The air bleed housing assembly is located near the rear of your car’s engine. It is part of the cooling system, and consists of a small housing that has an attached bleeder valve. It only comes into play after your coolant has been changed – it allows air to leave the system, and prevents the engine from overheating. Coolant is, of course, vital to your car’s operation, and not just in the summer months. In winter, if you were to just run water in your car’s cooling system, it could expand and freeze solid, resulting in serious engine damage. If there is air in the lines, regardless of the time of year, the engine could overheat, and again, there could be extensive damage.
Your air bleed housing assembly is not always working. As we’ve said, it only does its job when your coolant is changed. That said, though, it is always present in your vehicle, and that means that like many other vehicle parts, it is vulnerable to corrosion – even more so than parts that are used all the time. Once it corrodes, it will stop working. Usually, you can expect to get about five years out of your air bleed housing assembly before it needs to be replaced.
Signs that your air bleed housing assembly needs to be replaced include:
- Housing leaks coolant
- Bleeder valve does not open
A damaged air bleed housing will not affect the operation of your vehicle – until you change your coolant. You should have the housing checked any time that you bring your car in for a coolant change, and if damaged, have an expert mechanic replace your air bleed housing assembly.
