Technical Cooling system problems

[bensbus]

Hi guys, can anyone help?
I have just changed the damaged radiator in my 2002 2.8jtd Ducato, however I am having issues with bleeding the system, the temperature gauge is fluctuating and not getting up to temperature, also it has only taken 8.5 litres of coolant? I believe it should take 10. Is there a bleed valve somewhere?

Thanks for any help

Ben

 

[GreyNomad]

Hi guys, can anyone help?
I have just changed the damaged radiator in my 2002 2.8jtd Ducato, however I am having issues with bleeding the system, the temperature gauge is fluctuating and not getting up to temperature, also it has only taken 8.5 litres of coolant? I believe it should take 10. Is there a bleed valve somewhere?

Thanks for any help

Ben

Hi Ben
I recently changed my radiator, on a 2006 2.8 JTD.
I did not see any method of bleeding the air, from the system.
I made sure that the heater was switched on, and left the cap off at the expansion tank.
I have no problems.

I would (when engine cold), remove expansion tank cap - put heater on, and see what happens, when coolant is warm enough to open thermostat
Did you accidently leave any rags in the water hoses? when you changed the radiator
I also only managed to replace about 8.5 litres, as I could not remove all the coolant
Is your thermostat working correctly?

If you let us all know what the fix was, it will help others in the future

 

[cris1117]

8.5 litres sounds about right because you wouldn't have drained the coolant completely when you changed the rad, heater and parts of the block would have kept some coolant.

Personally I would just run it and see what happens it will most likely sort itself out, as long as it doesn't overheat I wouldn't worry too much.
Diesel engines always take for ever to reach temperature in the winter.

 

[Communicator]

I agree with @cris1117 above. As regards getting up to temperature, in winter it is almost essential to drive the vehicle. (As an anecdote I remember many years ago hearing about an agricultural tractor radiator freezing, while the engine was ticking over.) There is a section about filling, in eLearn, which I will link to.

http://4cardata.info/elearn/244/2/244000001/244000003/244000004/244000602

 

[airwave]

Hi guys, can anyone help?
I have just changed the damaged radiator in my 2002 2.8jtd Ducato, however I am having issues with bleeding the system, the temperature gauge is fluctuating and not getting up to temperature, also it has only taken 8.5 litres of coolant? I believe it should take 10. Is there a bleed valve somewhere?

Thanks for any help

Ben

Hmmm , i'm not sure this is gonna help , because you don't mention model . Being a 2.8 , it could be either a 230 , or 244 . A further problem is the 2.8 engine was produced originally as direct injection , but then later changed to indirect injection around 2001 , 2002 .
Now that i have said that , i have a 2.8 direct injection , year 2000 , and yes there is a bleed screw . It's on the firewall , between the heater box and brake master cylinder , beside the wiper relays , pretty much in the centre of the engine bay . It's a black plastic bolt about m12 size , should be under the heater inlet/outlets . You seem to know what they are , so i guessing you know how to use them .
As for capacity , yeah 8.5 sounds about right . I've changed mine a couple of times , and that's roughly all i've got in . Nowhere near book capacities , but with that said i have recently managed to get 11 litres in . However , i should add that was a fully drained system , and following major overhaul work on all parts of the system . There is an oil cooler and pipe work , significantly lower than the thermostat housing , the only access , which is higher than the radiator , so full draining would prove very difficult , if not impossible .

I would reason the missing 1.5 , 2 ltr of coolant is contained there ! .