slash920

Well it's been nearly two weeks dodging the rain trying to get this ******* AIR LOCK out of the cooling system. Some sound advice on here like back filing via the turbo hose off rear of the header tank. But even that did not work for me.

Inevitably, if you get one as big a b****** as mine, it will be in the heater pipework and matrix itself.

The cure: Take the inter cooler off. Just below throttle body remove the jubilee clip securing the inlet hose that runs to the matrix.

Hold the rubber hose upwards and drizzle coolant into it until it will take no more. Thus filing the heater matrix and other pipework.

You will see water begin to escape from the metal pipe from where you removed the hose. Try and prevent this by plugging it. I used a rubber glove pushed in its end.

Once full refit the hose and inter cooler and top up header tank and plastic bottle.

Start car with rad cap off and run for approx 10 to 15 mins. You will see some spilling over and air bubbles coming up through the header tank. Wait until water level in header starts to drop. This indicates thermostat is opening. At this point fit rad cap and turn engine off and allow to cool.

Check levels in both header and plastic bottle and job should be a good un! Keep a regular eye on the levels and temp gauge over next few days obviously.

Just hope that I can prevent some of you the pain, anguish, and worry like IS IT HGF??????

We only started by dropping some water out the rad to strengthen anti freeze. Then the rad itself went as it had hidden damage on the bottom.

Stidara

I'm struggling with mine still it's a right pain so just ordered a bleeding kit

markb5888

done a coolant change in mine the other day. just keeped filling header tank slowly till it would take no more. then started car and carried on filling header tank with heater on in car till it would take no more. then switch car off and let it cool, then top up coolant and run up to temp till fans come on... All Sorted... been perfect since

Stidara

I keep hearing mine trickling trough the heater matrix

zander1985

Done mine today. two litre air lock just kept topping the header up watching as the bubbles got smaller and smaller replaced cap waited on fans kicking in turned off left to cool the. Checked levels again all good now

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I'd be interested to see what you get, for a Scoob?

In the end, I'm glad that all these people managed to get round what could be an engine-killing fault.

But the fact remains:

THERE IS NO CERTAIN KNOWN WAY TO BLEED A SUBARU IMPREZA ENGINE.

Drain, if necessary power-flush, then refill properly. You should have no problems.

Stidara

This is the kit I got

Rescue Dude

iTrader: (11)

Do you know what I do?

............I drive up and down my parents road.

It's unadopted and in a shocking state, potholes everywhere but it's perfect for working the air bubbles out.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Looks nice kit, but a) what's it do, and b) what did it cost?

Stidara

Basically you attach it to your header tank and connect a airline to it , it then sucks all your coolant out and the air , then you turn the valve the opposite way and it fills the whole coolant system with no airlocks

slash920

I tell you all mentioned above with the exception of that vac kit, was tried and tried over and over to no avail whereas my method worked straight away. Mine was a 2 litre air lock too.

The factory must surely vac fill them so let us know how the above kit gets on.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I'd be interested too......it doesn't look a cheap kit.

Stidara

The kit was around £70 , will be testing it tomorrow

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Wow!

Stidara

I used the same kit on my mk4 golf r32 and it worked brilliantly , sucked all the fluid out and then filled it back up with no air locks at all and takes about 1-2 mins max

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Take some pics of it working.

slash920

Once the system is vac'd you'd drop 7.2 litres in there in seconds. Handy bit of kit that could well earn you the outlay even on here.

360ste

iTrader: (1)

Where did you get it from?