What happens if I screw up the coolant air bleed?

[bryanska]

I replaced the thermostat in my 2002 Olds Alero V6.

When I went to bleed the coolant air, I missed a step and want to know if I did any harm.

Here's what I did. In parantheses is what i skipped.

1. Fill surge tank with coolant to "cold" line

1. Start engine with pressure cap off (My bad: I left it on)

2. Run engine until thermostat opens and upper radiator hose is hot.

1. Open bleed valve and allow air to escape.

2. When bleed valve emits no air, and only a solid stream of coolant, close valve.

1. Replace surge tank pressure cap.

I ran the engine for a soild ten minutes, and coolant & air spurted out of the bleed valve. I never achieved the "solid stream of coolant". Was this because I had the pressure cap on?

Did I hurt anything?

Right now the car is cooling down. When it is cold again, I will repeat the process correctly.

[bryanska]

Update - the car cooled down.

I repeated the procedure and followed directions.

I let the engine idle, with the pressure cap off, until the upper hose was hot. Then I opened the bleeder valve.

The coolant spurted with air for a few seconds, then ran nice and steady with a solid stream of coolant. I closed the valve and replaced the pressure cap.

Lots of heat from the blower. A 15 minute drive showed no signs of over or under heating.

It worked!

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Yes, and you did no damage the first time.

[Doug Adams]

Oh well maybe a raccoon, mouse, or rat will get in to it, in that case no harm done.