Bleeding Nissan Cooling System

[ConfederateTyrant]

I'm new to the idea of bleeding a cooling system as mine does not contain bleed screws, but this is for my wife's 04 Nissan Sentra. Just need some verification on the process.

This is from the owner's manual's DIY maintenance section.

From what I can tell, I drain the radiator (that's step 1), wash the radiator thoroughly, then refill with distilled water.
I plan to do a modified flush, such as disconnection the upper radiator hose and guide it off into a large catchpan, and run the engine while constantly adding in distilled water to the radiator until it is water coming out the hose.
After that, reattach the hose, add the anti-freeze and distilled water (if anymore is needed) when the engine is cooled, then run the engine till warm and I open the bleed screws until the flow of coolant is constant with no bubbling (correct me if I'm wrong please), and then close it.
Let it cool, top off, open the bleed screw again until the flow is constant with no bubbling (again, correct me if I'm wrong please), and top off one more time.

Is there anything I'm missing? How will I know that all of the air is bled out of the system? In the picture, is the left picture the block-drain and the right is the bleed screw?

 

[Al]

I think these are drain plugs. Personally I have never seen the need to "bleed" an engine even if it had bleed screws. Amd instead of putting in regular water to flush, I woujld just drain and then fill with a 30% antifreeze solution run it a few days or longer and then just repeat.

When you run it the first time only take it a few miles, let it sit and then check the coolant at the radiator. You usually need to do this a couple of times. But after the first time you can go longer.

I just don't like the idea of adding anything other than distilled water.

Also if you remove a hose (even just at one end), you need to replace it with new, believe me.

 

[m2200b]

Put the nose of the Nissan slightly uphill
when you have the cap off (or are bleeding it) and are heating it up. This keep air from being trapped in the heater core. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[ConfederateTyrant]

I had a problem when I replaced my lower hose on my car, I got an air pocket in there, so a friend of mine brought over his pressure checker and we pressurized the system, which forced all the fluid down and put the air on top ready to "burp" out when we removed the pressure cap.

How would I know when all of the air is out of the system?

I always leave the radiator cap off while refilling and idling the engine till it is warm and then squeezing the upper and lower hoses to "burp" any air through the system and out the rservoir/radiator cap.

Is there any harm in not bleeding via the bleed screws?

 

[oilboy123]

I think it tends to be the easiest to utilize the bleed screws. That is normally why they put them on.

Just keep an eye on the overflow tank, or flow thru type whatever you have. I would check it for a few days to make sure it stays at the same line on the bottle.