Postby smj999smj » Sun May 27, 2018 1:06 pm
You don't run the engine with both caps off. First, make sure you have the caps in the right places; the vented cap (the one with the spring on it) goes on the reservoir and the one without the spring on the bottom goes on the radiator. Top off the radiator and install the cap. Fill the reservoir up to the Max line and install the cap. Jack up the front end as much as safely possible; you could also use ramps or park on a steep hill with the nose going uphill. Start the engine and put both heaters on the maximum heat setting. Run the engine at 2500-3000 RPM for 10 minutes, longer if needed until good heat is coming out of the vents. This will purge the air out of the system. Top off the reservoir tank to the MAX line as necessary; keep in mind that the reservoir is pressurized in this system, so be careful when removing the cap! Drive vehicle and see how it goes and recheck the coolant in the reservoir the next day. If the coolant gauge always stays on the "cold" side of the gauge, it's likely you have a stuck open thermostat; normally, it'll set right in the middle of the gauge, maybe a hair below or hair above. If the gauge needle sits center and you still have poor heat, you may have an air pocket still in the system. If it overheats, it could be a bad thermostat, bad clutch fan, restricted flow through the AC condenser/radiator cores...possibly something even more serious like a bad head gasket...the usual suspects.