Air Pocket in Coolant Lines/Air Valve Adjustment
07-23-2006, 04:11 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Air Pocket in Coolant Lines/Air Valve Adjustment
Hey all,
I just wanted to throw up a quick post concerning air pockets in the coolant lines since this happened to me earlier. Maybe I can help out someone who runs into this issue.
This applies to the 22R-E.
As part of my diagnosis of a cold starting problem I decided to pull off the air valve and check that it was functioning properly. The air valve is supposed to allow air to bypass the throttle body when the engine is cold, thereby making the fuel-air mixture slightly richer. It is adjustable to some degree, you have to pull off the cover (4 screws) and loosen the nut. This will allow you to move the plate that covers the opening slightly. After adjusting mine, my cold starting is much improved, although not quite where I want it. That's another story for another day I suppose.
The air valve has four hoses connected to it, two air bypass hoses (one out the back to the intake chamber, one in the front coming from the throttle body) and two coolant lines on the passenger side. I drained a bunch of coolant out of a single line into a freezer ziploc bag for reuse. So, in the process of reinstalling everything, somehow I got air trapped in my coolant lines. I thought it was a little odd that my coolant reservoir was showing everything full when I had drained at least .5 quarts out of the system. I didn't refill it or put much concern into it.
Next morning, I take the truck out for a cruise to test the air valve and see how my idle is. After about 5 minutes I see my temperature gauge rocketing up...time to roll the windows down and crank the heater! It stabilized just before redline as the driveway was coming into sight. I'm hoping I don't have an excuse to change the HG sooner...
A quick check of the coolant reservoir showed acceptable levels...so I popped off the radiator cap, disconnected the coolant reservoir supply line and released all the pressure. Reconnected everything, and set her at fast idle...started sucking up coolant immediately! Filled it up again, drove around for 5 minutes with heater on...sucked up all that...repeat three times until reservoir showed stable level and temperature gauge dropping back down to normal values.
Sorry about the length of this, but if you're having overheat issues after pulling off a coolant line, just keep in mind you could be dealing with air pockets.
I just wanted to throw up a quick post concerning air pockets in the coolant lines since this happened to me earlier. Maybe I can help out someone who runs into this issue.
This applies to the 22R-E.
As part of my diagnosis of a cold starting problem I decided to pull off the air valve and check that it was functioning properly. The air valve is supposed to allow air to bypass the throttle body when the engine is cold, thereby making the fuel-air mixture slightly richer. It is adjustable to some degree, you have to pull off the cover (4 screws) and loosen the nut. This will allow you to move the plate that covers the opening slightly. After adjusting mine, my cold starting is much improved, although not quite where I want it. That's another story for another day I suppose.
The air valve has four hoses connected to it, two air bypass hoses (one out the back to the intake chamber, one in the front coming from the throttle body) and two coolant lines on the passenger side. I drained a bunch of coolant out of a single line into a freezer ziploc bag for reuse. So, in the process of reinstalling everything, somehow I got air trapped in my coolant lines. I thought it was a little odd that my coolant reservoir was showing everything full when I had drained at least .5 quarts out of the system. I didn't refill it or put much concern into it.
Next morning, I take the truck out for a cruise to test the air valve and see how my idle is. After about 5 minutes I see my temperature gauge rocketing up...time to roll the windows down and crank the heater! It stabilized just before redline as the driveway was coming into sight. I'm hoping I don't have an excuse to change the HG sooner...
A quick check of the coolant reservoir showed acceptable levels...so I popped off the radiator cap, disconnected the coolant reservoir supply line and released all the pressure. Reconnected everything, and set her at fast idle...started sucking up coolant immediately! Filled it up again, drove around for 5 minutes with heater on...sucked up all that...repeat three times until reservoir showed stable level and temperature gauge dropping back down to normal values.
Sorry about the length of this, but if you're having overheat issues after pulling off a coolant line, just keep in mind you could be dealing with air pockets.
Last edited by sleestak240; 07-23-2006 at 04:13 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
the1998sr5
95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners
15
07-14-2020 08:35 PM
sojourner567
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
2
07-16-2015 08:52 PM
