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Need help replacing my radiator!
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sweetbee
New User
Jun 16, 2014, 7:04 AM
Post #1 of 6
(1756 views)
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Need help replacing my radiator!
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My car is a 1999 toyota rav4, engine size 2.0L and mileage 24 city, 29 highway
Hi, so I had to replace my radiator and tried to do it myself with my boyfriend. We first followed the steps here: (Link removed not allowed) to flush the old radiator. But when we got to the step where you're supposed to fill the radiator with 4 gallons of distilled water, we instead just took that radiator out and put in the new one, thinking that we could continue the steps with the new radiator. A friend at my boyfriend's job told him that by not continuing the flush of the old radiator, we've completely screwed everything up and we may as well put a for sale sign on our car. Is this true? We have no idea what to do from here. We don't have any car repair experience. we're just Googling as we go along. Please help!
(This post was edited by Tom Greenleaf on Jun 16, 2014, 7:19 AM)
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 16, 2014, 7:23 AM
Post #2 of 6
(1746 views)
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Re: Need help replacing my radiator!
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No links please - it was removed. Now you have a new radiator so forget the old one. You should have take that chance to flush the whole system. If "flush" solvent is still in there flush it all out again with 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water, distilled is nice. Put 1/2 the system's capacity in as pure antifreeze then the rest with the water as all won't come out and you can get lost with the percentages,
T
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 16, 2014, 8:14 AM
Post #4 of 6
(1733 views)
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Re: Need help replacing my radiator!
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I take it you left flush solvent in the system? So yes - now just take out thermostat (replace if you wish) hoses off radiator, hoses to heater core and flush it all out backwards and forwards till clear. Replace hoses too isn't a bad idea too. This just plain "garden hose" water then let it drain out as much as possible.
Put hoses on, nicer sometimes to start fill at thermostat and put it on then fill making sure NOT AIR is in the system. Some are a real pest to purge out all air. You'll know with running it that heater will not work until air is almost all out.
Just run long enough at first for thermostat to open and wait for a cool down when filling without fancy equipment. Again, can be hard to get all air out.
Check antifreeze concentration after several cycles of warm ups and cool downs when fully mixed that you are close to the 50/50 area which will show -34F check freeze protection level.
If confused hit back and I or someone can help finish filling up this thing properly,
T
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 16, 2014, 10:55 AM
Post #6 of 6
(1724 views)
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Re: Need help replacing my radiator!
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Not sure I'm following you. What the heck prompted flushing to begin with? Did you put flush product in it and not run it long enough then just replaced the radiator with new? Fine but you need the flush agent out of there that's all so far.
If you don't have a clue on this and it runs, system is full now and not overheating just take it to get the system flushed out now to a shop and be done with it. IT CAN BE DONE WITH THE NEW RADIATOR.
Doesn't seem you knew if it ever needed one. If coolant was showing that much junk heater core (a mini radiator itself) will be trashed and may flush out or not done alone with hoses off of its connections to coolant. DO NOT TRY TO PULL HOSES OF THE CORE ITSELF AS IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'LL BREAK THE NECKS OFF OR CRACK THEM and that's a job that you are not up to.
Cut your losses and send this to just get flushed and filled again. If whatever problem is still there you may have been barking up the wrong tree from the get go,
T
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