Radiator leak

[Farang]

94 Mazda B4000 113k miles

I get some green spots (coolant) on the radiator on the driver's side. They are below a hose but underneath the hose looks dry so I'm thinking it comes from along the seal of the radiator somewhere in the middle.

I've driven it about 1000 miles before noticing, and the coolant is only now just below the fill line in the resevoir. Since radiator repairs can be very expensive, what are the implications if I let this problem stick around for a while?

I don't see any saltlike deposits that make it obvious where the leak is coming from. The temperature gauge never goes past 1/4 of the way, and from what I can sense the engine does not overheat after driving for an hour or more.

 

[njmodi]

Might be a crack - will only get worse over time. If the casing itself is cracked, then it's time for a new radiator... they aren't that expensive and are actually quite straightforward to replace.

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: njmodi
Might be a crack - will only get worse over time. If the casing itself is cracked, then it's time for a new radiator... they aren't that expensive and are actually quite straightforward to replace.

I've already got a DPFE sensor on my list of things to do and am very short on cash so I'm trying to prioritize. One thing I read is that a leaky radiator can bring in air bubbles to the head and cause problems, so I'm wondering if I can put this off for a bit and just keep an eye on the coolant levels until I have the means to fix it. Or if it is one of those things I need to fix immediately.

 

[Vetterin]

Put some radiator stop leak in the system but make sure you follow the directions as far as driving the vehicle a minimum of 15 minutes after putting it in. Bar's has a good product.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: Vetterin
Put some radiator stop leak in the system but make sure you follow the directions as far as driving the vehicle a minimum of 15 minutes after putting it in. Bar's has a good product.

DO NOT DO THIS.

While it should stop the radiator from leaking the particles used in the leak stop can clog water passages within the motor.

If your radiator is leaking replace it or take it to a radiator shop and have it repaired.

 

[Farang]

I will replace it.. after checking out the manual it seems rather simple. $160

 

[Bignate603]

If it has plastic tanks on the ends of the radiator it is very common to have them start to leak at the seams when they get old. $160 isn't bad for a radiator though if its OEM or a decent brand.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Been driving around for 2 years with a slow leak in my radiator's seam. Just always have something better to blow money on.

 

[SuperSix]

DO NOT USE STOP LEAK. If you want to really cheap out, on a repair that might not work- you can try JBWeld on the tank seal area - make sure you clean the area very well. But $160.00 is a HELL of a lot cheaper than a blown engine, and the leak is only going to get worse.

Make sure you capture as much of the coolant as you can, rinse the hell out of what does fall on the ground, and dispose of the old coolant properly. If ou are located in the south, you don't need a 50/50 mix of antifreeze, maybe 1/2 gal in the whole system. I always use Red Line Water Wetter, ot's cheap and helps keep temps low.

 

[Farang]

After removing the upper radiator hose there is a lot of rust residue in there. Is this normal or should I replace the hose? The coolant I flushed out had a few flakes but not a ton of debris, but the rust inside the hose is a bit flaky so it seems as if I need a new one. Is this normal for a radiator hose?

 

[njmodi]

Radiator hose is rubber - so the hose is not what is rusting... rust is coming from elsewhere in the cooling system path...but yes - if I was changing the radiator out, I would change both hoses and thermostat (unless they were all recently replaced) as preventative maintenance.

 

[Gillbot]

for a short term fix, you can use pepper but this is NOT recommended as it can cause damage like the stop leak.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Farang
After removing the upper radiator hose there is a lot of rust residue in there. Is this normal or should I replace the hose? The coolant I flushed out had a few flakes but not a ton of debris, but the rust inside the hose is a bit flaky so it seems as if I need a new one. Is this normal for a radiator hose?

You should replace the radiator and flush the cooling passages.

What engine do you have? There is a V6 radiator on Ebay for $63.

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Farang
After removing the upper radiator hose there is a lot of rust residue in there. Is this normal or should I replace the hose? The coolant I flushed out had a few flakes but not a ton of debris, but the rust inside the hose is a bit flaky so it seems as if I need a new one. Is this normal for a radiator hose?

You should replace the radiator and flush the cooling passages.

What engine do you have? There is a V6 radiator on Ebay for $63.

I did that but I'm in bigger trouble now that I can't get the oil cooler / tranny cooler lines to screw in all the way and I'm afraid I stripped the threads (haven't removed them yet because I got tired of only having an adjustable wrench). I'm going to have a mechanic look at it and see if they can connect those lines for me and save my new radiator.

I swear they were manufactured wrong though I tried a million different times to get those goddamn things to screw in and at about halfway they start giving me trouble.

 

[iamwiz82]

Check for debris on the threads.

And don't use an adjustable wrench! You're going to strip them because it's not a good fit.

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Check for debris on the threads.

And don't use an adjustable wrench! You're going to strip them because it's not a good fit.

I have a basic wrench set that I thought could handle the job but the biggest one is just barely too small so I had to use the adjustable. I should say that before I go to a mechanic I'm going to buy a proper wrench and take off the lines, the adjustable I was using was very small so it is likely I didn't even have the leverage to damage the threads.