ok so on my way back to school last sunday the thermostat starting to jump...no big deal, it does it all the time (coolant is old/low)...gets to the 1/2 way mark, so i open the windows and turn on the heat full blast, which always solves the problem. -it didnt...things leveled off about the 3/4 mark and i made it back to the parking lot before it started steaming (hood wasnt even that hot)

long story short i think the plastic end cap (bottom) is cracked. i have a few questions:

1.) using the heater core as a heat sink to try and lower the temp, i noticed that the air would blow out really hot, and temp gauge would drop back to half way. Then the air would start blowing out colder and the temp would rise back to 3/4. wtf is up with that?

2.)since im at school, my car is in a lot 10 minutes away and i have no tools -so unfortuantley i have to take the damn thing to the local dealership (which is ~3 miles away -no problem assuming i didnt do any internal damage, etc). How much should i expect to pay? Im calling the service department tommorow. I know a replacement can be hand for ~$125, and i cant imagine its more than a 2 hour job including the flush, so i shouldnt be looked at more than $250, right?

nothing sucks more than being 60 miles from home and having to pay for a dealership to fix your car.

before i call tommorow im gonna head over and check things out. make sure its not just a loose hose etc....but there was def. coolant all over the front crossmember.

 

i got my radiator at for 110$ when i did it myself. Mine had 115k on it before it finally went, it had a slow leak for probably 10k miles, but after i let it sit for 2 weeks and drove it in the middle of summer it finally went. Anyways, it shouldn't cost that much to replace it, maybe even see if you can bring them the parts and they install it for you. I'm sure that'd be even cheaper.

 

if it was a private mechanic i would have ordered one from tasauto.com already. but a dealership isnt gonna let you do that. i toyed with having my mom just drive up my jack and some tools, but she has pneumonia and cant really lift the jack into her new camry anyways

anyone know what the books says on a radiator? im guess its a 2 hour job, so i shouldnt be possibly looking at more than $250 total, right?

 

it took me 2 hours to do mine the first time i ever did it. so hopefully it'll be less.

 

yea im just wondering how long of a job it is on the book, because thats how much ill have to pay for regardless of how long it takes

 

Several years ago, I had the radiator replaced by the dealer. I was on my way to work, and didn't have the time to take the day off and replace the radiator, just drove it straight to the dealer. (Didn't want to overheat the car, and risk a blown headgasket.)

It was $535 total. List price for the OEM Honda radiator was $280, a few bucks for the coolant, and the rest in labor. It didn't state the labor time, but it looked like 1.5 - 2.0 hours labor. Where I live, dealer labor rates are about $135 hour, if not more now.

 

expletive...really...$535?

 

You can check the current Honda radiator prices at Majestic Honda or SLhonda.

I still have my receipt, $535 total....

 

they show $207 which seems more reasonable. tommorow im gonna call and get a quote. i dont need to have the car running till may 4th when i have to drive home, so if worse come to worse i can always have someone bring me up tools and a jack

ugh. this never gets any easier

 

$207 is Majestic's discounted price, the list price is $297. I haven't found dealers in my area willing to match the discounted internet prices.

Maybe you could find someone at school that have some tools.

 

for finding a buddy at school to help you fix it. Or you could always look around and find a local mechanic that will probably swap it out for cheaper. ****, I'd find some college kid that knows about mechanics and pay them to do it for cheaper than the dealer for sure, not a bad idea.
If you want an OEM honda radiator then it's going to be more expensive. If you don't care, I've seen new radiators for that gen accord for about $60 shipped on ebay. Quality? God knows how shitty they are. But it would be a cheap fix for sure.

 

im getting a quote from the dealership today if they respond to my email. i think most likely im just gonna have someone bring me up some tools and a jack....this isnt an issue of me not being able to do it, its me not having the ability to at the time.

anyone have any clue about the first question -the intermittent hot/not hot coming out teh vents?

 

bump..

is there gonna be an issue getting an issue getting a toyo vs. denso unit from majestic....different part numbers for the cap...but im pretty sure i have a toyo in there from the factory...

 

bump

today i FINALLY got under the hood....

the old radiator is out....1/2 of the material between the piping is gone. bottom end cap was leaking like hell. lower bolts holding on the fans were so corroded i had to bust off the plastic on the old radiator that attaches the fan. Also need a new lower hose, but at least the damn thing is out


1 problem: i cant reach the block coolant drain plug...the only extender i have is for my "middle" sized ratchet...so i cant reach it with a 19mm socket...so i cant flush the system per my manual

is it possible to flush the system using the drain plug on the radiator?

 

Using the block's drain plug is the best way, but you can do it without. The downfall is that it won't be as complete and/or you'll have to use more coolant.

You can fill it up, run the car (with the heater on) for a while, and then drain and refill the radiator again. Or you can just fill the system back up and consider it good enough until you get a chance to do a complete flush using the block's drain plug.

Oh, in regards to #1 in your original post, I'd say it was most likely due to trapped air/steam, caused by both the old fluid boiling over a bit and the low level of fluid.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by philadd &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Using the block's drain plug is the best way, but you can do it without. The downfall is that it won't be as complete and/or you'll have to use more coolant.

You can fill it up, run the car (with the heater on) for a while, and then drain and refill the radiator again. Or you can just fill the system back up and consider it good enough until you get a chance to do a complete flush using the block's drain plug.

Oh, in regards to #1 in your original post, I'd say it was most likely due to trapped air/steam, caused by both the old fluid boiling over a bit and the low level of fluid.</TD></TR></TABLE>

sweet. thanks alot

probably ordering a new hose and some fan bolts from majestic tommorow unless my local dealer has them in stock for cheap...the car has to be ready to drive home on the 4th...and i have finals all that week


wish me luck

 

check if there is a carquest around there. they generally have good prices for quality parts like belts and hoses. tell them you are a preferred customer to see if you get a discount