How did I mess up a coolant flush?

[90DA9]

Ok it's first snowfall here in Canada so I thought I'd flush the coolant on my DA9. I drain the coolant, fill with distilled water, run the engine until the fan kicks in, and drain. It worked; coolant came out blue, it had mixed. After a few times the water ran clear, so I filled it up with the new stuff, which was red. This time when I loosened the drain, cold fluid trickled out which was still dark red so I didn't drain. I felt the lower rad hose, it was cold as well so I thought it was just a stuck thermostat. When I pulled off the hose from the thermo housing to just have a look, a small ammount of hot, light red coolant spilled out, meaning coolant had made it past the thermostat, but somehow not down the rest of the hose.

I put the hose back on and decided to just finish the job(or try to). My car ran for a half hour with the rad cap off and the coolant level did not drop once, so I threw the cap back on. I opened the bleed screw but no air or coolant came out unless I squeezed on the upper hose(which was hot and had been the entire time), meaning there is a butt load of air in my engine. I would assume, that ammount of air would surely cause the engine to overheat but the whole time my temp needle was exactly where it always was; just touching the squiggley water line on the gauge. It wasnt smart to do but I drove around the block and opened the rad cap... no pressure, but coolant was right at the top, and overflow was max too.

Is there something wrong with my car, or did I just somehow screw up general maintenance?

 

[kidcrash603]

sounds like either the thermostat is stuck or you siezed the impeller in the water pump. Antifreeze has a lubricant in it which keeps the water pump internals lubed. running the distilled water through there might have been the final straw on an already tired pump...

just guessing.

 

[90DA9]

sounds like either the thermostat is stuck or you siezed the impeller in the water pump. Antifreeze has a lubricant in it which keeps the water pump internals lubed. running the distilled water through there might have been the final straw on an already tired pump...

just guessing.

I took it for a rip around the block and the temperature didnt get any hotter so I dont think the pump is gone.

 

[Prozon]

What kind of temperatures are you running it in? If your top radiator hose is hot but the bottom is cold.. I would say it's not circulating, which would be the water pump.

 

[90DA9]

I had it sit for a half hour running, and the coolant seemed to mix because it came out light red rather than dark red. It also didnt overheat at all during that so it shouldnt be the water pump.

 

[Prozon]

Crack the bleed screw and let it run until water comes out. Maybe you didn't have it out enough?

 

[90DA9]

i redid everything and drained the block but still having the same problem. i said screw it though; its got 480,000k. drove to work 10 mins on highway today and it warmed up slow like usual (Temp. -10C/14F), and water temp stayed right where it always is. should be fine for the winter. ill get honda/acura to pressure flush it for me in spring.