I have recently changed the water pump and radiator on my seicento. Everything went ok and I thought I had bled the system properly, but the car still seems to be using coolant.

I can't see any leaks anywhere and there is no tell tale signs of the head gasket going.

I went and bled the system again, this time I noticed that when I rev the engine I get a nice steady stream of coolant coming from both bleed valves, but when I let the engine drop back down to idle, the coolant seems to get 'sucked' back down the pipe.

Is this normal or is there still some air left in the system?

Any help would be appreciated

Banksy74 said:

I have recently changed the water pump and radiator on my seicento. Everything went ok and I thought I had bled the system properly, but the car still seems to be using coolant.

I can't see any leaks anywhere and there is no tell tale signs of the head gasket going.

I went and bled the system again, this time I noticed that when I rev the engine I get a nice steady stream of coolant coming from both bleed valves, but when I let the engine drop back down to idle, the coolant seems to get 'sucked' back down the pipe.

Is this normal or is there still some air left in the system?

Any help would be appreciated

Click to expand...

Bleed all the air out works like a house rad basicly

super sprint sei said:

Bleed all the air out works like a house rad basicly

Click to expand...

So there is still air trapped in the system?

https://www.fiatforum.com/cinquecento-seicento-guides/295204-seicento-coolant-change.html

Banksy74 said:

So there is still air trapped in the system?

Click to expand...

This might explain

nce topped up and expantion cap is put on,turn the heater to hot and i put mine on full then locate the b screws 2 on the 1108cc engine one on the bulkhead and one behind the dri ight I've had more success bleeding with the en running but thats just my take on it,with engine run open the bulkhead screw and let the air and bubbles out till you g steady flow of coolant then steady flow of coolant then move onto the one behind the drivers head light

I'll have another go at it tomorrow and see what happens. One more thing, does any one know where I can get hold of any pipe for the map sensor mine is starting to perish

Here for example. As long as it's vacuum hose and the right size. Even Halfords (apparently) do it.

i bleed with engine off myself... do rad first and then the heater one after.

If the coolant to go down it can only be a leak, the cap on the expansion tank or HG failure really.

blu73 said:

i bleed with engine off myself... do rad first and then the heater one after.

If the coolant to go down it can only be a leak, the cap on the expansion tank or HG failure really.

Click to expand...

thread revival,

mine got down to MIN, so I though I may as well change the coolant,

I'm used to the panda / punto tank on side of rad.
(long time since we had a cinq sorting.)they bleed easily for me..,

the upside down bleed hose.., :chin:
I THINK I got it flowing.. but it's awkward as you cannot pressurise the hoses like the 1242 set-up.

any pointers..??
the car ran / warmed fine / fan cut in and out.., but matrix appears COLD..

It'll get a run tomorrow.. so I'll see how much "gurgling" I get, and will keep levels at MAX,
Charlie

Heater got warm within 4 mins of driving..
Didnt hear any air moving...
I will update later with air displacement.

sounds like you got it sorted charlie, but all i do is gravity feed the rad, that bits easy.

Because water has to go up from the expansion tank to do the heat matrix part of the system you can't just open it and it bleed - hence why you are meant to start the car so the water is pumping round. But what i do is just blow on the tank with my mouth sealed on the top, open the bleeder and keep blowing until all the air comes out, screw bleeder back whilst still blowing. Works really well on a cento cooling system, not so much on other cars - like my mums mk2 1.2 16v punto, this doesn't seem to work there is always air left somewhere in it that gurgles on startup.

I keep meaning to put a valve for a bike pump through an old rad cap so i can just pump some pressure in but have never got round to it. But it would work on just about all fiats - think all my fiats have had the same rad cap just with different pressure release points so would do your whole fleet if you made on i think. I just prefer to do it cold cause have always found there to still be bubbles in the system all the way upto the point the car is at operating temp by doing it with engine running and once you undo that bleeder too far accidently it shoots out - you get burnt by a fountain and loose the little o-ring off the bleeder screw and have to start all over again. Clearly that has only happened once and prob wouldn't ever again but don't see need to do it hot so i don't

I fount it needed some revs while bleeding the rad before it would push the air out and bleed properly.

well i've never had that problem, not saying my way is right and running it is wrong at all... but the just adding slight pressure by blowing would prob help the rad bleed too if it wasn't properly bleeding...

blu73 said:

well i've never had that problem, not saying my way is right and running it is wrong at all... but the just adding slight pressure by blowing would prob help the rad bleed too if it wasn't properly bleeding...

Click to expand...

A bit of pressure would help.
I don't think there is much coolant flow at idle on the 899, so lifting it off of idle gave it a bit of help.

I tend to bleed the lower rad one via gravity and then as previously said I seal my lips in the expansion tank and blow with the heater bleed valve open once the water flows I keep blowing and then tighten the bleed screw.

Then run up to temp so the coolant fan cuts in and out a couple times, make sure the heater blows hot.
Then switch off let it cool/calm down for 30-45mins while having a cuppa then check the coolant level.

Never had a problem.

varesecrazy said:

Heater got warm within 4 mins of driving..
Didnt hear any air moving...
I will update later with air displacement.

Click to expand...

level dropped from just below FULL ( max) mark to midway between MAX and MIN

took very little to bring back up to MAX

cheers for all the advise / support..
re-reading I'd forgotten to say

it's a 51 plate sporting ( VERY standard)