How to replace a car radiator?

My radiator is full of holes and the water is literally pissing out of it, it's got ATLEAST two holes as I can see two jets of steam come from it when the engine is running - there is also a steady drip coming from somewhere else.

So I'm going to replace it, I saw cheap replacements on eBay for £45 including delivery but I'm just wondering if it's a job that is easy enough for a complete mechanical newbie like me.

I can change break pads and simple stuff like that, but that's about it.

Should I give it a go or would I be better off handing the car into a small private garage?

If I go the way of the garage, how much approx should I expect to pay, if they supply and fit the radiator.

Forgot to add, the car has air-conditioning, does this make a difference when fitting a new radiator?

Zafira 52 plate, 1.6 engine.

I'd guess ease of replacement depends on how much room you've got under the bonnet. Did one on a Ford Capri 2.0ltr once, but that had acres of room (that should really have been filled by a 3.0 V6!), and it was a piece of piss. A garage might give a good quote though, and potentially save you a lot of frustration and bleeding knuckles

Before I went running to replace the rad I would first try to seal it up instead, ie with radweld etc


Though to be honest I prefer Nova Stop, simply warm the engine up slighty and pour the product in your expansion tank and replace lid and run for 5 mins and then let cool...Job done

I have fixed several cars like this, girfriends etc and they are fine for years.....

Failing that then have a bash yourself at replacing it, apart from some jubilee clips on the hoses and some bolts on the front locking plate it should simply lift out, you might have to unbolt the fan housing off first to get it past the engine block but quite simply.

Just be very carefull replacing the new one in case you damage the fins, and don't forget to bleed the system properly so as to make sure there is no air locks


A local garage will charge you about £30 - £50 depending on the garage as it is only an hours work.


Hope that helps witchy mate

Twenty odd years ago, replacing a radiator with an exchange unit was a really simple job. I doubt if I would attempt it in a modern engine bay. I'd go down the radweld route at first, and then seek professional help if that didn't work.

nara said:

Twenty odd years ago, replacing a radiator with an exchange unit was a really simple job. I doubt if I would attempt it in a modern engine bay. I'd go down the radweld route at first, and then seek professional help if that didn't work.

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It's not changed since back then really. If you have enough room to do it yourself go ahead. If it's a pita get someone else to do it.

its no more difficult than changing brake pads mate, when you take old one of that will give you idea of what to exspect and doesnt matter if you damage it as it already knackered, if planning to keep car stear clear of rad weld etc

gegar said:

its no more difficult than changing brake pads mate, when you take old one of that will give you idea of what to exspect and doesnt matter if you damage it as it already knackered, if planning to keep car stear clear of rad weld etc

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I'd rather not have rad weld floating around in my modern engine either. Do the job properly.

gegar said:

its no more difficult than changing brake pads mate...

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agree - t'aint too difficult.

just put a new rad into an MG Rover yesterday and it was a pretty straightforward job - although the new rad was very slightly smaller than the old one so I had to do a bit of DIY on the brackets to get a perfect fit.

just make sure you've got everything you need for the job before you start - loads of coolant, spare hose clips etc.

I was gonna get my new rad from one of the eBay rad sellers but surprisingly I ended up getting it cheaper thru my local Halfords (although it took me ages to explain what a car radiator was to the spotty idiot teenager on their Parts desk before he'd get me a price!)

£39.99 and they said I had to bring the old broken radiator back into them for some reason - but I never bothered.

What you need to watch for is if there's an intercooler rad there as well, sometime these need to be shifted first which will mean a re gas oh and a heft fine if your caught releasing the contents into the air.

But it's easy enough to change a rad just make sure all the connections are tight when you have finished also bleed it correctly as an air block can be more trouble than the leaky rad.

Rad weld is ok for a quick fix but you will still need a new rad later on so why not just change it now rather than it burst open on you on christmas day when all the garages are shut

Thanks guys.

I've already used the Rad Weld stuff and it has been fine since October but I think the icy weather has expanded resulted in the tiny holes being re-opened.

I'll buy another bottle of that junk to get me over christmas then I'll attempt a replacement next week.

Did I miss what car it was? Older Mini rads a pain, the cowling always gave me problems with their counter sunk screws.
Do replace though. Temp jobs, radweld, egg whites, etc, always let you down at the wrong time almost certainly on the motorway. Expensive experience.

Best wishes from,

Gibson.

witchy2k1 said:

Thanks guys.

I've already used the Rad Weld stuff and it has been fine since October but I think the icy weather has expanded resulted in the tiny holes being re-opened.

I'll buy another bottle of that junk to get me over christmas then I'll attempt a replacement next week.

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Try Nova Stop Witchy, far better than rad weld !

iiiii depends wat kind of car it is some of them have stupid snap clips if u dont put on properly they blow off and of course bleeding them up

gibson said:

Did I miss what car it was?

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52 plate Vauxhall Zafira, 1.6 Ecotec Engine.

Does the radiator have anything to do with the air conditioning?

Nope but the two rads are more likley back to back.

Hey its pretty easy really. Just follow the instruction in the following guide and you cant go wrong. it includes photos and written instructions.

File name: ebook_-_radiator_replace.pdf File size: 1.24 MB

jennifercase82 said:

Hey its pretty easy really. Just follow the instruction in the following guide and you cant go wrong. it includes photos and written instructions.

File name: ebook_-_radiator_replace.pdf File size: 1.24 MB

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look at age of post 3 years ago

car might have been scrapped by now,look at the last date as was posted:FRIGHT: