coolant bleeder valve

[mercenaryhmster]

does anyone know the exact location of the bleeder valve on a DOHC 2.3L quad
95 se?
i want to try the easier fix before replacing my heater core

[BansheeRideR350]

There is none. The 4 cylinder 2.3 and 2.4 do not need to be bled.

What is the actual problem and why do you think it's the heater core?

[mercenaryhmster]

the car used to be my aunt's. it sat for a year, then was taken to a mechanic after a ups truck backed into it. i got it after it came back from the mechanic. the heater worked when i got it. maybe a month later, the low coolant light came on. i filled it, and the heater stopped working. there is no smell of coolant in the cabin, there is no puddle under the car, and the thermostat is working properly.

[95redgt]

If it was the heater core wouldn't you be able to smell it inside the car, or have a wet floor? Coolant sn't going into the engine oil is it?

[mercenaryhmster]

Originally Posted by 95redgt

If it was the heater core wouldn't you be able to smell it inside the car, or have a wet floor? Coolant sn't going into the engine oil is it?

yeah, which is why i said there is no smell. and no, it isn't getting into the oil.

[BansheeRideR350]

The heat probably stopped working due to the the lack of coolant running through the heater core, i wouldn't just assume the heater core is leaking because if it was coolant would likely be either inside the car on the floorboard or coming out the evap. drain.

So your actual problem is that there's a coolant leak, and the heat doesn't work.

I would suggest having a good look under the hood and under the car, and check where you park on the ground for traces of coolant. Usually if there's a leak you would either see it dripping on the floor or the bottom of the engine would show signs of a leak such as being wet.

Bottom line: you need to find where the coolant is going is it leaking outside the motor, or worse is it going inside the motor..?? Which would be what 95redgt mentioned; to check your oil for signs of coolant. If its not going into the motor then its coming out...

[mercenaryhmster]

as i said, there is no puddle, or for that matter any sign of coolant where i park, and i already checked the oil when the light first came on. there is no coolant in the oil. and i never said it was a problem with the heater core, but from everything i have read in this forum, the problem comes down to the engine needing to be bled, or the heater core going. since neither seems to have been possible or needed, can anyone suggest an easier possibility?

[95redgt]

What temperature range does the car run in? Is adding coolant a constant thing? If the heater is not working, and the car is in normal temperature range that's about all it could be. Unless the HVAC controls inside the car itself aren't changing things over properly.

[mercenaryhmster]

the car seems to run around 100-150, but that could be a bad gauge.
no, adding coolant is not a constant, it only happened twice, both times back in august. my dad said there is a possibility it could be the thermostat. if that is the case, how hard is it to replace, and is $13 and change a good price for a replacement?

[unleashedfury]

13 bucks for the thermostat sounds about right. You'll get a thermostat, and a gasket. they are direcitonal it should say top on it.

I am not too familiar with the quad 4. But on all the thermostat jobs I've performed its rather easy. No experience 1hr. At most.

[BansheeRideR350]

Originally Posted by mercenaryhmster

as i said, there is no puddle, or for that matter any sign of coolant where i park, and i already checked the oil when the light first came on. there is no coolant in the oil. and i never said it was a problem with the heater core, but from everything i have read in this forum, the problem comes down to the engine needing to be bled, or the heater core going. since neither seems to have been possible or needed, can anyone suggest an easier possibility?

I'm sorry but i disagree. Having to change the thermostat has nothing to do with coolant missing. And the quad 4 doesn't need to be bled either just like my 2.4 you just fill it, drive it a little to let the air work it's way out and top it off thats it.

If the low coolant light came on and your adding coolant then there is a leak.

Im not saying it's not the heater core, just that you would probably know if it was as most people find out when the heater core is leaking as it leaks inside the car onto the floorboard and you should smell coolant. OR it leaks out the evap drain which would end up with coolant on the floor.

Your heat not working and the gauge reading 100*F- 150*F would make think the thermo is indeed faulty and as menioned by unleashed its cheap and easy to replace.

[mercenaryhmster]

felt like updating the thread. changed out the thermostat, and now the gauge is reading correctly. however, there is still no heat. check the heater core next? also, when i pulled the old thermostat out, all that came out was the part that goes into the hose, so i'm hoping the rest didn't break off in the system. any advice on that would be great

[labant]

Did the thing you pulled out look like the thing you put in? If it looked like something broke off then maybe it did, and you'd have to chase it to where it plugged up your system. you could maybe get a clear hose big enough to go over the in and out hoses of the heater core so that the coolant would flow through the clear hose and not through the heater core Run the engine with heat full and see if the flow is full or a trickle. You'd probably need an assistant for this. That's just my guess as something to try.

[mercenaryhmster]

no clear hose, and i'm leary of being under the car while it is running

[labant]

I hear ya on not being under the car while it's on. You can pick up clear hose at any Menards, and probably Home Depot, Lows, Fleet Farm, or Farm and Fleet. You could run enough to have it loop out from under the car.

So did the sensor you pulled look like it had something broke off?

[mercenaryhmster]

yeah. it was basically the bottom half of the thermostat, minus any internals. http://www.2carpros.com/first_things...herrmostat.jpg
according to this picture, it was missing everything from the return spring side, plus the valve

[behr]

put pressure on the system and start looking for a leaks
i haven't done a heater core on a GA but doesn't look like fun

[labant]

I'm bowing out on this one. I'd sound like the spring and valve are stuck down flow from the thermostat somewhere, but I don't know if that would cause a low/noflow at the heater core. I don't know where the flow for the heather core is routed. On the 3.1 it is a separate smaller line directly from the water pump, so this couldn't happen. That just made me think. Maybe the water pump? Like I said I'm bowing out to someone who knows your engine better.

[mercenaryhmster]

i checked for leaks after replacing the thermostat, and i checked for leaks this morning, nothing. and other than the heat not working, the car runs fine. so if it did break, it didn't get to the water pump. well, on to the heater core

[ThunderOne]

Originally Posted by mercenaryhmster

the car used to be my aunt's. it sat for a year, then was taken to a mechanic after a ups truck backed into it. i got it after it came back from the mechanic. the heater worked when i got it. maybe a month later, the low coolant light came on. i filled it, and the heater stopped working. there is no smell of coolant in the cabin, there is no puddle under the car, and the thermostat is working properly.

if you are losing coolant then you may have a leaking hose, probably your heater hose.