Symptoms, repair, replacement of the defective radiator / water cooler!

Recently updated on January 27, 2022 at 10:19 am

What are the symptoms of a defective cooler or water cooler? How is it repaired? What are the costs? When an internal combustion engine burns fuel, high temperatures are generated. It circulates so that the engine is not damaged at the high temperatures cooling water in the cooling water circuit of the engine. The cooling water absorbs the heat from the engine. In the circuit, it passes the cooler, where the cooling water in turn gives off the heat to the ambient air.

How is the cooler damaged?

The high Temperatures, Corrosion and Damage from outside, such as by means Falling rocks, can cause a radiator to leak. A defective radiator can cause the engine to overheat and in the worst case this can lead to a engine failure .

What are the symptoms of a defective cooler?

1. The car loses cooling water. There is an expansion tank in the engine compartment, the level should be checked. Attention: The coolant reservoir can only be opened safely when the engine has cooled down. It is extremely pressurized when hot and can cause severe burns if opened.
2. It's under the car in the engine area stains? Cooling water can be red, green or blue in color and smells sweet.
3. The engine is getting too hot, what from instrument cluster indicated by the temperature being well above the normal range or even a special warning.
4. Steam may come out of the engine compartment if boiling cooling water escapes. Be careful when opening the bonnet, there is also a risk of burns here.
5. The coolant level indicator lamp lights up in the instrument cluster.

Can the symptoms be mistaken for a defective cooler?

There are various causes for an overheated engine and the loss of cooling water. That is why every good workshop first provides an accurate one Diagnosis. It all starts with pressure testing the cooling system to determine if the system is losing any coolant at all. If nothing escapes, the cause must be sought further.

How is the radiator repaired or replaced?

A cooler has fine cooling fins and cooling channels. These ribs and channels make a repair in the normal case impossible. Therefore, a new part is usually installed. Can be safely said that a used cooler is still closed, then this can be installed as an alternative to the new part. The exact procedure for changing the radiator differs depending on the vehicle model and engine. Except for a few sports cars and other high-performance internal combustion engine vehicles that have two radiators, almost every "normal“Production vehicle an installed cooler.

First the engine cover removed and the Underrun protection reduced. Then the cooling water drained and caught. Depending on the construction of the vehicle, various add-on parts are now dismantled in order to access the radiator. Among the components that must be dismantled, the air-conditioning condenser, lock carrier or the bumper belong. The cooler is now accessible. All Lines must be separated. There is input and output lines. Now the defective component is replaced and the lines and all other dismantled components are restored built-in. The system must then be bled. If everything is done, the function is checked, namely whether the engine cooling and the Heating is working.

Tip: The cooling water must be properly collected and properly disposed of. Expert knowledge and often special tools are required for the change. Therefore, the exchange should be carried out in a specialist workshop.

How much does it cost to change the cooler?

A new cooler costs between 60 and 600 euros. The cost of the spare parts depends on the vehicle and the manufacturer of the cooler. Hella, Van Wezel or Valeo are among the well-known manufacturers who have coolers in their range. Next to the new one cooler is also new cooling water necessary. A liter of cooling water costs between 5 and 10 euros. Depending on the model, three to five liters of cooling water are required. The cooling water costs about 15 to 50 euros. The duration of the repair also depends on the model. It usually takes one to four hours for the cooler to be replaced. With an hourly wage of around EUR 100, you should expect total costs in the range of EUR 250 to EUR 1.000.

What good is so-called radiator sealant?

A radiator sealant should close small hairline cracks in the radiator and is added to the cooling water. However, its use should be carefully considered. It can also cause damage to other components as a result of use water pump. The lines with the radiator sealant can be used for this clog. Under the keyword "fair value repair", the use of radiator sealant could definitely be an alternative or at least an attempt.

With a defective radiator for the main inspection?

That's not a promising idea. Because escaping cooling water is a Significant defect in the sense of the main inspectionbecause it is harmful to the environment. The car would fail the inspection.

What is the task of the cooler?

As the name internal combustion engine suggests, fuel is burned in the engine, whereby Heat arises. So that the heat can be transported away, there is a circulating Cooling water circuit. In this circuit, the coolant absorbs the heat from the engine and releases it to the ambient air by transporting it to the cooler. The cooler uses the airstream for cooling. But there is also one more radiator fan. This is used when the car is parked or you are stuck in a traffic jam. In both cases there is no headwind or at least not enough to ensure proper cooling. By the way, the cooling water leaks out anti-corrosion agent, Antifreeze and lime-poor water together. The manufacturer of the vehicle specifies which cooling water should be used. If a different cooling water is used, corrosion damage to components such as the Heat-exchanger kommen.

Of course, that wasn't the end of it!

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