Have a 96 Sunfire 2.2L. Just installed new water pump and need some help with bleeding the cooling system. I took the bleeder screw off filled the coolant thru the overflow and waited until coolant flowed from the bleeder screw. This was after I let the engine idle for about 10 mins with heater running. I then drove my car and after about 1 mile temp guage approached just below the orange zone, the guage NEVER got into the orange zone. Is my engine toast??? Why would the car run hot?? Do you bleed cooling system with car on or off? I did have the bleed screw open with car running, I hope that I did not hurt my car Any advice in advance is appreciated.

These car's have WEIRD cooling system's. Your talking about the Bleeder screw ontop of the therm. housing, Correct?

Last two time's i've flushed my system, I didnt even use it.

I just undone the top hose, filled it as much as i could, Then filled the Res, let it Idle and fill as ness.

180deg. stat, stay's just under the half way mark.

There are 2 bleeders, 1 at the 'old' thermo housing, & 1 on the heater return tube along the exhaust manifold. Close return bleeder, fill system with thermo housing bleeder open. When fluid comes out thermo, close it, idle engine for 5 minutes. Shut off engine, 'burp' return bleeder of trapped air. Repeat until no air comes out. Lightly rev engine a few times when air is about gone, to, in order to clear out small air pockets. Adjust overflow tank to fill at hot.

Actually this is nothing to worry about ... the coolant cant get into the motor till the thermostat opens in these designed systems (after 95) so it has to get really hot in there and then the coolant will rush in once the temp goes really high. Didnt you notice that the coolant level shot way down once the temp dropped back to normal ... fill it up and you are done.