found useful:
1. Turn on the ceiling fan. Set the thermostat to 91F. Turn the knob to the three red dots between the middle air vents. To maximize the airflow going toward defrosting the front windshield, press the front windshield defogger. The snowflake button’s status (on or off) is irrelevant.
2. Fill the expansion tank and bleed screw with coolant until coolant pours out of the bleed screw hole while the car is still cold.
3. Fill for an additional 30 seconds to remove as much air as you can. (continuous, sluggish flow)
4. Until the required coolant level is reached, siphon coolant from the expansion tank.
5. Reinstall only the bleed screw, then loosen it by two turns.
7. If the dip stick drops below the maximum level during this period, add coolant as necessary.
8. The bleed screw should have allowed the majority, but occasionally not all, of the trapped air to escape during this time. My air vents, however, continued to blow frigid air! THIS IS PERFECT.
9. Tighten the bleed screw, but not too much.
10. Check the expansion tank now to determine if a thin trickle is emanating from the driver’s side toward the passenger side (Left hand drive).
Air vents ought to be blowing hot air right now (not warm)
14. Complete bleeding
The thermostat and other parts of your cooling system must all be functional for this operation to be successful.
Additionally, a Master Technician with 12 years of experience at BMW of Santa Monica, California taught us how to do this. Additionally, he personally owns an impeccable E46 that he bought back in 2005.
In order to assist other BMW owners, I could think about recording a video of this technique in the future.
You might not get a response because this is an old thread, and you might be restarting an old thread. Consider starting a new thread, please.
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What occurs if BMW fails to bleed the coolant?
My 2014 335i gt’s radiator vent line broke, leaking some coolant, therefore I had to follow the instructions for bleeding the system after adding the coolant back in.
If anyone knows why they don’t just instruct you to put the engine on and drive about to let the air out, please let me know.
I have some ideas, but I’m curious if someone here who is “in the know” could clarify this.
You can’t fully fill the system with coolant if the air hasn’t been bled out. The hoses will contain air entrapment areas. If the engine and transmission are operated, they may overheat and destroy a variety of parts, beginning with the water pump and becoming worse from there.
No, the purpose is to remove air from the system. Since the system is sealed, any trapped air will remain there unless it is purged. For this reason, the coolant must also be injected under pressure into the circuit. This Oldsmobile is not your father’s.
Oh, I understood what bleeding was and why it was necessary. I apologize if I was unclear.
My concern related to how BMW decided to handle it. My friend and I are discussing how you bleed the system on a BMW as opposed to another kind of automobile. He believes that BMW’s process is overly complex. Procedures like these don’t exist simply because they do, thus I believe there is a strong rationale for it.
So here’s my inquiry: what design issue was BMW attempting to address by developing a method for bleeding the coolant circuit while the engine is not running?
I don’t necessarily see a design issue. If you wait for the engine to reach operating temperature before the cooling system can purge trapped air, damage may occur before the air exits the system since coolant doesn’t circulate through the system completely until then. That cannot occur if the air is purged without starting the engine.
He is referring to a thermostat; once the coolant reaches the desired temperature, the thermostat opens, and the coolant circulates throughout the entire system.
Don’t forget to fully activate your heater so that the water can also pass through the heater core.
No car, not even an Oldsmobile or a Honda, can be bled by just driving it around; instead, a bleeder screw is located at the highest point of the cooling system, or the overflow/radiator cap is used.
What is the time required to bleed coolant on a BMW?
FAQs. How much time does it take to bleed the cooling system of air? Depending on the model and approach you use, it typically takes 15 to 30 minutes. However, warming the engine and removing the coolant takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Is coolant bleeding necessary?
Your vehicle’s cooling system needs to be bled of air. Hot areas or air pockets can be hazardous. In addition to the heater producing little or no heat, it might also result in:
- heating of the engine
- Open the engine.
- enclose the engine
- Boost emissions
Hot spots in the system are typically caused by replacing a system component, changing the coolant, or maintaining the cooling system in your car. On some car models, air may occasionally enter the system through the coolant reservoir.
This is especially true for newer car designs where the radiator is positioned lower than the engine.
A hot spot is nothing more than trapped pockets of air or bubbles within the cooling system tubes that prohibit coolant from removing heat from those regions, overheating the engine and triggering the onset of corrosion.
Depending on whether your system has bleeding screws or not, there are three alternative ways to bleed the air out of the cooling system.
If you’re unsure whether your system includes bleeding screws, check your car’s owner’s manual or the service manual for your vehicle. You can get a repair handbook online or at any number of auto parts retailers for your specific vehicle’s make and model. Nevertheless, your neighborhood public library’s reference section might have a copy of the manual.
Please continue reading. You might be able to choose the approach to employ in your specific car with the help of the information supplied below.
Use only the antifreeze that the automaker has advised. Consult the owner’s manual or repair manual for your car. And use only distilled water to combine it.
Is water need to be added to BMW coolant?
To make the best coolant, they must be mixed. You can purchase antifreeze that is full strength and needs to be diluted with distilled water before being applied to the engine system, or you can purchase ready-made combinations of coolant that already have water added.
Why is blue coolant used by BMW?
To maintain your cooling system operating at its peak, use only German OEM engine antifreeze, component number 82141467704. (82 14 1 467 704). Because they don’t include nitrites, amines, phosphates, or borates, BMW exclusively suggests specific coolants. BMW cooling systems typically do not work with off-the-shelf coolant from a neighborhood parts store, and mixing various coolant formulas is not advised (in a pinch you should use distilled water).
The well-known blue coolant, which has been in use since the 1990s, is only permitted for vehicles with model years up to 2018. Internally, it is referred to as the G48 formula and is exclusive to BMW/MINI vehicles. In comparison to other forms of coolant, the blue coolant formula is a hybrid that extends coolant service life and is less harmful to the environment. On vehicles manufactured in 2018 and later, BMW replaced it with a new formulation that contains silicate and offers superior immediate corrosion protection. BMW does not advise using the older blue formula for vehicles created after January 2018.
For increased corrosion resistance, anti-freeze defense, and water pump lubrication in street cars, we advise combining distilled water in a 1:1 ratio with the mixture. Reduce the amount of antifreeze in your coolant mixture if you want more cooling properties, but only in warmer climates where freezing is impossible (see chart below). We advise monitoring the freezing point of the coolant mixture if you want to use antifreeze and water ratios other than 1:1.
Red Line Water Wetter can also be added if high temperatures could lead to engine banging or pre-ignition.
- BMW # 82141467704, genuine German OEM antifreeze
- optimum cooling, freeze prevention, lubrication of the water pump, and corrosion resistance
Why is my BMW 328i from 2007 overheating?
The radiator fan, a broken thermostat, or a coolant leak (from the water pump, radiator, hose, etc.) are the three most frequent causes of overheating in a BMW 328i. fluid leak (water pump, radiator, hose etc.)
If you replace the thermostat, do you need to bleed the coolant?
The cooling system can be difficult to work on, but auto mechanics must make sure the entire repair or replacement is carried out completely. The technician should make sure the cooling system is completely free of air bubbles after replacing a thermostat. The risk of overheating will increase if not.
Refill antifreeze after replacing the thermostat. Start the car while the radiator cap is off. Allow the antifreeze to circulate throughout the engine for five minutes. Immediately after stopping the engine, let it cool. If required, recheck the antifreeze level and top it off.
How is a water pump bled?
- First, shut off the electricity.
- Step two: Prevent water damage.
- Step 3: Close the shut-off and gat valve to stop the flow of water.
- 4th Step: Carefully unfasten the pump bleed screw.
- Step 5: Clean up every drop of water that spills out of the pump.
- Sixth step: Reinstall the bleed screw.
- Step 7: Start the generator.
What symptoms indicate a faulty water pump in a BMW?
Another significant factor in the equation is age and distance. Despite any other issues, you might want to think about installing a new water pump if your automobile has logged tens of thousands of kilometers. Water pumps do not last indefinitely, so if yours has served you well for 75,000 miles with no issues at all, it may be time to think about replacing it so you don’t end up on the side of the road when your water pump decides it has outlived its usefulness.