What's the proper way to bleed the cooling system?

 

There is a plastic bleed screw on the lower driver's side of the radiator. Open it and open the cap on the reservoir (let drain). Then, remove the hose on the lower passenger's side of the radiator (let drain). Then, remove the top of the same hose from the water pump. Remove the bleed valve bolt from the top of the engine (10mm) and use a screwdriver to carefully poke at the thermostat, releasing the coolant from the engine (the t-stat is a disk-like object in the H20 pump where you removed the top of the pass side hose). While you press on the t-stat plate, coolant will flow from the engine. Keep pressing until no more coolant flows. When re-filling (over and over) make sure to drive around with your heat slider all the way on heat. This will allow the new coolant to reach all parts/hoses. I think it takes the engine about 3 heat/cool cycles before all air is out, so please watch your coolant level after re-filling.

Good luck!

 

Good info - here's more:

<a href="http://www.tech-session.com/Paragon/Tech/944_coolant_flush.htm" target="_blank">944 Coolant Flush</a>

Good Luck!

 

Perhaps I misunderstood-did you want to drain the coolant or just bleed the cooling system to get the air out? On the early models the bleed is, at least on mine, a 12mm bolt on the passanger side at the rear of the upper radiator hose. There are two bolts, the rear one is the bleed. It helps to have the car on an incline or on stands, as Skip said.

 

Sorry, 944Maineiac is correct. The bleed is 12mm not 10, I got my wires crossed.