Proper procedure to fill cooling system?
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2024
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You can't close the radiator cap until the engine is fully warm and circulating. The circulating moves the air bubble out of the cap. With your truck cold, remove the radiator cap until it gets fully warm (20-30 minutes at idle). Top off as level drops. Once warm, shut your engine down and let fully cool. If your coolant tank is near empty, then put the cap back on the radiator before the engine cools because it will push fluid out of the radiator and into the expansion tank. I would leave the cap off the expansion tank the entire time. it's really simple.
Just make sure you have coolant in the upper radiator hose. if not, you'll have to unhook it and pour coolant into the hose while it's removed and then re-attach.
Just make sure you have coolant in the upper radiator hose. if not, you'll have to unhook it and pour coolant into the hose while it's removed and then re-attach.
So I have a few questions for my 2010 ram.. yesterday I drained the coolant and refilled it and now my rad fan isn't kicking in could that be becus it might have air pockets somewhere?
Captain
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 685
Likes: 68
From: Massachusetts
Did you open up the bleeder valve? If it has coolant bubbling when it's opened, then that means air is still inside the system.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 2
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Yea I got it figured out already with no youtube lol but thx for the quick reply tho 🤙🏼
Champion
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,776
Likes: 449
From: Atlanta
Just run it with the cap off. I've got a 4.7L and I've never been able to open the bleeder valve. My procedure is.... I run the front end up on ramps or jack it high up, fill with coolant and run it with the cap off for roughly 20 min, till the air bubbles stop coming up. You have to run it that long so the thermostat opens up and you get air out from the full circuit.
