Radiator Repair Cost: My Radiator Needs Repairing or Replacement – What Now?

Are you worried about the issues you are facing regarding your car radiator? Do not worry about it; we can understand your stress.

A radiator is the crucial feature of a car. However, if the radiator is damaged, then you must be facing the issue in driving. Radiators act as the cooling system in a vehicle. Engines and radiators are compulsory for each other functioning. So we can understand what you are going through regarding your issues with the radiator.

We are here to help you by giving you the complete guide regarding your radiator construction, problems, and solution. The radiator is the costly part, so we also discuss its repair and replacement cost in the market. Let’s get started and stay with us to get the solutions to your problem.

What is the radiator?

Radiators help the engine to remain calm. It is the internal cooling system of a car. It consists of a coolant and helps to circulate the liquid through the machine.

If the radiator coolant becomes heated due to the engine’s difficulty, it enters the radiator, reducing the heat and getting back to average temperature. Coolant is made of liquid, but some companies also make oil-based coolants.

The actual function of a radiator is to transfer the heat to the air. When fluid in the radiator coolant is cold, then it automatically cools down the engine.  In short terms, the radiator is responsible for cooling the engine.

It is fitted at a specific angle to get the direct air with the car’s movement. So its typical position in most vehicles is behind the back of the front grill. And in the case of oversized vehicles, it is placed on a side where it has quickly contact air.

Radiators consist of two interrelated tanks with the help of aluminum or brass tubes. So when the coolant liquid passes through it, the radiator fan comes into action at a lower temperature than the liquid and lowers the coolant temperature.

So if there is any damage to the radiator, the vehicle starts heating. It is the primary issue in the radiator that cracks due to its plastic body. Then it starts leaking and causing damage to the engine. Sometimes it also clogs, but it happens with time. In that case, you need a frequent inspection to become safe from a clogged radiator.

What is the cost to replace a radiator on a car?

The radiator is the expensive part of a vehicle, and it is also challenging to repair and replace. So a professional technician can do it who has years of experience in this field. Apart from the radiator cost, there is a high cost that they offer for labor.

Every car model has a different radiator cost, so the radiator’s price varies from car to car model.

On average, a car radiator is ranging between $100 to $400, which is relatively high. And then it requires a high radiator cost. It is an integral part of the vehicle in the front portion, so the technician had to remove all other components to replace the radiator.

Or you can also say that they need to restructure the bumper of a car. However, the radiator may take hours to return, due to which different professionals charge different labor costs. Moreover, while replacing the radiator, there is a common practice to check and repair all the other parts as they open all the bumper body parts.

Now, in this case, you have an extra load of additional features or may be damaged due to the radiator’s failure.  

Here I will discuss the average radiator replacement cost in a few car vehicles and the average labor cost.

As I already mentioned above, it is the average cost and varies from garage to garage, and sometimes it varies from technician to technician who works individually.

Factors that affect the cost

The cost of radiator replacement varies from garage to garage, and it has various factors that directly affect the final price. I am mentioning those factors below.

Vehicle type

Vehicles are different from each other, as some are small, and some are large. So there is a wide variety of radiators in cars. Every car has a radiator for proper functioning, but it varies in cost. So the price is also different that affects the final price of the replacement.

Labor cost

Radiator replacement requires extreme effort for 4 to 5 hours. As to replace the radiator, they need to open all the front part of the vehicle. It needs a technician who has years of experience to handle all situations while replacing the radiator. However, they charge high rates due to their extreme effort.

Vehicle model

The radiator is a type of technology that helps to prevent extreme car heating. As technology advances day by day, similarly, the radiators also modify with time. Every company launches its new model of car with advanced features of the radiator. At the same time, these radiators are too expensive. However, radiator prices also vary from old models.

Damage

If the radiator is damaged and didn’t repair or replace on time, it damages other parts. So in theta case, your cost of repairing and replacing increases. The first impact it causes in the engine as it helps them to cool down. So you need to call for an immediate repair or replacement. In most cases, the radiator needs to be replaced because the radiator has a significant cracking issue that causes liquid leakage, so it’s always better to replace the radiator at any cost.

Radiator construction

Heat reduces by exchanging it with the air that removes the heat and circulates the cooled liquid to the engine. So it requires a specific mechanism that keeps this sequence in order. The radiator has this typical construction that cools down the vehicle even if you drive for continuous hours. 

So here I will try my best to understand the basic structure of the radiator. It also helps you understand why its price and repair cost is higher than any other part of the vehicle.

The radiator consists of two header tanks made up of metal. The radiator core is made up of metal sheet layers. It is connected with a strong connection. But the new radiators in the market have aluminum cores, and they are the best lightweight radiators.

The link between header tanks and body is a narrow passageway that provides a large surface area to the radiator. The old versions of radiators have a honeycomb-like structure as they have round tubes connected in a hexagon stacked structure and tightly bound.

It eventually looks like the structure of a tank that has many pipes for air to pass. 

Now in modern radiators, they have coiled tubes, but they are less efficient than radiators’ previous construction systems.

Following are the components of the radiator that every type of radiator must have:

• Core: Central part of the radiator that consists of tubes and cooling system
• Filler neck: radiator has an opening cap known as a filler neck, and it is used to add the liquid to the coolant
• Tanks: The radiator has two tanks used to store the coolants fitted at the coolant’s end.
• Oil cooler: It is the fundamental part of the radiator that performs the cooling function. It is the inner tank that has transaxle fluid.
• Petcock: It is the lower tank that drains out the extra coolant.

The radiator looks like a tube and fin, which have a series of tubes. These tubes run the fluid from the inner tank to the outer tank. Fins help to improve the heat transmission, so they are outside the tubes of the radiator. First of all, air passes through the fins and moves to the coolant to absorb the heat.

Radiators have a different number of fins, and it depends on the type of vehicle, like air-conditioned cars or without AC. Typically, it has five fins without an AC car, and in an air-conditioned car, it ranges to seven fins. So the radiator’s additional fins help maintain the heat produced by the engine’s air conditioner pressure. 

What are some warning signs that my radiator has a problem and needs a repair or replacement?

When the vehicle runs, it burns the fuel, which causes an increase in temperature. There is a fixed temperature for every car or type of vehicle, and if it crosses the limit, then there is a problem with the engine and radiator.

According to the procedure mentioned above, the radiator’s primary function is to cool down the vehicle’s increased temperature. It helps the regulation of engine temperature with fuel combustion and results in the reduced emission of gasses.

If the radiator fails to perform its function, it leads to overheating, and eventually, it cracks the radiator. If there is a crack in the radiator, then start leaking and damage other parts.

So before you begin traveling, follow the proper guide to inspect the vehicle’s condition, especially the engine and radiator, so it prevents you from stuck on the roadside due to overheating.

If there is damage in the radiator, like a crack, you need to replace it immediately and become safe from the many other significant problems.

Here are some signs in which you need to replace the radiator as soon as possible. Otherwise, it extends to such a level that it will not replace or repair the radiator.

• Engine overheating
• Leaking of the coolant ( liquid inside the radiator)
• Discoloration of the fluid
• Leakage of discolored fluid under the vehicle

 In the cases mentioned above, replacement is the only solution to replace the radiator, but here in some situations, the radiator’s repair helps you better. Repair always costs less than the replacement as it doesn’t include the cost of the part.

• Noise from the radiator or the engine
• Radiator unable to generate the required heat
• The unequal flow of the hot water between the radiator and the engine

For the above mentioned reasons, there must be a clog in the radiator that affects its functionality. So to repair vents need to open and remove all the blockage in the tubes of the radiator. It also the trapped air to remove(if any).

This process is also called maintenance bleeding of the radiator. For the radiator’s accurate performance over an extended time, the users need to frequently take their vehicle to the garage and check all the parts by a professional, especially the radiator.

Some users have confidence in their mechanical abilities to perform the maintenance bleeding task without visiting the technician. It takes less time than the replacement, but the actual time depends on the vehicle type and model. But if you have any confusion and can’t do it, you must visit the mechanic.

The five problems and fixes for your broken radiator

Here are the most common five problems of the radiator that you may face while driving the vehicle in your life.

Coolant lights turn on.

Every vehicle has a light on the temperature that indicates the condition of the vehicle temperature. It works like a thermometer; if these lights turn on in the form of a box with wavy lines or simple wavy lines, it is the sign of heating the car.

So in this situation, you need to stop for some time so that the vehicle’s temperature comes back to normal and doesn’t cause the radiator’s breakdown.

The temperature may be higher or lower than the average level.

There is a temperature gauge fixed on the dashboard next to the speed gauge. If your car works properly, then the needle is between the higher and lower, but if it starts moving upward or downward, then there is some fault in the car’s engine and radiator. There are many possibilities in this situation; for example, the radiator cooling system is defective and can’t work correctly to cool the engine.

If this case happened to your car, you need to contact the professional and adequately inspect and diagnose the reason for the fault. It’s better that you can’t do experiences to fix the problem by yourself. The professionals can only resolve it as the radiator is a complex system. 

Leakage of coolants

Radiator coolant loss may be either due to internal or external damage—the coolant loss in the form of discolored liquid that is the indicator of a damaged radiator. If the loss is in green, pink, or orange, it represents the antifreeze damage.

The easy way to access the discolorations is to inspect the liquid leaks when the car is a park in the garage or your driveway. 

Antifreeze liquid has a bright color, which also feels sticky with smell and taste. It is toxic for humans and pets if they swallow, so make sure that you clean the place immediately to protect yourself from the harmful material.

If there is a radiator coolant loss, but the liquid is not colored, then there is any internal damage to the radiator’s engine or failure. It is also dangerous for health as the components emit, so it needs to be repaired immediately.

Mileage of the gas

The engine requires an adequate temperature for effective functioning. The engine burns the fuel to make the gas combustions that help to run the car. So the temperature control is a significant component for the effective working of the engine.

Proper temperature allows the fuel to burn properly, and in that condition, the engine requires less power to produce more energy. If the temperature drops down to the standard, fuel is not vaporized correctly and increases fuel consumption.

So to access that, notice your leak fluid color. And if there is a colored liquid, then there is an external problem, and if there is transparent color, then the damage is internal.

Sweet Smell

As mentioned above, a sweet smell is one of the properties of the antifreeze. Sometimes you feel a different odor or a lovely order of something. It was the smell of the fault in the radiator. Maybe the coolant leaks, and it causes the sweet smell.

However, to resolve this problem, you need to contact a certified professional to detect the inner situation and conclude the actual damage.

Should I Replace My Radiator or Repair My Radiator?

Repair and replacement depending on the type of damage in the radiator. If there is external damage, then you need to replace it. If you try to repair that, you have to face the same problem after some time.

If there is a crack or other damage, then there is no need for repair. Replace the entire radiator so you will have a long term solution for your problem.

You also need to replace the radiator if the radiator goes terrible in condition like it leaks the rusty or oily colored liquid. The barrier between radiator coolant and transmission fluid leads to mixing both fluids, and the coolant color is changed.

If you didn’t replace the radiator immediately in this situation, you have to face the consequences later.

If you want to replace the radiator, then here are a few key points that you need to keep in mind while buying the new radiator. Make sure that the number of columns and the sections are similar to your previous radiator.

The height and width of the radiator also need to be the same in size. It helps the exact fitting of the radiator and also provides accurate results.

However, you didn’t agree to replace the radiator with a new one, and you only need to repair it to start working. Then, you need to perform the professional’s deep inspection to judge all the problems that resolve that. It is a cost-effective solution as compared to the replacement.

 It’s always better to replace the damaged vehicle part because it saves you on the road and helps protect the other car’s features. But if you are confused in making the decision, contact the certified technician who better guides you regarding your vehicle problem.

What are the signs of a bad radiator?

When the initial stage of damage starts in the radiator, it starts showing the signs, but they are minor that can become easily diagnosable if you properly access your vehicle. Following are some signs of the lousy radiator:

• Overheating: vehicle temperature gradually increases while driving, so it starts damaging and is the most common sign of a bad radiator.
• Vehicle start leaking the coolant liquid
• Radiator clogs due to dirt or dust, and maybe there is a reduced flow of air.
• Reduced level of coolant liquid. It can assess by the radiator cap and also can refill with the accurate fluid.

Best wishes for you.I think I gave you the best information in my article.