Radiator pin-hole leaks -

Coming here to ask the pro's - ... -

2003 Corolla - 148,000 miles - leaking coolant -

Most likely radiator has pin-holes in it .... some steam coming out and about the
radiator itself. Filled it yesterday ran fine on his way home but on subsequent trip
to the house today advised it was running pretty hot.

So 2 questions for you guys:
1. How much to totally [ballpark] replace ( I got no wrenching skills )

2. Is there some kind of 'goo' I can put in to 'plug the holes'... or is that useless

Caveat: That thing is driven about 30 miles a week tops - usually parked off campus
and only driven a bit to a grocery store or to our house down the road for laundry and
dinner etc... so expending tons of money is stupid.

 

It ran pretty hot..?

 

Don't use stop leak. It will cause more problems. Like clogging your heater core.

 

Get two estimates. Cost of repairs varies with location.

 

Aftermarket radiator will cost ~$160, labor to replace will depend quite a bit based on your location. In California, I’d expect at least another $150 in labor.

Don’t use stop leak unless you’re planning on scrapping the car soon and don’t mind trashing your heater core.

 

This will cure what ails your radiator:

AlumAseal ASLC16 Radiator Stop Leak and Conditioner Liquid - 16 Fl oz.

https://www.amazon.com/AlumAseal-ASLC16-Radiator-Conditioner-Liquid/dp/B0027I4IPG?th=1

 

I've used Bars in the past with good results. My radiator started leaking in the winter and I didn't want to replace it in the cold. Put in some Bars tablets and it held find until it warmed up and I could replace it in the summer. Drove it for years after that with no issues.

Everyone claims it will clog up your heater core but doesn't show any proof of it. Most likely the people that actually had clogged cores/radiators had other issues and dumped stop leak in and blamed it.

 

Hey, I was going to mention that. I watched the "Christmas Story Christmas" movie over the holidays and saw him do it, and I was like "is that a thing"? I Googled it and sure enough, it's a thing and that really does work. Best part is..it's organic!


Edit: It's a 20yr old-fucking-Corrola with 150k miles on the clock. Who gives a shit what you shove down there? As long as it gets the job done and is cheap. Am I right!?

 

Mythbusters did it and it stopped the leak.

 

It is a possibility to learn and DIY? I didn't know anything beyond oil changes and have learned everything I know now, thanks you YouTube. Shit, I tore my Subaru's transmission apart to replace the center diff all thanks to watching YouTube video's.

 

Stop leak would be a cheap "need fixed now" repair, but only if the radiator is leaking in the fins. If the plastic on the radiator is cracked, the radiator needs to be replaced.

Also, if you do use stop leak, flush the coolant system in both directions, multiple times, to clean out that gunk before you install the new radiator. There are cheap kits you can buy that connect your garden hose directly to the coolant lines so you can flush the system. You can even fabricate the kit yourself for fairly cheap as well.

 

A Denso radiator on Rockauto is $95 for an 03 Corolla, and is the same part # as for my daughter’s 07 Corolla. $75 for a TYC radiator, an aftermarket brand I can vouch for. The radiator is relatively easy to replace - drain coolant, remove radiator hoses, remove electric fan, remove radiator. I would also replace the hoses, belt and thermostat. My daughter’s Corolla is approaching 200K and, as preventive maintenance, I’ll be replacing all these cooling system parts, plus the water pump. With shipping, plus coolant, it all comes out to about $220. You may also find you also need a tensioner pulley bearing - I had to replace her’s at 130K.
I, too, recommend against using a stop leak product.

 

Leaking for sure just can't see it - hoses look clean while running just now I didn't see any 'drops' hitting but it was wet down in the frame.
Refilled and took it for a spin in the 'hood' punched it up to 45 mph watched temp move right on up to HOT -
At the house opened up while engine running didn't spy anything fantastic - temp dropped to normal range pretty quick.

I'm wondering if it's just the Thermostat myself...

 

If you have an IR point and shoot thermometer, wave it over the radiator and I bet you will find most of it shows "colder" than the inlet. Seen that in many of my new-to-me used vehicles over the decades.
Get a new rad, new t-stat with gasket, and at least 50/50 premix coolant or if you want to mix your own use distilled H2O!

 

Could be a thermostat sticking or a clog in the system. A flush with fresh hoses and a new radiator are probably around $300.

 

Noticed after engine ran 'hot' I turned on the heat full max and it was blowing cold - so I think it's stuck open - along with anything else...

 

Could be or a clog in the heater core too.

 

T- Stat or has a air pocket.

 

The thermostat does not control the heater temps separately from the radiator, thus lack of hot air is a separate issue. That is, if your coolant is running hot, then the coolant in the heater core will also be running hot.