Heater Coolant Gaff

[Rumbledox]

I'm new here so hope this ends up in the right locale. I have a 2010 Ranger with issues but recently picked up a 2002 mazda b3000 and here's my head scratcher: Heater problem=blower motor is working fine, temperature gauge goes from cold to good heat in one sudden jump yet is still blowing cold, if I fiddle with the dials it sometimes kicks in and works properly but more and more it's blowing freezing and it's winter here...turns out my coolant reserve tank was empty and the rad, from what I could make out was too...put in some coolant started to burp the rad and it started burping wildly, belching and puking coolant out (of the rad) and onto the engine and ground (complete pig). Jumped online and the search AI said for sure it was my head gasket and to not drive it home. At -21 degrees and only 1 mile from home I drove it... was 4 am and I was frozen. Not being a fan of AI and not liking a one option answer I thought I'd jump on here and hope for some of your wisdom please! Oh, NO visible leaks, holy hoses or puddles on ground so far....thanks y'all!..

 

[Colin]

I'd try filling and bleeding the coolant again, starting with a cold engine. I like the spillfree funnels to help with bleeding

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

You can do the "glove test". Search for it on TRS.

 

[Curious Hound]

That burping may have just been because it was hot and unpressuruzed. Try filling again cold, as mentioned above. It will probably still burp some air out. I know that with my 3.0l, if I can get the truck pointed uphill, that sometimes helps get the air out.

If you get it filled and, wuth the radiator cap on, it keeps pushing bubbles to the iverflow tank, do the glove test mentioned to get a better idea of the head gasket condition.