engine and drivetrain Replacing Hoses And Coolant

[paulram]

I have a new set of IE hoses and want to replace existing.  I keep reading to replace the coolant and run with the heat on to burp system.

 

Right now I have no way to run on my heat I think... As far as I can tell all vent/heat etc is not working. I don't know if that will cause me any issues.  If so I'll address before I drain and replace.

 

Maybe a dumb question but I'm asking...

[KFunk]

Well, if your heater valve isn't letting coolant into your heater, then you don't have to worry about air bubbles getting trapped in there either.

 

I'd go ahead and try to figure out why your heater isn't working, though.  Is the blower motor just not kicking on?  If so, then its an electrical problem.  Is the heater valve jammed up/broken and preventing hot water from ever getting to the heater core?  If so, then fix it.

Did some genius previous owner completely bypass a leaky heater core instead of replacing it with a non-leaky one?  If so, then don't worry about having to bleed air out of it....

Edited August 1, 2013 by KFunk

[paulram]

Referring to previous posts.  Wiring mess.  Once I hook up your gauge tonight and rerun the tach line and then cut out all the extraneous wiring hanging out of it I can take out the center console that is half cockeyed in there with a hack wiring job lurking behind it and assess the nightmare I find working on to be quite relaxing....

 

A run-on mouthful, but the can of worms has been opened....

[Stevenc22]

Replace coolant, you will be fine.

 

The heater valve is mechanical in nature, not electrical so even if your wiring is a mess you can still open the heater valve using the " Cool  / Heat" control on the right side of steering wheel to allow coolant to flow into the heater core.

 

Either way you will be fine! I have drained and refilled my sister 4 times in the last year for various reasons and my heater box wasnt working until just recently so i never bothered with turning on heater. I just run the motor and let it burp its self.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Stevenc22

[KFunk]

Oh OK, yep, just turning it to full warm and heat on *should* open the heater valve mechanically and allow for air to be purged, whether you turn the heater fan or not.  You should notice some heat inside the car as well, even though there's no fan blowing the heat around. 

[paulram]

I just was reading this article...

 

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/articles.html/_/technical-articles/body-and-interior/heater-box-removal-and-replacement-r41

 

And just realized this is all mechanical.  Need to check the box as well as the fan connections.

 

At least my console is half out already for easy access.

[KFunk]

Yeah, its pretty simple.  The valves do get leaky, holder tabs get broken, things inside the valves break, etc., though.  The valves are not cheap anymore, either. 

 

It is important to have a working heater, because its a good back-up in case you're having cooling system problems.  If the car is starting to overheat, then you can turn on the heater and allow it to take some heat off the engine.

[paulram]

Yes I'm familiar.  My first 73 I bought for $400 bucks that was under a pile of leaves in the back of a gas station in 1992.  I finally got it running and drove it home.  I often had to run with the heat on. 

 

I had it when I met my wife for the first time.  She insulted me by making a derogatory comment on my car.  It almost ended right there. We still talk about it and how offended I was as I loved the car. I think she's just jealous.

[Mike Self]

Replace coolant, you will be fine.

 

The heater valve is mechanical in nature, not electrical so even if your wiring is a mess you can still open the heater valve using the " Cool  / Heat" control on the right side of steering wheel to allow coolant to flow into the heater core.

 

Either way you will be fine! I have drained and refilled my sister 4 times in the last year for various reasons and my heater box wasnt working until just recently so i never bothered with turning on heater. I just run the motor and let it burp its self.

 

I presume you meant either "my system" or "my sister's car"...sorry, couldn't resist.  I just howled when I read that sentence; I needed a good laugh today.  Thank you for it.

 

mike 

[Beck180]

If you're draining the coolant and pulling hoses, this is a great time to pull the heater and see what your problems are there.

 

I did the same about a year ago. Replaced the fan, and sealed all the flaps which had lost their insulating foam.