UnknownTX

im only posting this as the search feature is bugging out on me and wont return any results for anything i put in.

its a 1990 N/a

my heater hose on the drivers side burst, so i had at first just cut the burst part off and reattached it. it was doing fine but i did a shotty job cutting it and so it leaked under WOT (not severely).
The Add Coolant light started randomly going off and on for random periods of time during the past week going off more and more often to the point of it turns on and off every time i drive the car, the only common factor being if my car was driving it might go off, if i was sitting still, it wouldn't.
so i bought a new hose from mazdatrix and replaced it. but now the check engine light is on and the add coolant light still randomly goes on and off for random periods of time.

I do not think its the thermo sensor thats right above the tube as my gauge is still functioning and its not disconnected or damaged (as far as i can tell).
i probably didnt bleed the coolant correctly(how do i bleed it correctly?), but i dont know why the engine light would be on.
is it possible the Water Level Sensor has gone bad?

also is there something supposed to be attached the small piece of metal in the center of this photo? i mean, there is something on one side, why not the other? could this be one of the problems?


i know its a lot to ask, but since the search funtion is not working for me (dont know why) could someone help me out and tell me what the possible problem(s?) could be and the possible solutions.

please and thank you.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

Bleed air out of the cooling system. The screw on the top/side of the radiator is there for this purpose. Remove the fill cap and loosen this screw. Some coolant will drip out, so put a rag under it. Add coolant until the level stops dropping and no more bubbles come up. If it still doesn't go away, you can do the same thing with the engine running (COLD ONLY!) and the heater on.

Pull codes to see why the light is coming on: http://www.johnr.com/cpucodes.html

The thing in your picture is the clutch slave cylinder, and the "metal piece" is the bleeder for it. It's not supposed to have anything attached since it's just used to bleed the system when air has entered (such as after replacing part of it).

UnknownTX

"11 - Intake Air Thermosensor (Engine) - Intake air fixed at 68F"
Guess I did hit it or something.

Also, on the bleed screw where exactly is it? All I see on the radiator is the mount screws on the left and right. The screw holding the air intake to it. And the water level sensor.

satch

iTrader: (1)

Is your radiator the factory unit or not?

UnknownTX

it appears to be.

satch

iTrader: (1)

Should be where the arrow is pointed. The screw is black like the radiator and made of plastic. The screw appears to be for a Phillips head but you'll likely strip the thread massively unless you use a regular head screwdriver. Just find the largest regular head screwdriver that will fit in the slot and it should come right out. Did on mine.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

The IAT sensor is right where you would have been working on the heater hose, so it makes sense that you're now getting trouble from it. It's a small sensor screwed into the upper intake manifold (UIM), and it has a small, 2-wire, rectangular plug. It will be near the vacuum hardlines bolted to the manifold in your picture.

UnknownTX

i feel like an idiot for not being able to find it.



is it not there? or am i crazy and its right in plain sight im just looking right past it.
or am i somehow looking in the wrong area all together.


and on the IAT Sensor i pulled the wire out last time i was fiddling with the hose down there but i replaced the connector and it worked fine until i changed the hoses.
i pulled off the connecter and checked it and it appears to be intact, with the wires fully in it and what not.
is it possible i broke it or something? it looks like it might not be in all the way for some reason.
should i attempt to tighten it in? how would i go about doing this, as all my wrenches wont reach down into there.

satch

iTrader: (1)

The S4 has the bleed screw but in looking at the S5 manual the S5 does not have it. So you will have to rely on the fill cap to remove any air bubbles.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

I could have sworn S5s had one too. The aftermarket replacement radiators do at least. Then again, S5s have a number of changes that make no sense (ie no variable resistor).

With no bleed screw, I'd use the method I mentioned above: remove the cap and start the engine (again..when COLD ONLY). Turn on the heater to open the valves into the heater core, and hopefully the recirculation will force any bubbles out through the filler neck.

For the IAT sensor, don't screw it in too far. It doesn't need it. If the sensor is giving an error, I would blame the plug/wiring. Since a wire was pulled out, you probably have a loose connection on one side now. You'll need to fix it, or replace the plug with a couple spade connectors.