Radiator leak

[Russell]

My 15-year old 175,000+ km Honda StpWgn has got a small leak in its radiator, and I am wondering what to do. The Honda dealer warned me about this problem a couple of months ago, and added cooling fluid at the time. Today again I needed to add almost 1 liter, so I am loosing it at a steady pace. There is a 4 cm long crack in the plastic part at the top of the radiator, and I can see tiny amounts of fluid bubbling out when the engine runs.

I have got some quotes from my dealer and from Autobacs.

Dealer - repairing the radiator: 60,000 to 70,000 Yen total

Dealer - replacing the radiator: 100,000 Yen total

Super Autobacs - replacing radiator: 30,000 to 40,000 Yen total

Checking some Japanese forums, I get the impression the dealer is expensive, and Autobacs is a good deal. But how is their quality?

Anybody any experiences?

[Yokohammer]

I have no experience with replacing radiators at Autobacs, but judging from the information you provided I'd say it'd be well worth giving them a shot. It's a 15-year-old car with 175,000 km on the meter, so stuff is likely to fail. You might find that something more serious and costly happens soon after you get the radiator done, at which point it might be wiser just to buy a new car (or a newer second-hand car). Therefore, if Autobacs can do a decent job (and if they can't they'd already be out of business), then 30,000 ~ 40,000 makes a lot more sense than spending two or three times that amount on a car that's reaching the multiple-expensive-repairs-imminent stage of its life.

[/My two cents]

[Coligny]

I have no experience with replacing radiators at Autobacs, but judging from the information you provided I'd say it'd be well worth giving them a shot. It's a 15-year-old car with 175,000 km on the meter, so stuff is likely to fail. You might find that something more serious and costly happens soon after you get the radiator done, at which point it might be wiser just to buy a new car (or a newer second-hand car). Therefore, if Autobacs can do a decent job (and if they can't they'd already be out of business), then 30,000 ~ 40,000 makes a lot more sense than spending two or three times that amount on a car that's reaching the multiple-expensive-repairs-imminent stage of its life.

[/My two cents]

if you can see the leak and empty enough of the cooling circuit to have it stop dripping.

Use this:

b8f372e2-5a81-4845-a706-fe5781e7b983_300.jpg

If the application surface is upside down or at angle that allow it to drip, cut a hole bigger than the shape of the crack on an old plastic credit card, tape it from the side with ducktape, fill the hole/guide with jbweld. Seal everything with ducktape and give it time to harden, then remove the duck tape and plastic card.

That shit can fix engine block, it's not a leaky radiator that will scare it.

Also, I don't praise them often... but the Volkswagen/Audi G12 coolant is simply a marvel to protect your cooling system from corrosion and gunk. FULL flush only, no topping/mixing with another brand.

[Russell]

Thanks, Coligny, for making me aware of J-B Weld. I now plan to buy it, since I use epoxy a lot for repairs. It will come in very handy!

That said, I decided to go the route recommended by Hammer, since the opinions on the net seem to be mostly in favor for use on metal radiator parts, but less so for plastic, due to differences in expansion coefficients of plastic and J-B Weld. Also, some guys experienced that after fixing a crack with J-B Weld, a crack somewhere else would appear, due to the radiator being at the end of its lifetime. My radiator may be near its end as well.

I prefer to have the certainty of a new radiator, since I plan to make a few long trips the coming year. Also, the Missus is not too technically inclined, so I do not want to take any chances that she blows up my engine. She almost did a couple of months ago when the oil level was way too low, and she drove the car anyway, even though I explicitly warned her not to do so. Yeah, I know, I should have taken care of the oil before it ran out.

[Coligny]

Oh, is plastic... So in this case either plastic welder plus matching rod or strands of fiberglass dipped in a 2mm squirt of regular 90min epoxy (the strong but not brittle one)

[Harhar]

Yeah, I wouldn't try and plug a leak on a plastic radiator. I have see that go sideways too many times during track days with porks.

For 30-40k getting a new rad is a really good deal. Taking that coolant system apart yourself would probably be a pain in the ass. It would take me an hour and change to drop a radiator on any one of my cars, but I already know those cars really really well.

[matsuki]

Oh, is plastic... So in this case either plastic welder plus matching rod or strands of fiberglass dipped in a 2mm squirt of regular 90min epoxy (the strong but not brittle one)

I would have done this if you plan to sell it anytime soon....if you're keeping it, new rad is definitely a safe bet and if they fuck anything up, at least you can go back and complain. I could replace it myself but as harhar said, for that price, not worth the trouble/time.

[Russell]

Driving with the leaking radiator a couple of days back was quite funny, with the Missus having to refill the radiator side tank every 5 km. That car used more water than gasoline. LOL.

We finally got it to the Super Autobacs, and they agreed to repair it for 40,000 Yen. The price was in the upper limit of their quote, because the parts turned out to be more expensive than they initially expected. Shop is maybe a little too big, so communication between personnel is not optimal. But anyway, 40,000 Yen was quite acceptable to me.

Today, I got the car back, and they did a fine job. Already made some 50 km without any problems.

Signed: Russell, the proud owner of a new radiator (well, actually not really something to be proud of...)

And in the mean time I picked up some J-B Weld at Tokyu Hands. Cool stuff.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Driving with the leaking radiator a couple of days back was quite funny, with the Missus having to refill the radiator side tank every 5 km.

You're European....why not just have the missus push the car and you wouldn't have to worry about the radiator?

[Yokohammer]

Signed: Russell, the proud owner of a new radiator (well, actually not really something to be proud of...)

Glad to hear that turned out well, Russell.
Maybe it'll hold up for another 175,000 km.

[Russell]

Signed: Russell, the proud owner of a new radiator (well, actually not really something to be proud of...)

Glad to hear that turned out well, Russell.
Maybe it'll hold up for another 175,000 km.

I hope to get at least 75,000 km more on it. After that, mechanical wear might kick in. My father keeps saying to me that Honda is one of the big engine manufacturers, so the engine should be able to hold up at least that far.

I always wonder why Japanese buy a new car when the old one still is in reasonable condition. Hmm. Maybe they have different standards. I cannot deny that my car looks quite unappealing from the outside...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I always wonder why Japanese buy a new car when the old one still is in reasonable condition. Hmm. Maybe they have different standards...

Shaken...

[Russell]

I always wonder why Japanese buy a new car when the old one still is in reasonable condition. Hmm. Maybe they have different standards...

Shaken...

Yeah, but it has to go through Shaken every two years, whether it is old or not, the exemption being for new cars, which are Shaken-ed after the first three years.

Of course, maintenance costs rise on an older car, but they are still lower than buying a new car.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I always wonder why Japanese buy a new car when the old one still is in reasonable condition. Hmm. Maybe they have different standards...

Shaken...

Yeah, but it has to go through Shaken every two years, whether it is old or not, the exemption being for new cars, which are Shaken-ed after the first three years.

Of course, maintenance costs rise on an older car, but they are still lower than buying a new car.

You:re right, of course...and we shouldn't forget how we're constantly exhorted to spend and buy, regardless of whether we actually need to. I don't think that effect can be underestimated. I am an absolute sucker for it...

[Coligny]

seriously, at 10 years, a car is so far behind in passive and active safety tech that it's better to go for new...
Plateform are usually good for 10 years with minor enhancement every 2 years.
My 2006 Note don't even have ESP... That's a 2012 mandatory requirement for every new car sold in Europ.... up until now it was the level of ergonomical customisation that I did who pushed me to keep it... But the bad driving position is starting to really ruin my back and hips.

That's one of the major reason blocking me from buying an Alpine 310 in driveable condition. 1974 plateform, 1982 model year... no abs, no airbag, no power steering, no aircon... ok, beautifull enough to want to have seks with... but better load up on condoms...

ALSO, on normal countries, changing cars every years allow to limit depreciation losses...