How much does it cost to get your radiator repaired?

[bleedingheart]

approximately of course....

supposedly I have a leak in the radiator or an overflow tank..

[catmandu57]

1. Depends on where you live and

how much of a leak you have. I'd go to my local discount or auto parts store and try a stop leak remedy first. Alumaseal is very good and I've used it with great results, three bucks to stop a leak compared with a couple of hundred to remove, and repair is a much better way to go.

[MadHound]

14. NOOOOoooooo! Don't do it!

Never ever use that Alumaseal crap. I've worked in radiator repair, and while that shit may work for awhile, eventually it will clog up your radiator and it will be shot for good, ie you will need a new radiator.

Best bet is to take it in and have it tested. Depending on where you live and how severe the damage is, it could be between fifty and one hundred fifty to repair. Do you have one of those aluminum radiators with the plastic tanks, or the old style radiator with the copper tanks? Aluminum with plastic tanks will add about twenty five percent to your bill.

While you've got your radiator in the shop, get it rodded out. A good cleaning to remove mineral deposits will add years to the life of your radiator and car.

If you want to save a little money and are mechanically apt, you can remove the radiator yourself and take it in. Generally it requires removing two hoses, the fan mechanism, two-four bolts, and two or four rubber bumpers that your radiator rests on.

Get your radiator repaired, and never dump that Alumaseal crap in your tank, it will ruin your radiator and could damage your car.

[hlthe2b]

2. 'Been a while, but I replaced one with a refurbished one

and think it was around $350? A lot less (at least $1200 less)than replacing the engine would have been if it had seriously overheated, which is what one jerk was saying I needed. I had to pay to have it towed 100 miles just to get away from that kind of jackass ripoff.

So, best take care of your radiator!

[judge_smales]

3. Also depends on what kind of car you have

and how old it is. The standard way to fix a radiator leak is to solder it but many of the newer ones have lots of plastic components which can'
t be soldered. In that case it's Alumaseal or a replacement if that fails.

[Bluzmann57]

4. It's fairly easy to tell if there's a leak in the radiator

just look for anti-freeze on the ground under the radiator. I just had one replaced with a rebuilt and it was about $320. One more way to tell, do you have heat? It would be better to get it replaced now if you need to.

[wysimdnwyg]

5. Well, about 10 years ago...

I replaced the one in my car ('73 Cutlass) myself for about $150. Given the appropriate increase for inflation and a newer car, and for labor if you have someone else do it, I'd say you're looking at $500.

If it's the overfolw tank, though, you'll get off for less than $100.

[bleedingheart]

6. More info...

The car is a 95 Ford Escort and its about 8 years old...

[catmandu57]

10. So what is it doing?

Where is the leak? How much do you lose and in what ammount of time. If you want to find out the location get a big piece of cardboard and slide it under your front end after you shut down, then follow the liquid back to the source.
If it is your resevoir, it's not that big of a deal, anyone with the least ammount of mechanical knowldege can still change those out in minutes. Depending on how much junk is in the way. You could pick one up at a salvage yard for next to nothing.
Radiators are a bit more complicated, but if it's just a small leak, then try the sealant, just follow the instructions, and if you've never done it before don't try to yank the cap off of a hot pressurized radiator.
If you want to use a sealant it's best to remove the cap before you do anything, then start the car and let it warm to operating temp, you'll be able to see the antifreeze circulating, when it does that's the time to dump in your sealant and put the cap back on.

[happyslug]

7. Depends on make and model of the car

I had my replaced for $150 last year (It is my third Radiator).
Here is the JC Whitney Catelog for Radiators (Please note Installation will be extra):

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=6751&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&storeId=10101

[happyslug]

8. Look like $179.99 plus installation

I would guess installationw will take about 2 hours (Depends on the car), so you are looking at about $250.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. Exactly..it should be in this vicinity no matter the car model

anymore than that and you are likely being ripped off.

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. Don't spend a nickel until it is "pressure-tested"

.
.

It's a pump you put where the rad cap goes
- and usually pressurize it up to around 13 pounds

Heck, I've seen people get something replaced, only to find it was something silly like a loose hose clamp,

or worse,

and INTERNAL engine leak, slow and hard to diagnose

wait until you SEE the leak, then fix it,

oh - hint re INTERNAl engine leak, if you get a white mucky stuff on the oil cap filler or dipstick, it indicates and INTERNAL leak.

well, did I help, or just confuse :shrug:

[bleedingheart]

12. not confused...I will investigate it later today...

[midnight armadillo]

13. On my old toyota

90 Camry, cost $250 a few years ago. The old radiator had started to crumble to bits internally!

Barr's Leaks is a good product to stop minor leaks as well.

[geniph]

15. If you're leaking antifreeze,

be aware that stuff is deadly poison to neighborhood animals, and it tastes attractive to them. Sprinkle some sand over the spill daily, or hose it away. I lost two cats to antifreeze poisoning some years back, and it's not a nice death. It basically destroys kidney function, and if not caught within 24 hours, the damage is irreversible. Best bet is to put something there to catch the drips (newspaper or something), but at least ameliorate the spill regularly and try to keep neighborhood pets away from it.

[Bamboo]

16. Heater Core - Repeated Failure

Looked up service bulletin for 95 Escort at http://www.alldata.com/TSB/19/95191578.html Do you notice sweet smell in car or film on inside windows,that would indicate heater leaking.Look at http://www.radiatorexpress.com for prices.I am thankful to the mechanics who forced me to learn car repair,I have recently replaced fuel injectors,alternator,brake rotors and am still alive.Avoid those that use scare tactics and British intelligence sources to force hasty action leading to excessive costs.