Can someone post instructions for getting air out the Hijet's radiator please?

Hi

There's an airlock in my radiator (and there has been for months)  

I took Betty to a local garage, and they only did what I have done myself, and topped up the water.  They said they couldn't see the 'removable plug' to bleed it.  I know there's loads of air in there, as the radiator is only holding a quarter of a pint of water before it's full, there's a massive whoosh of air when the radiator caps are removed, and there's tell tale water gurgling coming from the dash when she's started up.  

Can anyone help please?

Thank you


EDIT
I'm after a drivers side mirror if anyone can help too please! (I've posted in the 'wanted' section)

Have you got LPG? and HJ did a write up will put the link in if I can find it.

rich the mechanic wrote:Have you got LPG? and HJ did a write up will put the link in if I can find it.

Ooh great thanks Rich!

Yes, its a bi-fuelled van.

Many thanks
Tara

Right I haven't got a dual fuel and I can't find the write up but I do remember that you have to disconect the pipe that feeds the vapouriser if the bleed nozzle isn't there as they use that instead of fitting an extra T fitting in the pipe

rich the mechanic wrote:Right I haven't got a dual fuel and I can't find the write up but I do remember that you have to disconect the pipe that feeds the vapouriser if the bleed nozzle isn't there as they use that instead of fitting an extra T fitting in the pipe

The thing is, the garage guy literally spent 2-3 secs looking for the bleed nozzle ("Can't see it love" but I'm not going to try as there's no money in it for me) so really I need to see if it's there and if I can find it myself, as fixing the airlock will be a lot easier this way (otherwise I have to do a 70 mile round trip to the nearest LPG system fitters  )

I suppose I need a pic of where the nozzle is in the engine bay please (gulp)

Cheers
Tara

I can't find it on here (stil) but on HJ's website it is here http://www.daihatsuhijet.co.uk/hijet-coolant-and-radiator-bleeding/

Thanks Rich

I'm going to see if I can locate the two nozzles and take things from there.

On my duel fuel one I just added a bleed valve at the vaporiser (same as the original one on the hijet from another vehicle) and that worked perfectly so that's an option. Do follow that guide though as it works a treat

xxemaphorr wrote:On my duel fuel one I just added a bleed valve at the vaporiser (same as the original one on the hijet from another vehicle) and that worked perfectly so that's an option. Do follow that guide though as it works a treat

You are telling a woman who knows nowt about vehicles, so there's no way I can do anything technical like that    

I will be trying the basic bleed instructions that Daihatsu offer and hope for the best, as the secondary info from the poster blew my bonse just reading it!

Many thanks
Tara

Fill the rad under the seat, cap on. fill front rad, cap on. Open cap under the seat. Open the cap on the rad(coolant will pish out), couple of seconds should do. (don't take the cap off, just enough to get coolant out), underseat cap on, fill rad to brim. Cap on. Take underseat cap off.
Start van and carefully keep topping up till no more goes in.
Check again next day.

Did you get a mirror?

Lpg hijetss do not have a bleed nipple as the UK importer seems to have done away with it to fit the Lpg kit.

You'll either have a leak, a busted cap, leaking rad, or the head gasket has gone.

Sorry Tara I didn't mean to add confusion I was just raising an option for the others on the forum to discuss as a possibility. It certainly worked for me and I do have a spare one because I got one off a scrap yard mpv and then found the original one from mine that I removed to fit the lpg.

Let us know how you get on

My neighbour has offered to try and bleed the air for me this weekend, but from what's been said above, there's no nozzle to locate, so I only really have Logi's instructions left to try.

Logi, if you're around, I need to check with you about this bit:

Take underseat cap off.
Start van and carefully keep topping up till no more goes in.

Do you mean have the van running whilst I add the final stage water?  


Thanks!


p.s

Yes I'm still after a drivers side mirror.  Do you have one?

when i do mine i remove cap from under seat and rad then top up via rad watching as the water (and air) splurges out of cap under seat, then put cap back on under seat and finish topping rad up before replacing cap (rad is highest point in mine which is a1300, the 998 is different tho, not sure what yours is?
i did put in a bleed valve which it seemed to need untill i did the head gasket and since then ive not needed to touch the cooling system

Yes, van running. No mirror but new ones on ebay £25 posted.

Rad is definitely not the highest point on any hijet.

But as daisy says, if the system is water tight and functioning correctly it will self bleed, as long as the head doesn't cook before it purges the air out.

Well, after working on a fix for more than two hours, the van is still the same.

We did open the nozzle above the radiator, but couldn't locate one at the base of the radiator (as the manual states) and followed both Logi and Daisys instructions, but still the system only holds about a cup of water.  
I feel really frustrated and wound up, but at least me and my neighbour tried to fix the problem.  


Two things I didn't mention before...

Regarding the heating - The windscreen and foot well vents blow very hot, but the two centre and two side adjustable vents blow cold and have done for ages.  Anyone know why this could be happening please?

Also, the container holding the coolant (which says 'high' and 'low' on the side) never goes down, even when there's barely any water running around the radiator, and the temp gauge is at its max.  Of course when I add the cupful of water that the system allows, then all's well again, but why is the coolant not being pulled from that container?

(sorry I don't know the right terms for these things )

Tara

the top of my rad is defo higher than the cap under seat, i found it to be the same hight as heater matrix when i took it off last year.
the vents on the dash always blow cold unfortunately they are not conected to the heating system so no worries on that front.
i cant work out how you would get hot air anywhere if there is only a cup of water in the system tho! maybe someone else can shed some light on that

daisydon wrote:
i cant work out how you would get hot air anywhere if there is only a cup of water in the system tho! maybe someone else can shed some light on that

My neighbour couldn't believe it either, but within 2-3 weeks max, I'll be topping up a dry radiator with the usual cup of water.  
It can't be doing the van any good at all, but that's how much water she'll take.  I have to drive with my eyes on the thermometer gauge all the time (thank god that works to tell me to pull over and switch off quick!)

If you want to keep the van, fix it properly.

Everytime you cook it, your running the risk of cracking the cylinder head.

More than likely it will be warped, which can be skimmed which is cheap.

Also, with the system being not 100% water filled, it will over pressure as the water boils off, this pressure runs the risk of damaging the radiator, thermostat housing and other components.

If you want to keep the van in the long run, then I suggest you spend the £500 to get the coolant system right.

BUT you need to find a decent person to repair it correctly. Taking the head off, skimming it and putting a new gasket on is not enough!! It needs the whole coolant system stripping inspecting and testing, and all the hose clips replacing, new thermostat, new caps, rad inspecting, and everything flushing out.

Just a thought I have had Tara but how are you putting the cup of water in I found that if I get a bit impatient and don't pour the water in nice and slow so it can just trickle in I can induce an airlock in the rad, do you fill it up and then run it for a bit and let it cool and re top up?

HighlyJetted wrote:If you want to keep the van, fix it properly.

Everytime you cook it, your running the risk of cracking the cylinder head.

More than likely it will be warped, which can be skimmed which is cheap.

Also, with the system being not 100% water filled, it will over pressure as the water boils off, this pressure runs the risk of damaging the radiator, thermostat housing and other components.

If you want to keep the van in the long run, then I suggest you spend the £500 to get the coolant system right.

BUT you need to find a decent person to repair it correctly. Taking the head off, skimming it and putting a new gasket on is not enough!! It needs the whole coolant system stripping inspecting and testing, and all the hose clips replacing, new thermostat, new caps, rad inspecting, and everything flushing out.

I don't allow the van to overheat - there's been a couple of occasions where the temp needle has gone close to max, but only by accident in the beginning.  I watch it all the time now, and once the temp needle starts to move past halfway between cold and max hot, then I know to add water, and I always carry water with me to top up.  

I will be selling the van hopefully before the winter, as I do not have the expertise to do simple repairs on it, nor do know of a local garage that will bother with it.  Most I've approached won't go near it when I mention 'Hijet' and those that will, don't appear knowledgeable beyond simple repairs either.  From what you've written, I won't find anyone willing to do the work, and the cost would be horrendous too.  

It's a shame, as the van hasn't even done 40,000, is rust free, and has 10 months MOT on it, but better I let it go to someone who has the time to spend on keeping it running right.

rich the mechanic wrote:Just a thought I have had Tara but how are you putting the cup of water in I found that if I get a bit impatient and don't pour the water in nice and slow so it can just trickle in I can induce an airlock in the rad, do you fill it up and then run it for a bit and let it cool and re top up?

Hi Rich

Yes, I do let the water trickle in slowly, and last night hours were spent on flushing the system, with running / cooling and rechecking done a few times.  
This am, the usual gurgling sound from beyond the dash on start up, confirmed nothing's changed

thats very strange, if was heading your way soon id ask to come and have a look! (im no expert so probably couldnt fix it tho)

daisydon wrote:thats very strange, if was heading your way soon id ask to come and have a look! (im no expert so probably couldnt fix it tho)

Hey, it's the thought that counts  

Unless you fix them yourself they aren't cost effective to repair.

But at the same time what could you change it for!

Ok, does your van have a drain plug on the metal pipe going to the rad on the passenger side( youll need to get right underneath to see it)

Slightly off topic, but logi, could you post a link to these mirrors on ebay new for £25? I can't find them.

just messaged them to see if they have any more, that auction just ended, dammit.