Is this a new version or not?
2008-2018 Radiator Failure and Public Service Announcement (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter jclarke450
- Start date
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bloc
SILVER Star
Looks like the new part to me.
My wife was driving and the radiator failed on her 2014 lx 570. 180k miles. it damaged the engine. No coolant crack in top rectangle or coolant leaks on the garage floor. Water pump replaced at dealer at 150k miles. Oddly moments before the radiator failed these lights went on and she sent me this picture. I wouldn’t have guessed radiator failure with the temp at lows In hindsight I should have preventatively replaced the radiator at. 150k miles. My stupidity. I’m removing and throwing away the plastic shroud on all my cars. I used to visually inspect my cars at each fill up even for a few seconds. With the lx. It was a pain to remove the clips and cover for a quick inspection every week.
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Saw this on FB Hal, that quote to replace is wild
So the radatior catastrophically failed?
Sorry to be so late to the party!
OG radiator…
2013 LC
139k mileage
Many thanks to those that contributed here… I read the entire thread (88 pgs)
and feel informed enough to go ahead with DIY the rad replace along with other recommended items noted many times over (pulleys, belt, pump, tstat, clutch, etc). I am not sure there is anything to add, but would gladly contribute if anyone thought I could help. Parts should be here in the next few days and I will be doing this as time allows/ nice and slow….
Thanks again to those active on this forum and who have contributed to this thread! David
Merry Christmas
I had planned on preemptively replacing this after tax season once the weather warmed up a bit. This is an 08 with around 126k on it.
I had planned on preemptively replacing this after tax season once the weather warmed up a bit. This is an 08 with around 126k on it.
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gaijin
GOLD Star
That sucks...
Any warning leak/crack, or did it just blow out suddenly?
No warning, but I have been keeping an eye on it. I thought I smelled coolant when we pulled into the garage on Sunday.
As a preventative measure, would LB Weld bond with the plastic of the radiator and thus reduce the radius and hence reduce the stress risers and as a secondary effect also strengthen it?
Also, is this a problem for all J200, or was this eventually fixed from a certain year onwards?
Several on this thread have used JB weld or similar to help reinforce. Seems to me it would be really hard to verify how much it helps.
2018 is the consensus on when they fixed the design.
bloc
SILVER Star
As ROMR said many have used epoxy with good results, the key seems to be getting it before things actually start leaking. After that point the radiator patches don't seem to hold up for any real length of time. If you already have the new design it isn't necessary though.
The new design made it onto late 2018 builds, with it hitting the dealer parts network about six months after that. Part number didn't change.
Look back in this thread. As preventative measure, PROPERLY DONE JB Weld should significantly delay, or even prevent the leak. Once the crack is bad, or has started leaking, you're probably fighting a losing battle. To get the best results
- Thoroughly CLEAN and SCUFF the surface to improve adhesion. Rough sandpaper (60-120 grit). Don't overdo it!!! You just want to create a bunch of strong holds for the JB Weld to seep into and latch on, NOT compromise the radiator any more than it already is.
- If you really wanna toughen things up, use a plastic adhesion promoter. This stuff will greatly improve the adhesion of epoxies to plastic. It's most commonly used in autobody shops to paint plastic body panels, bumpers, etc. This prevents the ghetto flaking paint that you see on many amateur bumper touch-up paint jobs. It really works and will significantly improve the adhesion of epoxy to plastic!
- Work the JB Weld into every nook and cranny. Smear it around, making sure it has direct contact with as much surface as possible.
- Mix JB Weld thoroughly and consider applying it with an embedded fiberglass mat to improve lateral/shearing strength. This probably isn't necessary as the JB is damn strong on it's own, but IME it may help if a lot of pressure develops. Make sure the JB Weld is completely and thoroughly soaked into the fiberglass mat.
JB Weld is amazing IF (big IF) used properly. When applied properly to a CLEAN and SCUFFED surface, it can be extremely strong. It has even been used to patch engine blocks with good results. If applied sloppily to a dirty and/or smooth surface, you might as well be using Elmer's Glue. It's all about surface prep, and IME, this is often why you see mixed reviews of JB Weld....plain old operator error.
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FWIW, I've used CA Glue on a few radiators that showed early signs of cracking. It held until they were ready to be replaced. One was my own 2008
I like the tips, haven’t read the whole thread but are there any photo examples of what a good job-weld job looks like vs. A crap one?
I applied JB Weld in this way with a fiberglass mat and it has been great for 40k miles. Zero evidence crack has expanded and zero leaks. Crossed over 150k miles and starting to put together my list of parts to replace while also replacing radiator. But that will be another post.
An epoxy (I don’t remember which one), bought me a couple years. Eventually the radiator started to fail at multiple other points. The plastic was starting to crumble anywhere it got hot.
$400 for a new radiator (or call it $600 with hoses, etc.) is pretty cheap peace of mind.
That said, if I had to make an emergency trip the JB + mat (would fiberglass cloth be as good, or better???) would go on mine in a heartbeat.
That said, if I had to make an emergency trip the JB + mat (would fiberglass cloth be as good, or better???) would go on mine in a heartbeat.
