Raising the tank and opening cold DOES NOT purge the air from the heater.

 

That's what I was trying to get at. I seem to get air stuck in the heater core giving that waterfall noise, but every time I open the bleeder it is full of fluid.

 

When I see gurgling heater core & full fluid at the bleeder it’s usually a partially clogged heater core.

 

Is a heater core flush a DIY thing?

 

The coolant is rushing through the core, it's not full, hence the sound, air.

THIS IS WHY YOU RAISE THE FRONT!

Look at your heater hoses, they point down, it's a high point, air doesnt like to float down and if your flow is restricted, the air stays there.

Air in your thermostat, the little holes clogged in your thermostat...

Hell, why dont you fill it with super flush and do that too while you're at it.

Get rid of the dexcool and add green coolant.

 

Don’t actually add green coolant btw

 

You have a bleeder on the coolant reservoir and near your thermostat. Which (or both) are you using?

It is always possible you have a heater core issue but the more likely scenario is air in your lines. Is your heat not working and your LR overheating like OP? If so, I would squeeze on all the hoses with the screws open and elevate the front end like others have recommended.

 

When my 02's heater core gave up the ghost I had a gurgle one morning, checked the coolant it was fine. Drove it and it didn't gurgle again. Then a week later in good old TX we went from 80F to 23F and I noticed I had zero heat. One hose was cold & one was hot! Removed the heater hoses back flushed it and when I first connected the garden hose I got absolutely nothing out. Then it popped like a zit and white crap that looked like snot blew out. I think when it gurgled on me = last squirt of coolant that passed thru before it clogged up 100%. After that the white concrete snot setup good lol.

Now if both the hoses are warm = indeed air in the system no doubt about it causing the gurgle.

 

I changed it so it says change out the dexcool...add green coolant.