Swapped top radiator hose due to leak, now car overheating and not blowing warm air, bottom hoses getting red hot top hoses (near intercooler) and filler tank luke warm.

Topped up with water after fitting hoses, replaced radiator car, turned heaters on full then fired her up.

Should I have left the radiator cap off when I started the engine???

Suspect airlock, how do you bleed system?

 

Drain the system again.
Remove turbo coolant hose at the header tank.
Pour coolant down that pipe (towards the turbo) until the header tank is full.
Replace hose onto header tank.
Leave cap off, turn heaters to hot, start car.
Allow to run for a few minutes, top up if required and then replace cap.
Done.

 

Is it the top right hand hose on the header tank?

 

One going down towards turbo

 

Yes, the thickest of the three.

Done it today, there is a drain plug on the bottom left of the rad as you look at it from the front, best to get the bottom hose off too, on the engine side though as rad side can be a pita.

7 litres mixed at 50/50 should see the job done.

 

Thanks gents, knew I'd made a fcucking schoolboy error there.

 

<<<@!1!@>>>

Though the drain plug was on the bottom somewhere?

Was looking at this video around the 1:30 mark.

 

I'd also add to what matty said that I left the rad cap off until the rad was full so as to aid the air getting out of the system, then replace cap and carry on filling, it wont fill the tank as its higher than the turbo, once the pipe won't take any more top the tank up, put the lid on, start engine, heater on full bore, hot. I let it pressurise the system for a couple of mins, then take the cap off and top up, this way there will be a little pressure as you let the cap off which is just the last bit of air getting out. then go for a 5 min drive and watch the gauge rise. once up to temp jobs a good un and no bubbling heater.

 

Mine is a new age WRX with the plastic sided rad, bottom left you will see a tap with a spout coming off, few turns and out comes the wet stuff.

 

Video is wrong, you'll get trapped air if you fill from the tank, turbo hose is the way to go.

 

Mines a 2.5 Hawk, wonder if it's different?

Will check tomorrow and hopefully sort her out.

Thanks again guys.

 

Just pull the bottom rad hose off to drain it fella.

 

I have filled mine twice now through the cap and never had any problems with air locks.

 

Very lucky then.

I've lost count of those who have airlocked the system.

 

Due to some good advice on here and a tenner to the local mobile mechanic, everything now running sweet.