DAUA water-air intercooler bleeding?

[rajjinator]

On a crafter but believe same set up at T6's with DAUA engine so posting here for better visibility.

I have a suspected EGR cooler or water-to-air intercooler failure as i'm losing coolant slowly. I just had the intercooler off to vacuum test the coolant side of it to rule that out as the issue before ordering an EGR cooler (it seems OK), but my question - having refitted the water2air IC does the coolant need to be bled or will it self bleed when the electric pumps run?

Also does anyone know if vacuum is a reliable way to test these and the EGR coolers?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[rajjinator]

For anyone wondering the process is to use VCDS to bleed the low temperature cooling circuit. This should be done 3 times.

 

[Loz]

If you remove the flexi pipe from the output of the cooler that goes to the manifold, and then pressurise the cooling system, you can check if there is coolant in the outlet after some time.

 

[rajjinator]

If you remove the flexi pipe from the output of the cooler that goes to the manifold, and then pressurise the cooling system, you can check if there is coolant in the outlet after some time.

Good tip thanks. I have a pressure test kit on the way anyway for reasons above. I will try this in addition to the VCDS procedure as it's obviously difficult to tell if it's actually worked when you can't see any fluid flowing.

 

[DXX]

You could easily cut one of the coolant hoses and insert a T piece with a bleed point. Amazing that the highest point on the coolant system doesn’t already have an OEM bleed point.

 

[rajjinator]

You could easily cut one of the coolant hoses and insert a T piece with a bleed point. Amazing that the highest point on the coolant system doesn’t already have an OEM bleed point.

I was amazed too tbh. I had no idea how complicated the cooling circuit is on these engines with the high and low temperature zones, non-return valves and no less than THREE electric water pumps, till I came to try and bleed the air out. Insane really. What the hell was wrong with a FMIC?

 

[DXX]

I was amazed too tbh. I had no idea how complicated the cooling circuit is on these engines with the high and low temperature zones, non-return valves and no less than THREE electric water pumps, till I came to try and bleed the air out. Insane really. What the hell was wrong with a FMIC?

Yes imagine the electric pump failing for the EGR cooler, EGR cooler overheats, distorts, leaks and dumps the coolant into the engine.

 

[rajjinator]

Yes imagine the electric pump failing for the EGR cooler, EGR cooler overheats, distorts, leaks and dumps the coolant into the engine.

They seem to shit themselves every 5 miles of use without pump failures as far as I can tell