GM 3400 Pontiac motor Anti-Freeze Bleed Air - water bottle trick

David T. Gould presents: The continuing saga of the thermostat replacement on a 2003 Pontiac Aztec 3.4 liter motor. Issue: Overheating after initial replacement. Thermostat delayed opening. (Saw this water bottle trick on another KZbin posted video and thought I would try it out) It worked. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT. IF YOU MUST... BE SURE YOU HAVE PROPER PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO AVOID HOT FLUIDS / SCOLDING. I am NOT a mechanic... I am mechanical. Be sure to take this video and it's contents as informational, not advise. Professional repair is ALWAYS the recommended option. Enjoy the show!
Note(s): I mention water multiple times, the coolant I am referring to is Dex-Cool anti-freeze recommended for these motors. You will see the orange color.

[@buckkuhlmann3461]

Thank you for posting this, it really helped me out today in a cold Minnesota day. I would've had to spend money I don't have to do this otherwise. It really saved my ass.

[@danielplummer124]

I did this on my 2005 Chevy Uplander. What people fail to mention,that when the engine is running,the hot antifreeze + the heat from the engine will collapse the cheap plastic of the water bottle ! Better to do this,when the engine is cold,add antifreeze to the water bottle funnel,then squeeze the radiator hoses,forcing as much air as possible out,then remove the funnel,replace the bleeder valve assembly. Start vehicle,warm it up,then slightly open the bleeder valve just enough so you see air bubbles. Yes you will lose some fluid. I had trouble getting the water bottle to fit onto the access point, and had to cut some slits in the top ,so it would fit down over .

[@BA-gn3qb]

Makes me happy to be a member at Costco.

[@michaelhutchinson9343]

Can someone help me I have a 2003 Pontiac aztek I need to know where the wires run off the alternator my horn is broke on my alternator and I had to buy another one so I need to know where I can look for the old wires at thank you appreciate it God bless you

[@michaelhutchinson9343]

No when I took the old alternator off the wires broke off the hornets on the alternator on a 2003 Pontiac aztek I need to know how the wires run and what they run in the motor at because I bought a new harness but I ain't got no wires to hook up to it

[@harrypalmer728]

Thanks for the tip, this worked great. When it would start drawing the antifreeze back in would add more antifreeze into the bottle which helped to fill the system.

[@JoshuaEvanMiller]

Bro thank you so much I did this in my wife's car and still do because there is a gasket that needs to be replaced and causes overheating but this makes it work

[@davemiller2414]

great idea with the water bottle! great heat now and not running hot anymore. seen another youtube video using a pop bottle to bleed brakes by yourself that also works great. Thanx!!

[@derekparent752]

You just have to loosen the little bleeder valve on top of the bleeder screw, then it will be much easier. Good ideal with the bottle though.

[@beekbeeker2907]

wont work....bleeder lower than upper hose....i have same issue

[@mikehebner4888]

I agree just loosen the bleeder valve and place the bottle on top. Saves you the grieve of trying to put the bleeder valve on again

[@chadparrish9863]

If you have grieve putting a bleeder screw back in obviously you don't belong anywhere near a car or tools.

[@TheWrecklezz316]

Same procedure on pontiac montana sv6 3.5L THNKS BRO

[@humanyoda]

I could form a plug by using a long screwdriver and some fabric wrapped around it.

[@ilovecannabisalot7324]

Must be a new trick

[@mchaelhron279]

That was fun. Thanks.

[@salsuginusrex5196]

I don't understand why people say you have to turn the heater on. The heater controls only operate the blend door and fan. Am I wrong? Heater hoses carry hot coolant through the heater core whether or not you operate anything inside the vehicle.

[@longwalkshortpier]

Yep! I also made the same comment before seeing this. 70's cars used physical valves by cable. Modern cars (at least all that Im aware of), dont use heater core valves.

[@1Bushpig]

WTF, turn my heater on so coolant flows through Heater Core??? Hahahaha it does already, all turning the fan on does is blow air through it... Some of these videos are idiotic

[@pininapez2845]

amazing!

[@socalRooster]

Wow that’s awesome I need to try this on my Pontiac Montana sometime

[@DavidTGould]

in a pinch... it works... using a proper radiator fill bucket is recommended. be careful of air bubbles popping antifreeze back out. Be Blessed, DTG

[@RGIIIBOXING]

@@DavidTGould DRAIN THE DEX COOL OUT...OVER TIME IT GUMS UP..AND CLOGS UP YOUR COOLING PASSAGES..IT ALSO..EATS UP AND DAMAGES THE GASKETS...LOOK THIS UP ON HERE.. AND YOU WILL SEE FOR YOURSELF...GO BACK WITH THE YELLOW ANTIFREEZE.. THANKS...**ONE#1**

[@mailonwilliams6864]

I tried this yesterday but the water bottle i had would fit snug i really want to do it this way

[@mattgehrke]

I'm not sure that I get the point of doing this? I mean don't u just open the bleeder valve and start filling the coolant resivor until it starts coming out the bleeder valve close it. And start the engine with heat on full blast and that's it?

[@DavidTGould]

our 3400 would hold air in the top of the motor and in front of the thermostat... had to get car to warm up enough (building enough pressure) to open thermostat... then bleed out air. I don't really recommend doing it this way... I saw it on the internet and gave it a try vs. the proper bucket over radiator cap.

[@longwalkshortpier]

Why do people still believe that the heat/fan has to be on for modern cars? This isn't 1979, when the temperature lever regulated a physical valve by closing off the heater core hose pipes. In modern cars, the HVAC duct flap regulates temp and the coolant passes through the heater core regardless of what the cabin temp or fan is doing.

[@Blackhawk5656]

We do it so we can tell if we got the air out of the heater core, and it's not blowing cold

[@jayn391]

So you still had to replace head gaskets

[@christinepeloquin9042]

I did this for my 2003 Venture and it really got a ton of air out of the system and the heat that blew out was very hot compared to what it had been. Thanks for showing this trick! Did you have to do it a couple of times over the winter, or was once enough?

[@DavidTGould]

our's turned out to be head gasket air... BUT we got away with a solid year + (20K miles) by relieving air in system before it got so bad thermostat would not open. (I believe air bubble between antifreeze and thermostat does not allow temperature to get hot enough to open) time for intake and headgasket video on this end!

[@anastyb]

It's amazing to see someone with so little mechanical ability be so annoyingly redundant. Drill a 1/8 inch hole in the base is the thermostat flange to add an air bleed .

[@DavidTGould]

@@anastyb, I guess I know enough to be dangerous with mechanics. question... how does drilling a hole at the base of the thermostat relieve air in system with air bubbles floating on anti-freeze?

[@albertmccroan9100]

​@@DavidTGouldI'LL TRY TO SEND A VIDEO OF A OLD SCHOOL MECHANIC. WHAT HE FIGURED OUT. AND THAT WAS PART OF WHAT HE DID.

[@tylerstrauslin8361]

Did your car stop overheating?

[@DavidTGould]

temporarily... long term it was headgasket... broken cam shaft was final blow. Aztec got through college... did it's job!

[@beekbeeker2907]

what bottle is that...cant find a bottle that fits

[@DavidTGould]

was just a water bottle... not suggested. radiator cap funnel is proper equipment. honestly, I did not think it would work. stay safe... use proper equipment. Be Blessed, DTG

[@matthewfredrickmfkrz1934]

Big marble would fit for a plug but who plays with marbles anymore

[@justinjones5008]

Marbles are the shit.....

[@zackavellibenavidez4112]

Does this work if I only have the one bleeder screw for the water bottle? Because where the other one should be there is a bypass tube going from the thermostat housing to the coolant reservoir and I don’t think I have a radiator cap, only the coolant reservoir cap

[@indoorroadkill3369]

I have the same issue in an 07 Torrent. No bleeder screw on the drivers side, just the one shown here. Pressurized bottle, no rad cap. I'll have to try this.

[@marcmcclinchy9774]

What if your heater and fan didn't work?

[@DavidTGould]

We hooked up a manual fan switch to over-ride when computer failed to see required activation temperature. (once again... this is back yard mechanics... the real answer turned out to be replacing the head gaskets)

[@rickjames6948]

What if you don't own a car? Marc, are there no schools in your area?

[@nohateallbeef2327]

The bottle melted

[@justinjones5008]

You can use a thick funnel.....

[@MattSmith-xv1kw]

IT DOESNT WORK I LOST 90% OF MY COOLANT, i dont understand why gm went to this type ,

[@josephwezran1323]

If your car is overheating letting it sit for a minute or two is incorrect I would suggest 4 -5 hours better call a tow truck unless you want to pay for an engine rebuilding if your a novice

[@jherikomark]

Do NOT use dexcool! Can't tell you how many mechanics have said to not use it because of what it does to gaskets! My mechanic told me after replacing intake manifold, and numerous videos and sites say the same.

[@lkhlkjljhkjh1471]

Dexcool does things to cork gaskets, it's outdated information, if you still have cork gaskets in your car. the silicone used in modern gaskets is not affected by dexcool

[@DavidTGould]

removed the negative response... sorry about that. we are all learning here.