WTH is this noise?
Jun 6, 2011, 06:43 AM
#16
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After reading on this thread that it was air bubbles trapped in the cooling system, I did the following:
1. With the car cold, I removed the radiator cap and wrapped a towel around the opening to catch overflow
2. Started the car and let it run for about 5 minutes
3. Shut it off and put the radiator cap back on
Almost immediately after I started the car I saw bubbles come to the surface. It wasn't a constant stream of bubbles, but maybe one every 10-20 seconds or so. After a while, I wasn't seeing any more bubbles so I figured most of them were gone.
I probably should have let the car cool down and then topped it off with distilled water, but I had to get somewhere so I just put the radiator cap back on with the car warm. I haven't noticed the sound again since that, but I did this yesterday morning so we'll see.
1. With the car cold, I removed the radiator cap and wrapped a towel around the opening to catch overflow
2. Started the car and let it run for about 5 minutes
3. Shut it off and put the radiator cap back on
Almost immediately after I started the car I saw bubbles come to the surface. It wasn't a constant stream of bubbles, but maybe one every 10-20 seconds or so. After a while, I wasn't seeing any more bubbles so I figured most of them were gone.
I probably should have let the car cool down and then topped it off with distilled water, but I had to get somewhere so I just put the radiator cap back on with the car warm. I haven't noticed the sound again since that, but I did this yesterday morning so we'll see.
Jun 7, 2011, 05:43 AM
#17
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Are you running open dump by any chance? A friend of mine was having this problem and come to find out his dump tube was heating up the radiator and causing air bubbles. It wasn't on an evo but I guess it could happen to any car.
Jun 8, 2011, 07:42 AM
#18
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I'm not sure if I understand from a physics standpoint how heating could introduce air bubbles, unless the liquid was getting so hot that it was boiling into a gas? I'd imagine that would indicate bigger problems than just having air bubbles sloshing around.
Jun 8, 2011, 01:54 PM
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some people in warmer climates have been known to run water with either little or no antifreeze since, well, they don't need to worry about freezes. works just fine assuming proper levels and other functions.
if you're down coolant... you should figure out why (especially if you find yourself low again)
Jun 9, 2011, 07:06 AM
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Interesting. I'm not the OP so I don't know if he had the same problem, but I'm feeling pretty confident that my coolant system just hadn't been bled properly and what I was hearing was a small amount of air in the system. I haven't heard the issue again since letting the bubbles out, definitely the easiest fix I've ever performed 
I always assumed that anti-freeze was also anti-boil, raising the boiling point as well as lowering the freezing point. Going low water-anti-freeze ratio seems dangerous, unless water alone has better heat transfer properties and allows the radiator to shed heat faster?
I always assumed that anti-freeze was also anti-boil, raising the boiling point as well as lowering the freezing point. Going low water-anti-freeze ratio seems dangerous, unless water alone has better heat transfer properties and allows the radiator to shed heat faster?
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