I think I heard bubbles when I started up a while ago. Whenever I unscrew the radiator cap, coolant tends to spurt out. This is during winter when it's usually around 30 degrees. I tried facing uphill with an ice cold engine not running and it still does it. I'm afraid to leave it running to purge the system in case it loses coolant all out the top. Is this normal? What do I do?

 

Did you recently change your coolant? Do you see white smoke out of your tail pipe? What does your oil look like?

Rob

 

When was the thermostat done last ? Had your engine been running hot prior to this? A faulty thermostat maybe. Check your fluid after sitting all night sometimes air will work itself out.

 

I'm only considering this as a last resort to defeat my high cold idle problem. I haven't had overheating problems. I'm thinking air in the system is inhibiting some sensor. I see white smoke but it's 20-30 degrees out. I think it's dumping too much gas. The oil is typical for a 200k mile engine, and doesn't smell of anything or look watery.

 

Im also having this bubbling sound, when i accelerate, when its cold or whenever i start. I think that my problem is in the heater core, it starts to sound only when i turn it to hot. It seems strange though that coolant spurt out everytime you open the cap...

 

The problem is air bubbles float to the highest point, and the radiator cap isn't the highest point in the cooling system, unless you park it nose up on a steep incline. On mine one of the heater hoses or the line that heats the throttle body is the highest point.

I made a breather hose for mine to burp the air after coolant changes. On the coolant line that heats the throttle body (5vz, not sure about other engines) I bypassed the throttle body and put a "T" in the line and put about a foot of hose off that "T" with a removeable plug in the end. Now when refilling the cooling system I just remove the plug and lift the hose up above the engine. Pouring in the coolant into the radiator very slowly gives the air time to work its way up to the top and out. One time I poured it in too fast and had a little gyser effect going out the breather hose LOL. You could also do a "T" off one of the heater hose.

 

Thats smart!

 

Just run it with the cap off until the thermostat opens. You will only get a little on the ground while it is opening, after that it just flows right by the cap.