need help bleeding radiator

[robert g]

I took off the coolant level sensor to replace it and the radiator coolant emptied out...
So I installed a new one and filled the radiator with coolant... I tryied bleeding the radiator like the bentley manual. with no success. I even had the front end up on ramps... I have bleeded the system in the past with no problems. This time I am having a hell of a time... I have spent several hours trying...
Does anyone have any tricks or suggetions... Should I empty the radiator and start all over??? The aux coolant pump buzzes... I guess there is air in it.... I got it to stop but than after bleeding and coolant spitting out of radiator it started to buzz again..
I noticed that this new rad bleeder valve does not have a notch cut out. It is solid all the way around... So the only way to bleed it to take it almost all out... The only thing I get out of it is steam. Is that right????? I am just so pissed.... anyways.... Any help would help.... thanks in advanced...

[robert g]

Ok I figured it out.... This how I bleed the cooling system....

1 make sure the engine is cold... Well this is how I did it..
2 pour coolant in the radiator till it is full...
3 I had purchased the vacuum/bleeder tool for the slave cylinder but it didn't work for that.. I connected it to the bleeder valve on the radiator.
4 I vacuumed out the coolant from the bleeder valve. It took about 2 min of just air and than I got 3 containers full of coolant. Make sure that the radiator cap is on.
5 I than started the car with radiator cap on and bleeder valve off.
6 It took about 2 to 3 minutes to start getting hot air out of the vents. That was cool... well I mean hot... HaHa...
7 the car ran for 10 min and only getting to 1/4 mark. I than tighten the bleeder valve back on and drove the car till it got 1/2 mark.. And that my friends was it.......

[whiskychaser]

Ok I figured it out.... This how I bleed the cooling system....

1 make sure the engine is cold... Well this is how I did it..
2 pour coolant in the radiator till it is full...
3 I had purchased the vacuum/bleeder tool for the slave cylinder but it didn't work for that.. I connected it to the bleeder valve on the radiator.
4 I vacuumed out the coolant from the bleeder valve. It took about 2 min of just air and than I got 3 containers full of coolant. Make sure that the radiator cap is on.
5 I than started the car with radiator cap on and bleeder valve off.
6 It took about 2 to 3 minutes to start getting hot air out of the vents. That was cool... well I mean hot... HaHa...
7 the car ran for 10 min and only getting to 1/4 mark. I than tighten the bleeder valve back on and drove the car till it got 1/2 mark.. And that my friends was it.......

Nice one. Good to hear a happy ending

[Brandon J]

Ok I figured it out.... This how I bleed the cooling system....

1 make sure the engine is cold... Well this is how I did it..
2 pour coolant in the radiator till it is full...
3 I had purchased the vacuum/bleeder tool for the slave cylinder but it didn't work for that.. I connected it to the bleeder valve on the radiator.
4 I vacuumed out the coolant from the bleeder valve. It took about 2 min of just air and than I got 3 containers full of coolant. Make sure that the radiator cap is on.
5 I than started the car with radiator cap on and bleeder valve off.
6 It took about 2 to 3 minutes to start getting hot air out of the vents. That was cool... well I mean hot... HaHa...
7 the car ran for 10 min and only getting to 1/4 mark. I than tighten the bleeder valve back on and drove the car till it got 1/2 mark.. And that my friends was it.......

Good Deal! The newer e46s and e39s are bled with the engine cool. So pretty much wait until engine cool then fill. Run car, wait until cool, and fill again. Great to hear a method that works very well and another method for other e34 woners to use.