Radiator steam/overheating help *Pictures

sorry, I guess posting pics inst possible.

this is a clearer pic (all I had was my cell on me)

She has a 1998 Concorde LXI 3.2l

First picture

Ummm - your rardiator has a huge hole in it (plastic end cap). Time for a new radiator.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Well I know that :) thats why I took a pic of it.

The radiator is only about 1.5 years old, any reason why it would do this?

Hey, it happens. Although I've not seem something like this before.

A lot of radiator shops will 'recrimp' your plastic ends onto a new core, so that right there should tell you how durable the tanks usually are.

Could it have been hit?

Maybe I missed it, but what kind of vehicle is this including year

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

Glenn - his second post said a '98 Concorde LXi 3.2.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

I dont think it was hit although I could be wrong.

Are the tanks replaceable? Ide rather not put another $300 radiator in this car when I plan on buying a new one soon

none the less its like 5,000 degrees here in Houston :)

One more question,

Is this not just a part I can repair, flush the coolant system then refil it? The plastic part seems to vent out of the radiator crossbar so it seems like this hole is just another vent for a part meant to be a vent. I think she might have had low coolant levels making more hot air/steam vent out melting the plastic peice.

am I correct here?

Say what!!??

Melt - no. (1) Fracture from pressure and heat, or (2) A weak part to begine with, or (3) A combination of (1) and (2) are the possibilities.

You said this was a replacement radiator. Perhaps it is cheap - the plastic end tanks may be of inferior materials and/or ultra thin (think: Chinese).

Also consider that, since apparently 2 radiators have failed in this car, something is causing/allowing this engine to overheat/overpressure, either gradually or in spikes. Correct pressure cap?

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

So I guess I was wrong....

The first radiator died after about or 8 years of service, this one seems to be junk now...shit.....

Off to buy a new car manana then I guess.

So this plastic POS isnt replacable? I have to replace the whole radiator?

Without checking some radiator shops, I'm not sure the end cap is replaceable - it might be. But these days, even if you find some one to do it and that has a source of the parts, you don't save that much by repairing radiators.

You've got the big chunk of the repair bill of R&R'ing the radiator in either case, and the difference will be the cost of new vs. labor and parts for the repairs - that could be a wash. And when you finish with the repaired one, you've still got a used radaitor that is either inferior quality or was overstressed in its previous life. You have to ask: Is the *other* end cap weakened? Better replace it too. It's generally better to replace the whole thing (which is why it's gegnerally hard to find shops around that will still do the refurb work.

If it was me, I'd replace the radiator (with one with a lifetime warranty) and thermostst and then have the rest of the cooling system (fan operation, pressure bottle and cap, pump, hoses, other possible sources of leaks) thoroughly checked out.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

ALSO - how many miles on it, and have you ever replaced the timing belt and water pump? If not and it has over 105k miles on it, you're running on borrowed time. That absolutely needs to be done on schedule. And that would take care of wondering if the water pump is bad in your post repair assessment of the cooling system.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Thats the reason I think im NOT goign to fix it, Im graduating from college in 3 months and will be buying a new car then. This car has

160,000 miles on it and has been a hellova car to us with few major problems. I replaced the radiator at about 130k I think. Im just not privy to sinking another 5-600 into this car

Thanks for the help!

I've repaired a plastic radiator. I was in an accident and it shattered a piece. I was almost 1000 miles from home, and just needed 'something' to get out of there, so I took two bodywashers and managed to get one 'inside' where the break was and drilled a hole to use a bolt to 'pinch' the tub. I smeared a lot of epoxy all over the place.

It was a hack repair. It got me a few hundred miles, but not home. However it broke at a DIFFERENT spot, not where I repaired it, so maybe the repair would have held forever, who knows.

What exactly does this plastic piece do?

One more question

Ive decided to just buy a new radiator, I can get one for like 120 shipped on ebay and put it in myself. Im pretty sure I need to get one with an engine oil cooler included. Am I correct on this?

Here's the one im planning on purchasing.

Yes - the OEM P/N they reference is correct for all '98 LH applications

- that year does have both oil cooler and tranny cooler in the radiator, which they reference in the description. Looks like that's the one you need.

Be sure to only use GL-05-type coolant - available at DC and Ford dealers; also Zerex makes a GL-05 - but Zerex makes several kinds of antifreeze - so if you get Zerex, make sure what you get says GL-05 on it (it's *not* the "All Makes All Models"). Zerex's and Ford's is yellow, DC/Mopar is reddish orange.

DO NOT - REPEAT - DO NOT USE DexCool?/Prestone Extended Life?.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')