Radiator replacement and flushing.

B

Bluesplit

Member
Evening all, I’m having trouble with coolant loss, although I can’t see any drips on the floor after a drive.

I will get the car up on stands tomorrow and leave the engine running for a while and get underneath to see if I can see where I’m losing coolant. This maybe my fault as I’m not 100 percent sure I put G13 coolant in, I will check the bottle tomorrow.

How difficult is a rad swap, is it a full bumper off to replace? And is there a method to flushing out the system if I have put the wrong coolant in? Finally, is the aircon rad in front of the coolant rad as I’m looking through the front grill?

Thanks for any help

Mart
 
yes looking from the front the aircon rad is the first thing you see, just to the back of this is the coolant rad
As per Kleynie I have only ever changed the rad with the front bumper off, its easy to remove the bumper but time consuming as the wheel arch liners need to come out first, then 4 spier bolt hold each end of the bumper in place, plus the 4 plastic pins that you see between the headlights
 
Kleynie said:
Bumper off, remove the condenser and out it comes. Very easy but time consuming.
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Sorry for my brief post! Yes as above the wheel arch liners need to come off first which means both front wheels off and mud flaps removed (if fitted). Then the undertray should be removed. The headlights also need to be removed Before the bumper can be unscrewed.
We had new screws, clips and U nuts at the ready for reassembly as many will be rusty or break.
Once the bumper is off it’s plain sailing, but the AC condenser has to be unscrewed first. I’m not sure if you can just lean the condenser forwards or whether you need to de-gas and remove it completely as we changed the condenser anyway at the same time.
The rubber hoses come off the rad very easily and then it’s just the wiring to disconnect.

Not a hard job but very, very time consuming
 
Thank you both very much, I’ll Try and get some time off work before I start on this then. And Christ I forgot the aircon has to degassed! I might replace that rad while I’m at it as that looks damp in places and my aircon is shot anyway, never worked since I had it, even after a re-gas it worked for a week then nothing.
 
Thanks again, looked at changing the cooler temp sensor today. Am I correct in thinking I need to remove a small metal bracket where the silver nut is to get to it
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as shown in the pics below
 
yes, the 10mm nut holds on the wee plate that also has the temp sensor loom clipped to it. Undo the 10mm nut, release the plate, move it to one side - the sensor clip is behind that and you need to get your hand in behind where that is to withdraw the sensor (and loom connector) once you've got the plastic clip disengaged. I had to use curved pliers to undo the clip as I don't have treble-jointed wrists. Make sure the O-ring comes out either with the sensor or feel around the back with your finger to get it out if it sticks in situ.

Just to add to this - it is during this process that it is remarkably easy to drop the sensor clip - make sure you've got a spare and / or a piece of twine attached to the new one going in to rescue the situation if you succumb to gravity!
 
Christ for what sounded like the easiest job I’ve done on any car, this was a mare! I managed to remove the clip, the sensor got blown out followed by 1/2 a litre of coolant, then it took me nearly an hour to get the clip back in once the new rubber ring & sensor were in place, and yes I did lose 1 clip! After doing all this I took the car for an hour & half drive, the temp gauge started to move after around 20 minutes but still only hovered between 70-80 degrees. Don’t think I’m using G13 so will have to flush this system out and refill once I’ve found where my coolant leak is, I can’t see any drips anywhere but I’m constantly losing coolant
 
I'll jump on and ask related question sorry :) If I want to flush without an actual leak what's the quickest simplest way of flushing the system? I'm planning on replacing the temp sensor this weekend but don't want to remove under tray if I can possibly help it....
 
Change the expansion cap seals or replace whole cap. What colour is your coolant ? It should be pink / red
 
@cheechy You are meant to dispose of used coolant at a council depot. If you can get one of the oil cooler water pipes off or bottom radiator hose or have the thermostat out will all allow you to flush. Removing the under tray keeps the mess down and gives more access . Remember to connect everything back up and use premixed G12, G12+, G12++ or G13 coolant ONLY.
 
audifan said:
Change the expansion cap seals or replace whole cap. What colour is your coolant ? It should be pink / red
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It is a red/pink colour but I’ve just looked at the bottle and there’s no mention of G13. I was planning on changing the thermostat next so I’ll change the coolant then for a definite G13 mix
 
I still use G12. G12 was replaced by G12+ which in turn was replaced with G12++ and lastly changed to G13. When the A2s were built G12 was the latest standard. Just remember to only use one of these approved coolants and do NOT mix with or use any other types of coolants.
 
Bluesplit said:
Christ for what sounded like the easiest job I’ve done on any car, this was a mare! I managed to remove the clip, the sensor got blown out followed by 1/2 a litre of coolant, then it took me nearly an hour to get the clip back in once the new rubber ring & sensor were in place, and yes I did lose 1 clip! After doing all this I took the car for an hour & half drive, the temp gauge started to move after around 20 minutes but still only hovered between 70-80 degrees. Don’t think I’m using G13 ...


It took me three goes (took off the covers, boost pipe and cable carrier - then wimped out and put it back together again twice), and then some very helpful mentoring from @Audifan above back in May to finally replace the temp sensor on mine in the summer. Something I found critical was having the right illumination (bright enough and from the correct angle) - get it right and it makes it easy. Wrong direction and the area gets over-shadowed badly so you're working blind in gloomy and perhaps cold conditions which make it much worse. The right-angle pliers made the retainer clip removal and re-insertion infinitely easier than without, and the twine was a safety net.

Your comment I've highlighted above made me go back and check - I can't see anything saying that you've replaced the thermostat that the laggard temperature readings would suggest is misbehaving. I had to replace both sensor *and* stat to get my car working properly (did the stat first so it would then intermittently show 90 degrees when warmed up, and the ODB2 reader suggested ECU temp feed was correct despite the dash feed being erratic). If you've done the sensor, you can do the thermostat - critical tools I found were long ball-ended Allen keys (Lidl) and a slightly curved ratchet spanner driving shallow sockets to get behind the alternator - both are useful for removing / replacing the thermostat housing. Got the stat from Eurocarparts - Circoli 209440040. Notes on stat replacement from my experience in the following post - with thanks to the many A2oc posts and helpful comments I've read and received since this time last year on these topics :

https://www.a2oc.net/community/index.php?threads/thermostat-replacement.30998/page-2#post-309913
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Thanks Robin,

Very correct the lighting was terrible, I tried but couldn’t seem to find the right place where the torch would balance, it was freezing to the point my feet were numb by the time id finished and my back was aching from being bent over the engine bay.

I’m actually going to Euro Car Parts today to get that same temp thermostat & some G13 coolant, although their G13 is purple.
 
Can anyone advise when flushing out the old coolant, if I can get to the bottom rad hose am I best to remove that one? AndI then just keep pouring water in until it runs fairly clear?
 
Yes and take out the thermostat as you are changing it any way. Under tray off first to give good access. I use a garden hose that I fit into the bottom radiator hose making up the diameter with plastic to help seal it. Start with the hose on low pressure and build up the pressure as you go. Run tap for about 5 minutes then turn off, squeeze as many hoses as you can reach and repeat until happy running clear. Drain out as much water as possible as this will dilute the coolant more when added. G12s were red / pink and I believe G13 is purple. Replace all parts and reconnect hose, slowly fill expansion tank to max, start car with the cap off and bring up to working temperature to "burp" the system. Switch off, let cool and check and top up coolant as needed. Refit cap and start car, look for any leeks then take for a 15 minute drive to get fully up to temperature keep an eye on the gauge in case there is a problem. When you stop keep the engine running remove bonnet and looks for any leeks and at the fluid level. Turn off and let cool, recheck level, if down top up and take out for another drive...Rinse repeat until level is constant. Worth replacing the seals in the cap at the same time.

Try to put a plastic bag over the alternator to prevent it getting wet.
 
audifan said:
Yes and take out the thermostat as you are changing it any way. Under tray off first to give good access. I use a garden hose that I fit into the bottom radiator hose making up the diameter with plastic to help seal it. Start with the hose on low pressure and build up the pressure as you go. Run tap for about 5 minutes then turn off, squeeze as many hoses as you can reach and repeat until happy running clear. Drain out as much water as possible as this will dilute the coolant more when added. G12s were red / pink and I believe G13 is purple. Replace all parts and reconnect hose, slowly fill expansion tank to max, start car with the cap off and bring up to working temperature to "burp" the system. Switch off, let cool and check and top up coolant as needed. Refit cap and start car, look for any leeks then take for a 15 minute drive to get fully up to temperature keep an eye on the gauge in case there is a problem. When you stop keep the engine running remove bonnet and looks for any leeks and at the fluid level. Turn off and let cool, recheck level, if down top up and take out for another drive...Rinse repeat until level is constant. Worth replacing the seals in the cap at the same time.

Try to put a plastic bag over the alternator to prevent it getting wet.
Click to expand...

That’s great thanks, just what I was after. Will get the stuff needed ready and tackle this on my next 4 days off work, back in for 5 nights tonight.
 
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