Radiator Problem

[Mz Integrra]

Today just isn't my day .... anything that could go wrong HAS gone wrong :mad:

I was stopped at traffic lights and noticed smoke seeping out from underneath my bonnet. I stopped on the side of the road, checked under the bonnet and noticed that my radiator has a leak in it :(

I drove it home - which was down the road - and kept checking the temperature gauge and all was fine.

Later on when I made an appointment with my mechanic, by the time I drove it to the bottom of my street, my temperature was sitting on the red line. So it's sitting in my garage, lifeless :(

Not happy, Jan.

My question is, has this happened to anyone else? And what sort of costs do you think I'll be looking at?

[davey]

i guess it depends on where its leaking, if its the radiator it self or maybe its a hose leak.

if its just a hose leak it will be around 30 bucks for just the hose,

if its the radiator, well when mine had a leak it cost me 120 for it to be reconditioned, filled up and installed.

[kraftycuts]

i had that happen to me just recently... cost me $50.00 to fix ... now my car smells funny at times so guessing fried head gasket which suks... oh well there goes $300

[ECU-MAN]

300 to fix the head gasket, wow thats cheap

I recon your radiator tank has cracked. also when you say lifeless, you mean it wont start anymore ???..

if you dint drive it long while its was hot you might just getaway with it.

best of luck

[Boost]

yeh happen to me Mz.
chancers are if its an old car... which im assuming it is.. the junction between the tank and core is gone... over time they will leak.. i bet its leaking from the top corners.. if you inspect ya hood... see where there are coolant leaking or spraying.. usually under high pressure it will spray coolant out and spray over ya mechanical parts... this will tell you which side of the tank is leaking. Usually there willl be coolant on the top tank and core join.. Best off not reconditioning it as this will not be a permament thing.. get it replace. ..I got mine for for $260 installed. A better one is a double core radiator.. cost more but will work better expecially if you track alot.. :D

[tegstar83]

crack an egg into it :D

[GSI-PSI]

wat type of integra do u hav cos it happened 2 my 94 gsi

[Mz Integrra]

Thanks for your response guys!

davey & ECU MAN ;- Yep, it's my actual radiator thats cracked. As boost mentioned, it's leaking from the top left hand corner. Luckily though, it hasn't started to spray coolant or anything all the over the place.....just lots of steam is leaking from the crack.

GSI-PSI ;- It's a '92 LS

Since I cannot drive it anywhere to get it fixed becuase of the severe over-heating (thats wat I mean by 'lifeless') I'm on the hunt for a mechanic to come to my place, take the radiator out and get it fixed.

[SECUR1TY]

new top tank will cost u around 100 bux.. shouldnt be a worry.. if its a pipe then go to a wrecker and get one for 20-30bux.. goodluck

[Boost]

the problem with replacing the top tank is crimping those pesty tabs back again.. its hard and fidly... THey are crimped by machines out of the factory... and doing it by hand will not give u a 100% gaurantee that it will not leak sometime in the near future.. But i mean it doesnt hert to experiment.. it might be an expensive one tho.

[r`Geno]

Good luck!

[FR33K]

thats happened to me twice
i know ur a girl and all (well so you say u are) but it only takes 10 mins to take the radiator out
then u can take it to the shop without driving the car :P

[Mz Integrra]

Be quiet you! You'll blow my cover! :p

Well if it only takes 10 minutes to take out, why don't you come and do it for me then hey?! Show me how much of a man you REALLY are! ;)

[Redteg]

Damn radiators...


I've changed the top tank, which cost around 200 bucks, changed the top hose, (cut an RB30DE top hose to size, cause no-one else had the right one), and a few months ago changed the entire radiator (around $400) because the bottom tank cracked.

It isn't a hard job, but is fiddly to get the fans out of the way without scratching stuff. I didn't do it myself cause I'm lazy, but I did hang around my radiator guy all morning to make sure he put the right bolts in the right places and didn't scratch anything.

In retrospect Anna, I should have changed the radiator from the start, the original one was pushing 13 years anyway.

Good luck with it!

[FR33K]

u can buy metal radiators on ebay (as opposed to our plastic ones)
theyre like 90 bucks US plus shipping

but you just have to hope that it comes.
and you have to wait about 2 weeks for it.

[FR33K]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7972893794&category=33602&sspagename=WDVW

[tracer]

I have had to replace the top tank on my DC2 cost me $180-, when i took it off the main large hose attatched to the top tank pretty much crumbled apart :confused: . The RADIATOR MAN said and I quote "This happens all the time" :D

So dont feel to bad about it ;)

[Boost]

hahaha... Anna your best off replacing it.. trust me.. reconditions may last a while before it dies again... new ones will last longer.... play it safe...

[Mz Integrra]

Thanx heaps everyone for your help, and opinions.
I'm getting it reconditioned for the time being as I may or may not have my car for too much longer anyways.

Now my latest question is: Ive started to take out the radiator myself (with the help of my brother) but I can't seem to get the fan disconnected from the actualy radiator. There's something keeping it from lifting out and I can't quite find what it is or where it's hiding.

Any ideas? And please dont say it might be a screw, coz they've all been taken out!

[GSI-PSI]

try the electrical plugs. The same happened 2 me lol :D

[Mz Integrra]

Nah it wasnt that either! I got it in the end though, just needed a bit more elbow grease to free it from the bottom of the radiator.

Thanks again.

[GSI-PSI]

i wouldav offered 2 help take it out but im in melb lol and was in syd on the weekend but just saw ya thread 2day

[Mz Integrra]

awww too bad :(
lol

[Boost]

Muhahahha.. Nice one Mizzz... A chick working on the car... thats the first... Did u wear gloves incase ya got ya hands dirty or chip a nail? hahahhaha

[Mz Integrra]

lol no, no gloves...couldn't find any!
A bit of grease under the fingernails never hurt anybody!