If you pan the camera down front face the lip, you will see its a hard square edge. Thats the problem area.
The new design looks like a recessed pillow.
2008-2018 Radiator Failure and Public Service Announcement (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter jclarke450
- Start date
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If you pan the camera down front face the lip, you will see its a hard square edge. Thats the problem area.
The new design looks like a recessed pillow.
I have a 2013 with 170k. I have the infamous crack and need to replace the radiator. I’m not a great mechanic but this thread has been helpful to read and with videos online I think I can handle it.
Questions for those that are more knowledgable than me…
while I’m doing this, do I need other parts than just the radiator? Should I replace hoses, clamps, etc?
Is there anything else that might be easy access and that I should replace at the same time I’m doing this work?
Questions for those that are more knowledgable than me…
while I’m doing this, do I need other parts than just the radiator? Should I replace hoses, clamps, etc?
Is there anything else that might be easy access and that I should replace at the same time I’m doing this work?
Supposedly a good time to replace the water pump.
lostonaroad
SILVER Star
Do we think this small amount of what appears to be pink spray is the beginning of the end? 2016/95K
bloc
SILVER Star
Not necessarily. The crack doesn’t look developed enough to leak. I’d clean it up well and monitor things.
Do you see a crack anywhere?
Not seeing a crack in your photo. Could just be residual fluid from a previous top off?
bloc
SILVER Star
I think I see the very start of the crack along the drivers side end. Part of why I said it needed to be cleaned up to see what’s going on.
lostonaroad
SILVER Star
Cleaned up and monitoring, stay tuned!
my patch lasted years, until pretty much the entire radiator plastics succumbed to heat cycle exhasution.
Apologies if this has been covered but I'm doing this job this weekend.
I have a winch and no crash bar. I can see the passenger side lower bolt no problem. I can get to it with extensions and wobbles. Is that the only reason people leave that bracket in place?
Seems like there are only 4 bolts holding it in, and I can get to all of them.
2013, 99k
I have a winch and no crash bar. I can see the passenger side lower bolt no problem. I can get to it with extensions and wobbles. Is that the only reason people leave that bracket in place?
Seems like there are only 4 bolts holding it in, and I can get to all of them.
2013, 99k
bloc
SILVER Star
Correct. Certain models obscure that bolt really well.
You should film the job. The community could use a good radiator swap tutorial.
You can watch my radiator replacement video. It is ten seconds long and consists of me handing my credit card to the Lexus service department.
I think the ones since late 2016 (?) have been fine.
I completed the radiator replacement on my 2016 LC about a month ago with the assistance of a friend in lifting the old one out and dropping the new one in. It helps to have a person beneath the vehicle to move the fan shroud out of the way of the transmission cooler connections and the lower radiator hose connector, and to watch for interference with the fan blades. As the vehicle owner, I volunteered to be beneath the vehicle. My two cents worth of advice to add to the great information in this thread is this: do not rely on the yellow drain plug to completely drain the lower radiator tank--enough coolant will remain that when the radiator is tipped slightly it will spill out of the lower hose connection and likely fall on the volunteer. For the first time in my life I was stylish with a pink streak in my gray hair. Put a tapered plug in it or otherwise close it off. I did plug the transmission cooler connections.
