I’m having a major problem bleeding my 2004 dodge dakotas cooling system. The bubbles never stop coming? It’s almost like it’s pulling in air somehow.. any suggestions?

 

Test for combustion gases in the coolant..... can get a kit at your local parts store.

 

Im assuming the combustion gasses would be coming from a blown head gasket? Wouldn’t I have other symptoms? Overheating when the engine isn’t even hot is my current issue. Which led me to bleeding it but like I said the bubbles won’t stop for 45 minutes of bleeding and just leaks out a significant amount of coolant. Just for some extra information.

 

yep that sounds liek you might be in head gasket territory. As HeyYou said, you can get a tester for it from most parts stores. It will change color if exhaust gases are present as I recall.

You didn't mention if this is a 3.7, 4.7, or 5.9?

 

HG is a good possibility. Have you been losing any coolant? Also, when bleeding, did you jack up the front or put on ramps? The air needs to rise.

 

I’ll have to test it. It is a 4.7

 

originally I was losing coolant without any puddles or anything. I replaced the upper radiator hose and then problem solved.. started overheating eventually then read it needed to be bled. Bled it but it still had bubbles but I thought “good enough” as I was standing for a half hour watching. Went fine a couple months and now it was overheating again so I went to bleed it again and the bubbles just don’t stop. Also no I did not have it raised or on ramps. I had read that but I also had seen that the bubbles shouldn’t be like my engine is boiling the water out. It’s weird because when it would “overheat” the engine was relatively cool to the touch, no smoke, no radiating heat off hood. So the air makes sense I just can’t get it to stop making bubbles!

 

Try this. With cold engine, fill the coolant up to neck, then have someone start it while you watch. The coolant should be in a closed loop and should be still. If it shoots up or bubbles right away, then you 99.999% have a head gasket issue.

I had a small leak many years ago and fixed it *chemically.* Had it not worked, I wouldn't be driving the truck today, cause it wasn't worth the work and time involved in me doing it, or the cost of farming it out.

Google "how to use a block tester" for videos on how to use one.