24
votes
Will having a radiator full of engine oil do damage to the motor?
The seller should not be selling the vehicle with oil in the cooling system. That supposed "quick fix" should have been rectified at the earliest opportunity. Have him flush the cooling system and put ...
- 1,723
22
votes
Will having a radiator full of engine oil do damage to the motor?
I would be more concerned about whether engine oil is actually finding its way into the radiator from the engine.
If it is, this would be indicative of a compromised head gasket, warped cylinder head,...
- 39.1k
17
votes
Accepted
Can you run an engine without a radiator?
It can absolutely be started without a radiator. You will not cause any damage as long as the engine does not overheat. If you don't run it long enough for the engine to get too hot, it's not an issue....
- 153k
17
votes
Accepted
Replacement ford fiesta radiator has extra hose
What you've been sent is the radiator for the diesel variant - as opposed to what appears to be the 1.25l Zetec petrol engine in your first diagram.
You're correct in that the "main" radiator ...
- 9,999
17
votes
Should I accept this help in fixing a 1" hole in my radiator?
Do it right the first time.
In the best case the "quick and dirty"-fix fails at the first pressurization, in worst case when you need it at most.
What should concern you more:
How does a ...
- 8,448
16
votes
Should I accept this help in fixing a 1" hole in my radiator?
Aluminum foil is at best a very temporary fix to get you to the mechanic, it's not a long-term solution. Your mechanic is right, the hole shows that there's damage to your radiator, probably due to ...
- 16.2k
13
votes
Will having a radiator full of engine oil do damage to the motor?
Yes, it's possible some of the seals designed to withstand water and glycol could get damaged
I am thinking you are creating a fictitious scenario here, so I'll roll with it.
If you filled your ...
- 33k
11
votes
Can you run an engine without a radiator?
An engine is a very large thermal mass. When the engine is cold it takes time to warm up. If you only run the engine for 15 to 30 seconds from cold there should be no problem. Running the engine any ...
- 16k
9
votes
Losing coolant fast after just fixing radiator
They may not have bled your cooling system properly
As a possibility, if you had air trapped in your cooling system it would expand as the engine approached operating temperature.
It would ...
- 33k
9
votes
I put Adblu in radiator coolant tank in Peugeot Boxer 435 Onnicar
ADBLU is a mix of uric acid and water, and you don't want acid in your cooling system as it can cause corrosion. It's not a disaster, you just need to drain your coolant out of the system and refill ...
- 16.2k
8
votes
Accepted
Cleaning mud from motorcycle radiator
I use a garden weed sprayer, its less powerful than a high pressure washer yet can have its jet aimed in a small area. Additionally you can fill it with hot water which will help loosen the mud.
...
- 2,655
8
votes
Will driving car without coolant cap do long term damage to car?
If you didn't overheat the car, then you've done no damage. The radiator cap seals the system and allows pressure to build (to a point), which raises the boiling point of the coolant. This allows it ...
- 153k
7
votes
Accepted
How can I fix my cracked radiator temporary for a trip? Is there any way to do it?
If you can see and access the crack, a two-part epoxy or something like JB-Weld can be great for a temporary fix. This page shows the process on a metal radiator for a race car, but your fix would be ...
- 13.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Excessive Coolant Expansion: Part 2
It's possible that the impeller blades on the water pump are either compromised or gone completely.
I ran into a somewhat similar situation with a Chrysler. The engine would not overheat driving. ...
- 16k
7
votes
Accepted
How to remove coolant hose from T piece
Yes, you need to cut them - difficult but possible with sidecutters, they do make special cutters for these, but you can grind them : be very careful where the sparks go : cover everything...
For ...
- 34.7k
7
votes
How can I fix a mixed coolant problem?
"Green" coolant is usually considered a typical coolant. It should get changed out about every two years. "Orange" coolant implies Dexcool, which is the stuff used in GM vehicles and is a long life ...
- 153k
6
votes
Can I drive a car with only water and no coolant if it has a leak?
I am glad you got a good outcome, but would like to answer because I have a fair amount of experience with difficult cooling system issues, and the most recent one occurred while I was over 1,000 ...
- 781
6
votes
Accepted
What is the average radiator capacity on 6 cylinder engines?
Once your system expels as much fluid as it can via the pump there is still an additional amount of fluid that is left in the block and other areas that the pump can't push out because there isn't ...
- 33k
6
votes
How can I fix my cracked radiator temporary for a trip? Is there any way to do it?
Putty/epoxy works but here's a handy tip I picked up from my materials professor to ensure that the crack doesn't propagate:
Drill small holes at the ends of the crack to arrest its growth before ...
- 39.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Why is antifreeze mixture not as stated?
The difference you observe is quite notable, so I wondered how reliable it is to just measure the density (which is what your hydrometer does).
From the datasheet of your Ford antifreeze, the density ...
- 7,047
6
votes
Accepted
Radiator leak 92 subaru, repairs possible or replace?
Radiators are pretty simple to replace. If you've never done it before, look at some youtube videos, and set aside about 4 hours for it (90 minutes, if you're handy with a spanner). Repairs on ...
- 8,672
6
votes
Radiator Water Issue
You want to make sure you do not put tap water into the cooling system on your vehicle. The cooling system has a leak, which is why you need to refill it periodically.
Look on the ground where you ...
- 641
6
votes
Accepted
Why does the radiator fan have to start when turning the A/C on?
In a nutshell: The radiator fan comes on so the A/C works at its highest efficiency.
The A/C condenser (the part which sits in front of the coolant radiator) is a heat exchanger. If air isn't ...
- 153k
6
votes
Resting a radiator on metal brackets
The vibration from the engine and driving will cause fretting which will wear away at the metal of the radiator. The softer metal will wear faster and will eventually make a hole in the base, most ...
- 34.7k
6
votes
Accepted
How can I tell if my radiator is bad?
Coolant coming out clean is a good sign.
How to spot a bad radiator
A radiator is a device consisting of tubes through which coolant flows and fins connecting the tubes. The fins increase the ...
- 683
6
votes
Accepted
Does Coolant Actively Circulate Through Overflow Reservoir?
It depends on if you're actually talking about an overflow reservoir or an expansion tank. Expansion tanks are a lot more common in this day and age then they used to be, so this may be what you're ...
- 153k
5
votes
Why is antifreeze mixture not as stated?
The first thing to look at is, did you actually mix like amounts to come to a true 50/50 solution? As with any scientific study, you need to make sure your results are repeatable. You bought two other ...
- 153k
5
votes
Is it necessary to run the engine after adding radiator coolant or only when draining?
Yes, run the engine
After you do any work involved with draining the coolant you will either have an exact process to remove air from the cooling system or you will simply run the engine.
If you ...
- 33k
5
votes
Is it unreasonable to expect nation chain mechanics to recognize a blown head gasket from a radiator problem before installing new radiator?
I would not immediately assume the repair shop was out to get you. Its possible, but not likely. PepBoys is a national chain, and their best most profitable behavior is to quickly and efficiently ...
- 6,569
5
votes
Accepted
1998 civic lx overheating
The fact that the fan comes on when the switch is jumped is very useful since this tests the power source, relays and fan motor.
The fans can be activated by either the switch in the water passage ...
- 11.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible