GOLFMK8
GOLFMK7
GOLFMK6
GOLFMKV

Coolant drip - radiator? (pics)

snidehockey

Passed Driver's Ed
Hey guys.

I've had a slow coolant drip for about 4 or 5 months now and yesterday I finally just took the belly pan off to investigate.

It's about 2 drops on the ground per day.

I know that water pumps are known POS's but as far as I can tell this looks more like radiator?

Let me know what you all think.
 

Attachments

  • 20180626_192406.jpg
    20180626_192406.jpg
    250.7 KB · Views: 129
  • 20180626_192420.jpg
    20180626_192420.jpg
    457.2 KB · Views: 124

MLue1

Drag Racing Champion
Yup Radiator. Its prolly leaking a bit more than you think as some of the coolant will boil off.

What you waiting for, get 'er done, your radiator easier to replace than a Golf.
 

Jaber

Modero
Replace the radiator before the slow leak becomes an instant leak.

I was losing coolant at a VERY slow rate. Around the 20k mile checkup I noted that the coolant level dropped, dealer pressure tested it and couldn't find any leaks and just topped it off. Around 35k-38k miles the radiator dumped all the coolant and had to be towed to the dealer for replacement. My extended warranty covered the cost to replace it.
 

DASVDUB

Drag Racing Champion
Replace the radiator before the slow leak becomes an instant leak.

I was losing coolant at a VERY slow rate. Around the 20k mile checkup I noted that the coolant level dropped, dealer pressure tested it and couldn't find any leaks and just topped it off. Around 35k-38k miles the radiator dumped all the coolant and had to be towed to the dealer for replacement. My extended warranty covered the cost to replace it.

I have a feeling mine might be doing that... Coolant drops all the time.
 

MLue1

Drag Racing Champion
Replace the radiator before the slow leak becomes an instant leak.

I was losing coolant at a VERY slow rate. Around the 20k mile checkup I noted that the coolant level dropped, dealer pressure tested it and couldn't find any leaks and just topped it off. Around 35k-38k miles the radiator dumped all the coolant and had to be towed to the dealer for replacement. My extended warranty covered the cost to replace it.
Very lucky, you coulda "ragged" the engine, it wouldn't be the same again.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:

snidehockey

Passed Driver's Ed
UPDATE:

So I replaced the radiator with a Nissens.

Couple of notes for anyone else who does this job...

You 100% do NOT need to and SHOULD NOT remove the front bumper. The whole job happens on the engine side of the radiator...not the front of the car. The bolts weren't even that hard to get to.

The intake and belly pan on the bottom are all that need to be removed.

I learned the hard way that new radiator fins are pretty much razor sharp...I bled. A lot.

Also - I was really worried after everything was back together when I found a little baggie with 2 rubber O-rings that came with the new radiator. I knew there weren't any originally but was still worried maybe the connection was different and it would leak out the hoses...all good though. They must be for another application?

Refilling the coolant was also no big deal. I was all worried about air getting trapped, but ran it up to 190 with the cap off the reservoir...let it drink some. Added coolant and then left it over night with the cap off. Overnight it dropped about an inch in the res. Topped it off and all good ever since.

Lastly, no one mentions it but there's a flat black matchbox sized sensor snapped into the upper driver side corner of the radiator fins on the front. With a little force it pops out, but the wasn't really any accommodation for it on the new one. Just had to kind of jam it in there while bending a bunch of new fins.

Attached is a pic of the stock rad...
 

Attachments

  • 20180710_125125.jpg
    20180710_125125.jpg
    420.7 KB · Views: 91

Tony48

Go Kart Champion
UPDATE:

So I replaced the radiator with a Nissens.

Couple of notes for anyone else who does this job...

You 100% do NOT need to and SHOULD NOT remove the front bumper. The whole job happens on the engine side of the radiator...not the front of the car. The bolts weren't even that hard to get to.

The intake and belly pan on the bottom are all that need to be removed.

I learned the hard way that new radiator fins are pretty much razor sharp...I bled. A lot.

Also - I was really worried after everything was back together when I found a little baggie with 2 rubber O-rings that came with the new radiator. I knew there weren't any originally but was still worried maybe the connection was different and it would leak out the hoses...all good though. They must be for another application?

Refilling the coolant was also no big deal. I was all worried about air getting trapped, but ran it up to 190 with the cap off the reservoir...let it drink some. Added coolant and then left it over night with the cap off. Overnight it dropped about an inch in the res. Topped it off and all good ever since.

Lastly, no one mentions it but there's a flat black matchbox sized sensor snapped into the upper driver side corner of the radiator fins on the front. With a little force it pops out, but the wasn't really any accommodation for it on the new one. Just had to kind of jam it in there while bending a bunch of new fins.

Attached is a pic of the stock rad...


Hate to break it to you but that black box is important if you need to pass emissions. It's called the Direct Ozone Reduction Catalyst Temperature Sensor and has caused much grief for many CBFA owners. You will likely be throwing a CEL soon, or at least soft codes that prevent emissions readiness from setting. There's no defeat for it that I've read about other than some having success coding it out with Eurodyne Maestro.

Here's some reading for you
 

snidehockey

Passed Driver's Ed
Thanks for the heads up.

Im tuned for downpipe etc so hopefully that system is now ignored...or because I still mounted it on the new rad it hasnt thrown any codes.

Also here in FL no emmisions.
 

zrickety

The Fixer
Those o-rings go on the radiator hose connections, your original ones are probably not leaking but I would hold on to them just in case.
 
Top