Pontiac Repair: 2003 Cavalier coolant

Question
QUESTION: Hi Todd-

Have a 2003 Chevy Cavalier with the 2.2 ecotech/auto trans.

I have heard that the Sunfire is pretty much the same car so I hope you can help me.

Replaced the upper, lower (3 hoses hooked together!!), and "pipe to reservoir" hoses and the coolant.

Filled it back up, ran the car alternating between higher RPMs and idling until the temp gauge moved to the middle. Had the heat on "hot" while doing this.

Problem is that only the upper radiator hose and heater hoses are getting hot. Larger and smaller lower radiator hoses and the pipe to reservoir are still cold. Is this normal until the car gets driven for awhile or is it air locked in the lower radiator hose? Next step if it is air locked?

Josh

ANSWER: Hi Josh.
that engine is really hard to get the air out of. there is a bleeder plug on the metal host that goes across the front of the engine you can crack that open with the ebgine running it should expel the air. keep running it like you were and it should "Burp" the air out just don't let it opver heat in the process if it get real hot let it cool down and start over again.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Todd-

Thanks for the quick reply.

Could you be a little more descriptive about the bleeder plug on the metal host across the front of the engine? Sorry, but I don't know what a metal host is.

I undid the lower radiator hose where it goes into the engine and had fluid there (what a mess!!) and the nipple on top of the engine that goes back to the reservoir by the upper radiator hose has fluid there. Is the bleeder plug the 27mm nut that is right by the power steering reservoir? I don't see anything else like a bleeder plug on the front/top of the engine.

After undoing the lower radiator hose and putting it back together, ran the car until the fan kicked in, still the lower radiator hoses are not getting warm. The temp gauge goes to just under 195 but not higher.

Thanks again,
Josh

Answer
sorry typo/fat fingers and wasn't thinking fully. depending on the version of the 2.2 there is a metal pipe that runs across the front of the engine and the bleeder is in that pipe if it's the other version there is a bleeder on the water out let on the back of the cylinder head where the radiator hose goes on. the sunfire and the cavalier are not exactly the same but very very close. do you have heat in the car?