Bleeding coolant ... and getting wet

[Jay 535i]

Okay, my Bentley manual, this discussion forum, and every other resource I can find agrees on the correct procedure for bleeding my 1990 535's cooling system. So far, so good.

I do as instructed, and get to the part where the engine is running at normal operating temp and it's time to open the bleed screw again.

I do, and coolant comes seeping out, rolls right down the cam cover, into the fan, and all over me and the engine bay.

What's the trick to this? Is parking uphill a must?

[Derek A.]

grin, bear it, and shut the bleeder as soon as fluid comes out. You are better off to do it quickly and repeat it as opposed to letting it sit open for a long period of time. Let the car cool down and re do it. M30 is not super difficult to bleed.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

It puts the bleeder the highest point, and helps get the trapped air out of the head.

I wrap a rag south of the bleeder to catch any coolant running out.

Have fun...It usually takes me an hour after a coolant flush to get all of the air out.

[2fast]

Same happend to me haha :)

You can hold a rag over it but it gets hot!

[uscharalph]

The great thing is, that bleeding gets easier with a little practice. My M20 is even more difficult.