KV6 bleeding the coolant - what is the best method?

Hi Chaps

Just a quick question

I have a KV6 in the shop and customer was complaining of losing coolant

So I had a drive up to see the car

running for a while and then boiled and lost coolant

When it cooled, topped it up and put a tester on the system to see if there was exhaust gas in the coolant - tested ok so sure it was not a head gasket and there were no bubbles indicating cracks.

As the car had not been serviced and I am familiar with thermostat issues, I got the car to the shop and replaced the thermostat and all parts - good thing too - the thermostat, the connecting tube and the elbow had all broke off inside the aluminium housings, and the thermostat had tell tale signs of OAT leaking around the middle 'weld'

I called the customer and asked if he was topping up frequently which he said he was

Anyway when it was all back together with genuine parts, I filled the system as in the book (and have done others) warmed it up and it did the same again!

Boiling water out of the expansion tank!

Bottom hose stone cold, top hose red hot and no fans on

I have two options - bad thermostat or air in the system

I have read about bleeding the system but can not find a reasonable answer - there is reference to a valve that sticks - but where is it?

There are no coolant leaks - this looks like there is no flow in the system

Any ideas?

Mike

Forgot to add - water pump was changed 6 months ago with a QH bronze impeller type - not the plastic type

I can see coolant circulating into the expansion tank

Did you pressure test the cooling system as well as the expansion tank cap separately? I have read many reports of the caps failing and not retaining any pressure what so ever.

Hi Martian

Give me a call back as I could not quite make out your number

Anyway this is a different Freelander than the other - I did the timing belt on this earlier this year and it went good - and this it why I think I have a bad thermostat as I changed the pump at the same time and had to have filled the cooling system at the same time- there were no issues at all

The car boils with or with out the expansion tank cap on - bottom hose cold so coolant is not getting round the system

Points to two things - bad water pump or thermostat stuck closed - this was an OEM thermostat as I fitted before - no issues, same procedure

Water pump was a real nice one - I got an OEM one with a plastic impeller and went for a Quinton Hazel one which looked miles better with a bronze impeller

I cannot see this is air as I drained the system when I did the pump before and no problems

Why do I get stuck with all the bum jobs no one else will do? Lol!

Mike