Just wondering if anyone else on here had this happen. The car has never over heated, and if the temp guage goes to the halfway mark, I manually flip the fans on. So i dont know how it built enough pressure to crack. I just got it back on the road last week, with a new opti, and we had a few 100 degree days here, and now its down again, till I get a rad. What couldve done this an d how can I avoid it from happening again... and please... dont tell me to buy a $600 be-cool rad.

 

radiators get old and fail just like anything else. just get another stock radiator, itll last another 10 years.

 

Ok... so your telling me its just the age that did it.. and I wont have to worry bout the same prob with a new OEM one....????

 

i had a $400 aluminum radiator in a mustang i had rot the core out in 2 years. id just put a factory radiator in it if it was otherwise cooling fine. itll last another 10 years. longer if you keep the coolant changed and dont run dexcool. my original radiator is going on 13 years old. i may just replace it soon so i dont have to mess with it.

 

Things break. You'll be ok with a new one.

 

yep...expecting mine to go out soon, but only because its been in there from day 1and mine is a 94. Things just get old and wear out. Too bad nothing lasts forever

 

I appreciate everyones vote of confidence....THANKYOU (I LOVE THIS SITE)... just didnt want to do all the work dropping a new one in, and have it break , if I was doing something wrong...
Thanks Again Everyone.

 

I had new tanks installed on a radiator for $65.

It's not necessarily the amount of heat and pressure, but the number of cycles that cause fatigue failure.

Also, get a new radiator cap, the most often over-looked maintenance item out there.

 

Mine was cracked and had new tanks installed as well. They flushed it for me as well.

 

Mine is like on sponge on the end tanks right now. 12 years will do that to plastic under that much stress.

Sounds like new tanks are pretty cheap, I may call around and ask about that.

 

The tanks are replaceable? A GM PN?
Just hit the 10 year mark too and have a little melted part near the battery from acid most likely but it's only a seep for now.

 

Any radiator shop should be able to get the parts and do it.

 

Mine cracked once.

 

150 bucks, got a new radiator and tank... all one piece. 2 hrs to instal, and for safe measures, got a new rad cap.... RUNS GREAT!!!!