I know this was performed on a DTurbo but considering the layouts are similar I thought that I could share my experiences here.

With a very crispy 5 year old radiator in my DTurbo (the gauge staying at 90 most of the time gave this game away a little) a new radiator was required fast. A new Nissens rad later + some coolant (Unipart Super OAT (red coolant)) and I was ready to tackle the job.

It is a good job the guides on here were useful as they were quite informative and helpful in places. But back on topic.

Instead of using the header tank method as I did on my GTi-6 when I drained the coolant on that, I decided to make myself a makeshift pressure bleeder, which I originally made from my Porsche days in order to bleed the 944 as detailed here:

http://www.clarks-garage.com/pdf-manual/cool-02.pdf

I made my crude pressure bleeder from a cut bike inner tube, some tape and vucalnising solution (to seal one end of the cut inner tube off), with the other end stretched over the header tank filler (with the overflow hose pinched to close it off).

I initially topped the coolant up and beyond the max. When I began the vent the system, a few air bubbles came out of the rad bleed screw, almost none from the screw near the thermostat. The Heater matrix bleed screw had alot of hissing and a bit of mist coming out of it longer than any of the other venting points but eventually a steady stream of water did emerge.

So far (touches wood!) it seems to have worked quite well. I have driven the car around 100 miles since the rad was fitted. Besides the car rarely hitting 90 degrees now (I think when I was in town for 30 mins doing some drop offs/leaving the car running, the cooling fan cut in twice if that (alot less than before), and on motorways it sits just above 80ish degrees centigrade. Maybe I'm being a bit hasty but I'd consider it bled (unless you guys think otherwise!). I have removed the cap once or twice to check the level. Bar once when I ran it up to temp where the level dropped slightly (the first time where I ran the car up to temp to check for leaks etc.), it seems to be fine now

I thought I would share this info as I know the makeshift header tank method (which I also used on an Espace 2.0) can be a rather messy if not dangerous (I.e red hot coolant as you warm the car up in order to bleed it).

Whether it has been effective on the car time will tell I guess.

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Ex Owner of 2000 Phase 3 306 GTi 6 China Blue - You shall be missed

1974 Triumph Stag
1989 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6
2003 Alfa Romeo 147 JTD Lusso
2005 Mondeo Ghia X 3.0 Estate LPG

That's my normal way of doing it

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Well after my heater matrix change, i was all out of coolant, so set about refilling the system.

Maybe ive done this wrong but the system seems to work ok?


WITH ENGINE OFF

Cut a old 2L drinks bottle in half

wrap insulation tape around the neck and wedge it into the top of the rad

open all bleed points up

fill your makshift tank to the brim with coolant/water.. and let gravity take over

Keep filling until it comes out from the rad bleed point, once done close it up

It then should appear at the thermostat bleed point... same again close it up

and lastly at the heater matrix point... and yep you guessed it.... close it up

start the car up then and run until warm, then open up the bleed points one by one starting with the radiator, then thermostat, then matrix point, once the water appears close them off and refit the radiator cap.

I left my car running for around 10-15 mins and it struggled to reach 90, it sat very comfortably between 70-80

I dont understand the need for the pressure bleeding kit? (without sounding like criticism)

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Audi S3 Black Edition

It's really not hard, just wrap the bottle neck in a couple of layers of tape and jam it in the top of the rad...

Vernam i'm the same, pretty sure the last time i did a flush the coolant wasn't concentrated enough (about 4:1 water:coolant) and the temperature used to vary wildly, now it sits quite happily at 90 or so even in traffic. Yet to see how it handles a spirited drive though..

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Bye bye Sundance Kid

Chas im really confused on how you can make a mess and potentially scald yourself with brand new coolant that hasnt yet circulated, i attempted this for the first time the other day and never come across a problem

Get rid of old COLD coolant
Cut 2L bottle in half
wrap around 3-4 insulation tape around the neck of the 2L bottle and wedge it into the rad cap area, open all bleed poiints and start filling the makeshift tank, when water starts appearing from each one, close it off then remove the makeshift tank and start it up, let it run until warm and open bleed points one by one starting at the rad, when the hot/warm water surfaces, close it off and do the rest, refit the cap and jobs a goodun


Interested in your method rikky? quick step by step

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Audi S3 Black Edition

Would it be wrong to suggest putting the cap back on, opening a bleed screw and putting the air line in the overflow pipe?

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Audi S3 Black Edition