Bleeding cooling system 2006 equinox

How to

[@ronald1977rt]

Thanks for this video, my son's car didn't have heat for months and he's car was over heating. This video solved the overheating problem too. Thanks again 👍🏾👍🏾

[@PxlarXYZ]

For how long?

[@mfuller9248]

thank you for making this video. this morning I just had these issues with too much air in my system in my 2007 equinox and coolant wasn't getting to my thermostat so it wasn't opening. I had no heat with two kids and a baby going to school! I've always heard bubbles/air rushing through my heater core for a looooong time.

[@Streetpreaching7]

Ok I was bleeding for over 20mins and still air was coming I thought there is no way I’m doing this right. Thanks for uploading this it helps me know I’m not completely ignorant 😂.

[@HomeGrownPyro1]

Thanks for posting the video... I just finished replacing the head and intake gaskets on mine and had a hell of a time getting the air out and ended up shutting it off until I can find out more info.... had coolant bubbling out of the overflow tube on the reservoir and was afraid of damaging the engine lol

[@wachagondoo]

HomeGrownPyro I hope it worked well for you. mine has a small leak in either the heater core or the heater control valve, not sure which but it seems to suck air into the system a little each time it gets driven and cools down.
probably going to tackle that in the fall and make a video to upload here.
also going to be uploading some videos of engine remove and build up on my Mustang GT

[@HomeGrownPyro1]

wachagondoo nice i look forward to watching those vids when you post them. As far as my equinox goes, I'm tearing into it again for the 3rd and final time! If it doesn't work out this time then I'm throwing in the towel and selling it for best offer mechanic special! I ended up having to have to tear it down again to change the lower intake gaskets because I used the shit plastic oem ones for the repair and it wasn't quite right. So I spent the extra money and ordered the metal felpro gaskets. That particular kit came with the rubber gaskets for the cross overs between the heads, just like what was on there from the factory, with the exception they seemed a little thicker and better quality, which is the usual with felpro products. So I didn't think anything of it and was pleased the kit supplied them. It's the only kit I've found that actually included those 2 rubber seals..... Now here's where the problem I believe occurred this time around... The Haynes manual only calls for a bead of RVT on those crossovers and doesn't mention anything about those rubber seals. I assumed they didn't mention it because they must not be that important and because all the other gasket kits I found while searching don't even include them... anyway long story short, I get everything back together and torqued to spec and start adding fluids, coolant first. I filled the reservoir and began getting the oil stuff ready for the change. I noticed the reservoir was low, so i filled it up again.( thinking it was working its way through the system or something). Next I started the oil change. Removed the oil drain plug and immediately noticed all coolant coming out first then the oil! Boy was I pissed! All that work again and now this shit and didn't have a clue what the hell could be going on this time, because I've never had any coolant in the oil. After searching the web for a while, I came across a forum where a guy had a similar problem. The response he got was that sometimes those nice rubber gaskets, I was happy about, can cause the intake plenum to sit too high and not be able to seal around the water jackets, especially with these motors because of the torque specs for the lower intake plenum bolts being rather low.... FML! Makes sense, I just pray that is the issue and after I redo it this one last time, that it all seals up properly using just the RVT and can finally get it running good again after all the countless hours of work I put into it!... sorry for the long post, I guess I needed to vent! Lol.. take care and thanks again for the helpful vids you post

[@newtonraymond77]

If it's a leak didn't you get the smell of coolant and evidence of the leak?

[@bpcsurfboards3110]

thanks for sharing.Spent a good bit of a hour bleeding mine today.

[@saturinochun7310]

Is your chevy equinox 2006 or 2007,is it the same process

[@ayeyo5234]

Six hours one day 4 hours the other with no leak

[@mymyankee7marrero149]

I had a 2005 Equinox. Brand new. Today, 16 yrs later with 210,000 miles, I had to finally let it go. It was in top condition inside and out Loved the car because it's roomy and comfortable but had a lot of issues. When I first bought it, it had the infamous dead fish Oder coming thru the vents when using the AC, was in the shop for 2 months before the issue was resolved (a very long story). Engine was manufactured in China. 4 times had to replace the AC, many many other issues to long to list, worst engine Chevy has made. Even though I had it 16 yrs. the last 4 yrs I just kept it in the garage. Couldn't go very far with it because the engine would overheat.

[@jasonsilver2431]

GARBAGE ENGINE IS RITE

[@thomasrobinson8336]

I have an 06 Torrent. My car will overheat sitting at the lights. What i do is this drive home park and shut off. Let the engine cool. Get adjustable pliers then Slowly loosen the cap to the coolant tank. This will get the air our. When fully cooled add new coolant to the line. Works for me like a charm

[@wachagondoo]

A way to keep it from getting way hot is to put it in park at a long light and Rev the engine to about 2500 rpm while you're waiting.

[@jimbo4612]

Great video. I came up a different idea how to get the air out of the Thermostat bypass and that was just taking the nut off and adding a water bottle over it that fit exact. then filled coolant in this way burping the air out. Also would mention the Dex -cool recommended coolant for this engine turns to crap gets acidic and eats up head gaskets. the radiator, heater core. thermostat and more. the DEx cool can also plug the reservoir tank up so the car wont take down the right amount of coolant. I switched to prestone after getting all the DEX -cool crap out and that required 5 flushes to get it all out. With prestone in the car, no overheat and the cars 195 degree heat range thermostat works fine, no overheating, good heat when needed in the winter.
what a pain the butt however. Gm did a terrible job making this line of equinox cars and SUV all wheel drives, so many problems. I have had the trunk seals leak water that ended up in the spare tire area, the sun roof clogs and leaks water down the A Frame requiring you to snake out the tubing and free the clogs then it drains at 4 points. Seat belt part of the personal restraint system likes to break making the warning light go off and the dealer says replace your air bags when in fact its a darn set belt sensor. $1500 vs $30 bucks to fix the sensor. The ignition switch required a recall due to defect, The car steers like a tuna boat wont turn very well. The wiring harness on the window motors breaks because it was made to short , if the door opens to quickly it pops wiring harness, They made the harness to short. The A frame cover to get to the drain tubing does not go back in very well. Changing main light bulbs is tough lots of work getting to them vs a simple screw system. The fog lights system and bulbs same deal horrible to replace the bulbs. Trans- axel issues and more. took weeks to rebuild the transaxel. biggest issue the head gaskets going very early because of the DEX Cool eating them up. I have seen 40 You tubes on the same deal bad head gaskets going on the equinox.
Driving the car sounds like a air plane hitting a runway thanks to poor shock system and the LT all wheel drive model i had had front end issues. electrical issues for days, overall recall 5 recall parts that Chevy had to redue but no cost just my time waiting to fix. Liked my 2006 LT for the way it looked but Jesus Christ what did chevy do on this build? Everyone must have had a Monday hangover when they approved the equinox for production . I swear Gm must have built these Equinox to fail on purpose to force you to buy a new car after 10 years or sooner. Basically 100k and the car fell apart. Only good part is I know just about every part now and have an extensive tool selection from the rebuilds.
thanks for your idea here same principal and cleaner, anti freeze spilling is no good for the pets. Gonna use the tube next coolant change

[@wachagondoo]

You are correct on all points..
I really liked that 06 equinox when we first got it but a little time cured me of that... Haha

[@jimbo4612]

@@wachagondoo Should of also mentioned pay close attention to the petcock drain unit for the coolant. When they get older they like to leak after being opened . Safer to use the lower radiator hose itself to do coolant changes and just leave this little unit alone . thanks for sharing your story again .

[@KronicDaydreamZ]

@@jimbo4612 yeah I had to replace my pet cock. Was stuck and the wings broke when I finally got it off.

[@jimbo4612]

@@KronicDaydreamZ Would highly suggest testing the coolant system with a pressure test. This 3.4 V-6 is notorious for leaking head gaskets and will trick even skilled mechanics

[@KronicDaydreamZ]

@@jimbo4612 thanks, will do

[@keithlapere7650]

Quicker way of doing this. Is pinch off your upper heater hose past the splitter. Let it run for 20 mins.

[@dustingilsrud2317]

I dont get it...i bypassed the heater core z at the y so whats the best way of bleeding it?

[@bobbyv4687]

I’m having so much trouble finding the right kit to drain the air outta my 06 Equinox. When idle it over heats. But when I get to the store and try to explain the kit name they look at me like I’m stupid.and the nipple top part with the first screw u unscrew. I tried it with pliers first it broke off. Can I replace that whole screw. I’m scared to take it all the way out. OFCOURSE WITH A WRENCH

[@bensrestorations5250]

Many thanks for this video, all I can add is the dorman part number is 13960, and you will use both parts of the kit.

[@250rBluffRyder]

Did you have to drill and tap to get the larger part of the bleeder kit to go in?

[@250rBluffRyder]

Actually, nevermind on the tap, but did you use any teflon tape or rtv on the part installed?

[@mikophilo348]

1:01 - those 2 hoses underneath the bleeder valve are called what??
Also do you have a parts number for both? Please and thank you

[@Omar-tz6sl]

What size hose did you use

[@Keepingitreal98]

So how long did it take you? Also do you have to add more coolent at anytime during or after bleeding air?

[@wachagondoo]

Keepingitreal98 If you rev the engine to around 1500 for around 10 seconds every minute or so you can get most of the air or gasses out in about 10 minutes.
I figured out the head gasket is allowing combustion gasses to pass into the cooling system.
I hope to get that resolved as soon as it's a little warmer weather, will try to make a comprehensive video of that

[@Daemien21]

Head gaskets go on these things like craaaaaazy. (112,000km). Had to bleed mine every 3 days and finally got it fixed replacing the head gasket which cost me $2,000 CDN.

[@cameltoast]

I pressure tested mine and did not see any abnormalities that would indicate a head gasket leak yet, I can't get rid of the water rushing sound in the dash as the coolant goes into the overflow tank.

[@Daemien21]

@@cameltoast even though I got my head gasket fixed still the same thing on mine hate spending so much money on this thing, bad hoses, improper head gasket fix, poor heater core idk. Just a poor vehicle all around

[@cameltoast]

@@Daemien21 Damn! Thanks for the reply

[@richardpaulus9823]

Prolly also speed up the process by having someone squeeze on the radiator hoses like a pump while u rev it to try n force the air out the high spots. Just seems like a dumb place for the bleeder valve. You would think with air moving up n all, the bleeder would be higher than the heater core.. maybe it is? IDK. I didn't design it.lol

[@glendaleperkins8295]

Did it work? Or did you keep experiencing problems ?

[@glengrossnickle4985]

This video has been posted a long time but would like to ask a question. I am bleeding mine and getting very little coolent and bubbles. Butt no heat. How do I get more fluid and bubbles to come out? Thanks

[@wachagondoo]

After you open it up and get some bubbles, close the valve and rev the engine to around 2200 rpm and hold it there for about 20 seconds. Then open it again... repeat this with the heat control all the way on hot until you feel the heat work.

[@sindy4706]

How did you take the hose off without getting airback in? Do you pinch it when the Coolent goes down? Or just take it off and close the valve? Pintch the hose or put some antifreeze into the tube 🤔 so when it starts sucking the coolant down no air gets in again? I have a 2005 Chevy Equinox and I can't seem to get Get not to overheat trying this method with the car's fernandez jack up hoping that it fixed it Already replaced the thermostat in the water prompt on it.

[@wachagondoo]

The fitting that I had on the bleeder outlet was more like a brake bleeder fitting... in fact it was part of a Doorman brake parts kit which I might still have the number of..
If so I will share it, anyway I used that particular valve because it would accommodate the tube I used to collect the expended coolant in a receptacle.
Polyethylene glycol is toxic and should not be vented into the ground or left in puddles.
As for the head gasket video, I regret that it didn't happen as I gave the vehicle to my nephew and didn't further have interest in it. I would suggest that if you love the vehicle, but abhor the coolant issues. A replacement engine from Jasper is your best option.
They guarantee their work and I have seen very few instances where they were required to redo their work

[@wachagondoo]

The Doorman kit part # is 13960
It is a brake system repair kit but the nipple fitting screws in to the bleeder fitting in the top of the tube where the normal ineffectual bleeder fitting is.
If you put the nipple in place, you can then place a 1/4 in hose on the nipple and position it so that it drains into a proper receptacle.. then using a 1/4 in.
Wrench open the nipple valve to remove the gasses and close.
As stated before it can take several cycles to completely remove the gasses.
Don't forget to turn the heat to hot and the fan to high. The process is complete when you have very hot air in your heater.

[@Username_-fm4lj]

what did u do after it stopped bubbling? did u turn off the car, wait for the coolant to flow back and put the screw back in?

[@wachagondoo]

No, I tightened the screw and turn the car off and let it cool.
I usually would start the process with the reservoir as full as I could get it so that by the time I got the air out the coolant level was still good.
Once the coolant that bubbles out cools you can reuse it

[@ohsotattedlightly5712]

Good morning hopefully you reply in time. What is that part called you are bleeding from? Not the screw but the bottom piece. Coolant is leaking from the part.

[@wachagondoo]

Sasha Pro I believe it is the heater hose connector, If it's the gasket, you can make one with cardboard box material from a cereal box and some of that nasty black gasket sealer or possibly a healthy application of rtv slilicon. If the tube is leaking because of rust or a rupture, you should be able to find one at a junkyard easily, almost all 3.1, 3.4, and 3.8 Chevy v6 engines have that same tube

[@jaydavidson4592]

Also called the water pump tower, with bleeder screw on top

[@shecat1964]

I wish you had showed step by step how to do this. I kinda feel like i starting watching half way through.

[@wachagondoo]

Cat G I went to the auto parts store and got a Dorman part that is meant for brake repair and install that instead of the regular bleeder screw. I then put the tubing on the small nipple and open it with a quarter inch wrench

[@shecat1964]

You seem to know cars. You know anything about 2006 torrent? Or anyone else? #1 is it normal for coolant level to keep rising in the coolant expansion tank, with the cap off? Is that because with the lid off, there is no pressure to push it out? #2 is it normal for the coolant to surge into the expansion tank when you rev the motor? Its also seems to turn frothy when revved, (not bubbly) but goes back to normal after it lands in the tank. I have had nothing but trouble with this car. The reason on observed this stuff is because weekend before last, it looked as though the tank was low. I added some coolant, maybe a cup. The next day i went to check on it again, and the level was way above the fill line. Someone mentioned air in the lines. So i took the cap off and let the car run. And the level just kept rising till i thought it was going to over flow. I put that cap back on and the level started to drop. When the car is at idle the temp gauge is just slightly above mid way. Then when i revved the motor the temp drops back down quite quickly below the mid line. I do have heat but seems to also get hotter when engine revved. And No leaks that i can see.

[@wachagondoo]

Cat G these cars have a weak link in the head gasket at the #2 cylinder, it pushes combustion gasses into the cooling system and causes an air pocket that keeps the coolant from circulating properly. When you bleed the air out by the bleeder screw it solves the problem for about 12 hours of operation but then needs bleeding again. I am going to be repairing the head gaskets in the equinox some time this spring or summer and will post video of the process but unless you are an experienced mechanic I would recommend having it done by an experienced mechanic. This will cure the problem for another 90000 miles if done properly.

[@sindy4706]

​@@wachagondoo I would love to see the video of the head gasket repaire.

[@timmyj9343]

Did you do this with the cap off and did you get the bleeder ser up from a store or online?

[@wachagondoo]

Tim Jackson the cap is on, if you leave it off the antifreeze will gush out through the reservoir when the engine gets warm.
The bleeder nipple set up is from Dorman products, I believe it was labeled as a brake bleeder repair kit or something like that. It had 4 pieces to it and 2 of those were the brass fitting that screws into the bleeding tube top and the other is the little nipple with a 1/4"
Nut built into it. Best system I have come up with is to open the valve, let the gasses or air out until it stops really pushing out then close the valve and rev to about 3k RPM for a few seconds let the engine idle and open the valve again and repeat until you get very little air when you open the valve.

[@wachagondoo]

Tim Jackson also I got the bleeder kit in the help section of the auto parts store

[@stevenr5429]

Did you have the cap of the Reservoir when you are bleeding

[@wachagondoo]

No Sir, it boils out the reservoir if the cap is off when the thermostat opens

[@trinidadapodaca4884]

Saludos desde ensenada olle tengo una equinox 2006 se le olle un ruido como si isira corto en el tablero y se quita aveses

[@lichotropical3350]

I bought an old 07 Equinox 3 years ago. Every time I have to bleed the cooling sys is like patting the GMC engineers on the back for the most worthless piece of crap ever engineered.
I am getting ready to buy another 2nd vehicle and it aint gonna be a GM product. Nissan, VW or Volvo. Hell I am willing to buy a Yugo, can't be worse the the Chevy Equinox.

[@wachagondoo]

You got that right. I did several things to the equinox and decided it would be too much work to fix everything that needed done and around 1000 in parts not to mention the time. So just got rid of it and being the fool I am replaced it with a 2000 Lincoln ls.
The ls has been a great car so far but is complicated and difficult to work on.

[@jasonsilver2431]

i second that comment ,peice of enginering genuis ..NOT..

[@JayCeeSolo]

I am working on mine and stuck. Could I ask question about hose plz

[@alastorclark3492]

The hose used for draining is more of a matter of not making a mess. This video is not how you are supposed to drain the radiator fluid. The spot to drain can be found at the bottom left side of the radiator and it will be a small spigot located between the return radiator hose and the radiator itself. The spigot should have a turn handle facing horizontal (close) and you will just need to turn it vertical (open) by turning it to the right. All fluid should drain easily from this point directly into a pan.

[@sandymeister9422]

Shane he’s not draining it he’s bleeding the air out of it

[@saturinochun7310]

Can this process works on chevy equinox 2007

[@wachagondoo]

Yes.. I'm pretty sure they are exactly the same

[@efuwape]

Wow

[@mikesike100m]

Had this same problem same car, but I would have to do this every day. Ended up replacing the head gasket to solve the problem

[@LanceSheppard]

Im thinking head gaskets are my issue as well.

[@mikesike100m]

@@LanceSheppard I was able to do it in a week with about 3 or 4 hours a day

[@LanceSheppard]

@@mikesike100m head gasket replacement?

[@mikesike100m]

@@LanceSheppard yes

[@LanceSheppard]

@@mikesike100m awesome. Thanks for the info!

[@richards758]

did you have the reservoir cap off? i was bleeding mine but i panicked when the reservoir started bubbling and overspilling the coolant.

[@wachagondoo]

Richard S , the reservoir cap was on and tight and the heater control valve is all the way to hot with the fan blowing. you have to rev the engine to about 2200 a few times for a couple of seconds per time to let the air get moved.
The heater core in ours seems to have a leak so I guess there will be a video of that replacement

[@richards758]

wachagondoo thank you for replying! After several attempts with the reservoir cap off and having the coolant spill, i decided to try it with the cap on (fully tighten) and alternate the opening and closing of the bleeder valve to release the trapped air. Seems to be working because 1) Florida heat and 2) the gauge stays at or below the middle. Update# Everything seems O.K. I've gone around town running errands with the scorching heat here in Florida and the temperature gauge stays below the middle.

[@LittleLadyk2002]

Richard S did you use that tube? We have the same problem. Could we just open the valve and close it? Is this what you did or?

[@TheBiggerDavo]

@@wachagondoo was it the heater core or the head gasket? I saw you mentioned both in the comments

[@wachagondoo]

@@TheBiggerDavo it was definitely the head gasket. I believe the pressure from getting hot might have ruptured the heater core.
I ended up giving the car to my nephew cause I didn't have time to break it all down and fix it and since he got the car free the repairs made it a reasonable priced car for him

[@bryanaustin6755]

Where do you get that hose

[@wachagondoo]

I got that particular hose as part of a brake bleeding kit.
I believe any 1/4" hose would work

[@robertrobbins7546]

Would this work for 08 equinox? And also would this cause overheating at idle and no heat coming out?

[@wachagondoo]

Yes this is exactly what causes the idle overheating and lack of heat in the cabin. Most likely you need a head gasket replaced but one can get by for a while bleeding out the gasses that cause these air blockage issues unless the head gasket issue is severe.

[@v1larotate914]

Can’t tell if the res cap is off

[@wachagondoo]

The reservoir cap must be on.
I did originally try it with the cap off and hot antifreeze gushed out when the thermostat opened.

[@johnnymunguia1060]

Equinox Motors are f****** trash I got one and this is going to be my second time doing major engine work

[@rong...5837]

Amen. 2008 3.4l here. At first it was great but now after a new head gasket I'm back here watching this dammed video

[@thebunz7]

Seriously an engineering failure. Such a pain in the ass this car is

[@alastorclark3492]

This video is not how you are supposed to drain the radiator fluid. The spot to drain can be found at the bottom left side of the radiator and it will be a small spigot located between the IN radiator hose and the radiator itself. The spigot should have a turn handle facing horizontal (close) and you will just need to turn it vertical (open) by turning it to the right. All fluid should drain easily from this point directly into a pan. The spot shown in the video above is used for getting air out of the system during fill. You turn the screw at the top of the drain until coolant can easily leak out without completely removing the screw. Once you have this ready you fill the reservoir and allow it the coolant to leak out (you can use a tub as shown, but it is not required just messy) until you no longer see air coming out as well. This is really important! Air in the line will cause your equinox to overheat at idle. Thumbs down for the odd way of draining fluids

[@alastorclark3492]

Addition: I stopped watching the moment I saw the hose coming out of the bleeder I am pretty certain that the rest of the video is still an accurate way of doing things

[@wachagondoo]

Yes well the purpose of the video was not on how to drain the coolant but an efficient way of getting the air pockets out of a GM v6 when the head gaskets are failing and causing the engine to overheat at idle speed as well as restoring heated water to the heater core during this kind of condition. Obviously the proper thing would be to fix the head gaskets but this will make the car useable for a while longer while one is saving money for repairs or seeking a better vehicle.