Odd noise after ignition

[Chriz]

Hi guys. Not sure if this is the right part on these boards to post this, but when starting my 2003 Corolla sedan, lately there's been a noise coming from what sounds like in front of the dash and the centre console controls, while the engine is idling. It's probably coming from either behind the engine or maybe the air conditioning, but it sounds like liquid moving through pipes, or ice melting and making a noise while shifting (although it isn't ice). Is this a normal noise and perhaps some lubricant or coolant moving as the car starts up and pressure levels of whatever it is change?

[CHA54]

air in the heater core/cooling system.

Needs to be burped.

[Rainman]

air in the heater core/cooling system.

Needs to be burped.

Yeap, I had this too.

Turn the temp on hot and you can hear it.

After a while you'll notice that your radiator fan is always on, and then your temp reading will sky-rocket, but your actual engine temp is cold (when you touch it).

Rectify the problem quickly.

Lucky of me it was the day I was bringing it to get servced.

And yes they just "burped" the car. No harm done to the engine and cooling system.

Edited August 28, 2007 by Rainman

[steinny72]

please define what you mean by 'burped'???

[Rainman]

please define what you mean by 'burped'???

There's an air pocket in the heating/cooling system.

You have to get rid of the air pocket.

Not too sure about the process. So some one correct me if i'm wrong.

But the way I understood it was wait till the engine temp is cold so you can open the radiator cap.

Start the car with this opened and turn on the heater full and wait a while. Look at the opening of the radiator cap and see if there's any more bubbles coming up.

Once again please correct me if i'm wrong. The service guy was taking a bit too fast and I was in a hurry when he was explaining it to me.

[CHA54]

much easier if you jack the front of the car up to get the air out.

I use a funnel with an adaptor jammed in the radiator filler to get the fluid level just higher than the raidator. Start the car and turn the heater to hot, then squeeze the radiator hoses to force the air out of the system.

A chopped off 2L softdrink bottle also works as a funnel, cut a hole in the cap and wrap the outside of the cap in electrical tape so it's a tight fit in the radiator filler. Also clamp the hose that runs to the overflow bottle otherwise you'll just end up with an over-full overflow bottle.

[MR22ZZ]

I found a 2L milk bottle to work better as the mouth of the bottle and that of the radiator filler are about the same.

But yeah, jack the car up to the radiator filler is the highest point of the cooling system.

Does the heater have a bleed line?

I never did this with the Sportivo, but the MR2 has 3 bleed points because they are a PITA to get all the air out of without using them.

[CHA54]

no bleed on the heater of FWD rolla's, MR2's are the gayest cars ever when it comes to bleeding the cooling system.