Yes, the coolant system MUST be bled. On the night of the St. Louis Expo's banquet, my car lost the belt to the alternator, overheated, and blew the main hose from the bottle. I repaired the belt and refilled the coolant system. The next day the car started to overheat again after only a few miles of driving. To get it home I kept shutting off the engine and letting it coast down hills. I spent 45 minutes bleeding it before I got all the air out. I installed the self bleeding system mentioned in the FAQ section. Works great!! I drilled trough a bleeder screw instead of the trying to find a barbed hose insert. I had enough trouble getting a metal tee-fitting. So far the system works great. While you at it, check the hose that goes off the cap of the overflow bottle. Mine was really short and would shoot antifreeze everywhere when it got to hot. I put a longer chunk of it on. It's high enough that it won't show, but low enough that the coolant will land on the pavement and nothing else. --Jonathan #000697 -----Original Message----- From: BurkePhoto@xxxx <BurkePhoto@xxxx> To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxx <dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Tuesday, November 09, 1999 12:43 AM Subject: [DML] Re: Cooling system >In a message dated 11/8/99 5:19:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, >Reggie_Knowlton@xxxx writes: > ><< The cooling system will purge the air as it heats up, this is why you have >an > overflow cannister, the cooling system will expend the trapped air in the > system as the engine heats up the trapped air will go into the cannister as >the > radiator cap opens due to the thermal element within and as the system cools >it > will draw needed coolant back into the system. This is called a closed >cooling > system. >> > >The cooling system should always be bled after system repairs, i.e., hose >replacement etc. Bleed screw is located above water pump (see manual). Slip >a clear plastic hose over the screw with the other end submerged in container >of coolant. With engine running, open screw after thermostat has opened and >purge until no more air exits, close screw. > >Burke