Cooling system leak diagnosis & bleeding technique

[bigBADbenny]

Clean all evidence of sprayed coolant from the engine bay, if any, all of it.
This is so you can spot and pinpoint fresh leakage.

Check the pipe from the turbo coolant tank to the turbo is not leaking.
Buy Subaru genuine coolant from the dealer, failing that use distilled water from the servo, supercheap etc... Buy an extendo funnel for $2 from SCA.
Jack up car at front, remove cap from turbo coolant tank, jam in funnel extension into tank and hang it from a wire hooked to the bonnet. Fill tank with coolant so the neck is full to beginning of funnel.

The funnel temporarily becomes the highest point in the cooling system, ok?

Start car and idle, massage radiator hose and run heater and fans flat out.
Keep going until no more bubbles appear in funnel and or gurgling ceases.

Keep an eye out for leaks from hoses, radiator, caps etc.

Drive the car a short distance and recheck for fresh spray in engine bay and the coolant levels.
Don't drive with an empty turbo coolant tank obviously!!!

Radiator overflow tank should be say 1/2 way between hi and low marks when cold and on hi when hot.

This is standard cooling system bleeding technique


Last edited by bigBADbenny on Sat Jul 26, 2014 9:29 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[bigBADbenny]

New extended faq post here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=36514