Serious question, who actually waits for coolant to cool down before opening the rad?

Three weeks ago in my driveway in Tucson, I swapped out a thermostat on my 2002 Tacoma, filled it with coolant, and started it up without burping the system first. The temp gauge shot up fast, steam hissed out from under the hood, and a geyser of green fluid sprayed my side window. Has anyone else had to drench their driveway to avoid a blown head gasket?

2 comments

2 Comments

clairec782d ago

You mentioned "didn't burp the system first" like it's a separate step, but you actually can't burp the system properly until it's filled and running anyway. That geyser is exactly what happens when you skip the initial bleed process, though. I always crack the bleeder screw open on the thermostat housing while I'm filling it, then close it once coolant starts flowing steady without bubbles. Also, letting it cool down before opening the rad is just common sense unless you want a face full of steam. Sounds like your Tacoma taught you that lesson the hard way in that Tucson heat.

kelly612d ago

Yeah you hit the nail on the head. I learned that same lesson on my old Cherokee, not a Tacoma, but same deal. Arizona summer, thought I'd do a quick coolant flush after work, popped the rad cap and got blasted with a geyser of hot coolant. Burned my arm pretty good. Now I always crack that bleeder screw on the thermostat housing while I'm filling, just like you said. Let it run with the cap off till the thermostat opens and coolant starts circulating, then top it off and close everything up. The whole process takes an extra 10 minutes but saves you from getting scalded.