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Car Forum / Honda Cars / June 200695 Integra Radiator Help!
I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted about $427 for labor and parts. And also, he was recommending that the coolant system be flushed and change the parts related to it. And that's an extra $600, totaling about $1100. Does the price sound reasonable? I've been fooled by many mechanics before and I don't feel like I can trust anyone with my car nowadays. HELP! Thanks in advance! > I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. > Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted > about $427 for labor and parts. An aftermarket unit is less than $200. His price seems a bit high. Did he break it down, parts and labor, or just give you a blanket quote? > And also, he was recommending that the > coolant system be flushed and change the parts related to it. And > that's an extra $600, totaling about $1100. "Parts related"? Pretty wide scope there. An extra $600 sounds like he's replacing every hose, plus the thermostat, plus a bunch more parts. Not a bad idea, but not all of that is 100% necessary. It also depends on the condition of the cooling system right now. If it's been neglected, or you've been using silicated antifreeze, you could have issues related to that. How old are your rad hoses? The thermostat? The coolant that's in there right now? Ever run hot, or overheated?  SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ I was quoted $174.60 for labor and $198 for an "aftermarket used" radiator, plus taxes. For the cooling system, I think he was trying to make money out of me. I've only had my car overheated once since I've owned it (almost 11 years now). That was 4 years ago, and it was because we were going up a steep mountain road. I think I'll pass on the cooling system since it doesn't seem necessary. The thermostat and coolant is about 5 years old. My car was in a front head collision and I'm pretty sure those were changed. Thanks for the response! Very helpful! > > I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. > > Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ > www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ There is no such thing as "aftermarket used". "Aftermarket" refers to a new product, made by someone other than the original vehicle manufacturer. "Used" is just that. While "used aftermarket" parts certainly exist, they are not sold that way. I would recommend talking to someone, who actually knows what he is selling. A little basic engineering, if I may. Your car did not overheat, "because" you were going up a steep mountain road. I drive my Honda up and down steep mountain roads every day, sometimes stuck behind huge slower than molasses motor homes. Your car overheated because of an insufficiency in the cooling system. What that is, I don't know. It could have been low coolant, a damaged radiator, a bad water pump, need to flush the system, lots of stuff. Earle I was quoted $174.60 for labor and $198 for an "aftermarket used" radiator, plus taxes. For the cooling system, I think he was trying to make money out of me. I've only had my car overheated once since I've owned it (almost 11 years now). That was 4 years ago, and it was because we were going up a steep mountain road. I think I'll pass on the cooling system since it doesn't seem necessary. The thermostat and coolant is about 5 years old. My car was in a front head collision and I'm pretty sure those were changed. Thanks for the response! Very helpful! TeGGeR® wrote: > "hunniegrace@yahoo.com" <hunniegrace@yahoo.com> wrote in > news:1150143017.658690.98110@h76g2000cwa.googlegroups.com: [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ > www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > Your car overheated because of > an insufficiency in the cooling system. "Insufficiencies" sufficient to cause catastrophic overheating in modern cars are almost universally due to neglect, inattention, and/or incorrect/incompetent servicing. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > > Your car overheated because of > > an insufficiency in the cooling system. > > "Insufficiencies" sufficient to cause catastrophic overheating in > modern cars are almost universally due to neglect, inattention, > and/or incorrect/incompetent servicing. No argument there. Earle SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com >> Your car overheated because of >> an insufficiency in the cooling system. > > "Insufficiencies" sufficient to cause catastrophic overheating in modern > cars are almost universally due to neglect, inattention, and/or > incorrect/incompetent servicing. yup. i see signs on the cajon pass to "turn off A/C for next x miles- steep grade" i never do it. just kick it down to 3rd, and blast up the hill. doing 70+ in 3rd really drops the mileage of a lil 4-banger, tho. >>> Your car overheated because of >>> an insufficiency in the cooling system. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > i never do it. just kick it down to 3rd, and blast up the hill. doing > 70+ in 3rd really drops the mileage of a lil 4-banger, tho. 70+??? slowcoach! my civic will easily red line in 3rd up that hill - not much competition from detroit at that velocity i find... >>>> Your car overheated because of >>>> an insufficiency in the cooling system. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > 70+??? slowcoach! my civic will easily red line in 3rd up that hill - > not much competition from detroit at that velocity i find... well, being that i own a lowly CX, i dont have a tach. in 3rd at 70+, the engines screaming. to me, at least. ill probably never get around to the "plug n play junkyard tach" modification. the last run to laughlin, NV from LA yielded a 25mpg round trip, due to my heavy foot and some extralegal speeds. thats sad, for a civic. >>>>> Your car overheated because of >>>>> an insufficiency in the cooling system. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > ill probably never get around to the "plug n play junkyard tach" > modification. i did the mod on my tach-less dx. cost me $45 iirc. > the last run to laughlin, NV from LA yielded a 25mpg round trip, due to > my heavy foot and some extralegal speeds. thats sad, for a civic. sad indeed. my 2000 cx used to do mid/low 30's. > I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. > Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted > about $427 for labor and parts. a reasonable quality aftermarket radiator costs $125 retail, excl. labor. > And also, he was recommending that the > coolant system be flushed that's good provided he doesn't use aggressive chemicals. > and change the parts related to it. not so good. depends on existing condition. unless there's a problem like a massive oil leak, blown head gasket or other issue, leave alone. > And > that's an extra $600, totaling about $1100. Does the price sound > reasonable? I've been fooled by many mechanics before and I don't feel > like I can trust anyone with my car nowadays. HELP! > > Thanks in advance! call around and see what else you're quoted for a new rad, fitted. Thanks for the response. I think I might call around to make sure. The price he gave me was $198 for and "aftermarket new" radiator. Someone told me that it's a little on the high side, but reasonable. I'll pass on his cooling system recommendation since I don't seem to need it now. > > I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. > > Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > > call around and see what else you're quoted for a new rad, fitted. I'd ask your mechanic if you can provide the radiator and have him install it for you. If he doesn't, I'd look elsewhere. This guy seems to be ripping you off from what you are saying. I've purchased two radiators from http://www.performanceradiator.com/ and they have been fine for about 2 years now (they also have a 3 year warranty). Whatever you do or purchase from, make sure to use Honda coolant. Hope this helps, Nick >Thanks for the response. I think I might call around to make sure. The >price he gave me was $198 for and "aftermarket new" radiator. Someone [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >> > >> call around and see what else you're quoted for a new rad, fitted. > now (they also have a 3 year warranty). Whatever you do or purchase from, make > sure to use Honda coolant. nice, but not necessary. the orange prestone dexcool is silicate/phosphate free and works just fine, when mixed with distilled water. the old green prestone is a no-no, good only for low tolerance ancient detroit iron. >I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. >Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >Thanks in advance! My '90 accord after market radiator cost $125 from radiator barn. Took me little over two hours to install it and all new hoses except for heater hoses, and have the car up and running. And I was going slow cause I don't do it for a living. Seems a touch high to me, but I would imagine it is in the ball park if you get multiple quotes. Frank > >I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. > >Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Frank I would strongly recommend that you change out *all* the hoses. A burst heater hose will cause you as much grief as the main radiator hoses and in a short time as well... BTDT JT So I finally got my radiator changed and didn't bother calling for other quotes since I need my car (well, I actually called an Acura dealer just to see how much they're charging and it's about $200 more). But now, I think he ended up selling me something that I don't need, or do I? He changed the upper and lower radiator hoses, which he said I should get coz there's no labor if I get it done now with the radiator, than later when it actually gives me problems, which by then will have labor and cost more. It set me back an extra $60. Did I actually need those replaced? I'm absolutely losing trust on mechanics. Where can I find an honest one nowadays? > > >I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. > > >Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > JT > So I finally got my radiator changed and didn't bother calling for > other quotes since I need my car (well, I actually called an Acura [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > said I should get coz there's no labor if I get it done now with the > radiator, He's 100% right. > than later when it actually gives me problems, which by then > will have labor and cost more. It set me back an extra $60. Did I > actually need those replaced? It NEVER hurts to change those. Those hoses are the ones that blow, strand you and wreck your motor. If you quibble over this one, you're being penny wise and pound foolish. Your man did you a favor. I just hope he used OEM hoses. > I'm absolutely losing trust on mechanics. Where can I find an honest > one nowadays? You can find *honest* ones everywhere. *Competent ones* with *lots of experience* are much less common. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ What are OEM hoses? I'll ask him. And what if he didn't? > > So I finally got my radiator changed and didn't bother calling for > > other quotes since I need my car (well, I actually called an Acura [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ > www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > What are OEM hoses? I'll ask him. And what if he didn't? "OEM" means ones from Honda, as sold by the dealer. If he didn't, the hoses may be much less long-lived than OEM hoses. You may save 20 or 40 bucks using aftermarket hoses, but it's not worth it at all if they fail prematurely and your $5,000 engine goes south. If he used aftermarket, just have them changed in two years, along with the coolant. (Yes I know you have "long life" coolant, but that doesn't mean anything to me.) SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >> What are OEM hoses? I'll ask him. And what if he didn't? > > "OEM" means ones from Honda, as sold by the dealer. If he didn't, the hoses > may be much less long-lived than OEM hoses. OEM hoses might not have a marking on them at all, but aftermarket hoses will *usually* have say something like "goodyear", "gates", etc. i think. > You may save 20 or 40 bucks using aftermarket hoses, but it's not worth it > at all if they fail prematurely and your $5,000 engine goes south. > > If he used aftermarket, just have them changed in two years, along with the > coolant. (Yes I know you have "long life" coolant, but that doesn't mean > anything to me.) i dunno what compound honda has their supplier use for the hoses, but ive never heard of one breaking, or had one break. and ive had a few 15+ year old honda vehicles. not cars, though. scooters. >>> What are OEM hoses? I'll ask him. And what if he didn't? >> >> "OEM" means ones from Honda, as sold by the dealer. If he didn't, the >> hoses may be much less long-lived than OEM hoses. > > OEM hoses might not have a marking on them at all, OEM hoses have the manufacturer's name on them (mine say Yamashita) and the date. As well, they have alignment dots for the things that attach to the hoses, and for attaching the lower hose to the rad. > but aftermarket > hoses will *usually* have say something like "goodyear", "gates", etc. > > i think. Or nothing if they are Goat Brand Made in China. And that's the danger. >> You may save 20 or 40 bucks using aftermarket hoses, but it's not >> worth it at all if they fail prematurely and your $5,000 engine goes [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > ive never heard of one breaking, or had one break. and ive had a few > 15+ year old honda vehicles. not cars, though. scooters. You haven't. I have. Even OEM hoses get old. My original upper hose started to get swollen when the system was under pressure. It was eight years old. Coolant changed with OEM every two years. Now I replace the big hoses every four/six years. $4,000 for a motor, $60 for hoses. You decide. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ I called the mechanic and that's what he said exactly, that it's either Goodyear or Gates for the aftermarket. > >> What are OEM hoses? I'll ask him. And what if he didn't? > > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > ive never heard of one breaking, or had one break. and ive had a few 15+ > year old honda vehicles. not cars, though. scooters. If aftermarket, choose Gates... JT > I called the mechanic and that's what he said exactly, that it's either > Goodyear or Gates for the aftermarket. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > ive never heard of one breaking, or had one break. and ive had a few 15+ > > year old honda vehicles. not cars, though. scooters. > If you quibble over this one, you're being penny wise and pound foolish. > Your man did you a favor. I just hope he used OEM hoses. for $60USD for 2 hoses, theyd better be made of unobtanium. > > If you quibble over this one, you're being penny wise and pound foolish. > > Your man did you a favor. I just hope he used OEM hoses. > > for $60USD for 2 hoses, theyd better be made of unobtanium. I use well known brand name hoses on my vintage cars and generally get ten years out of a set. Just be sure that they are first rate such as Gates, etc... All of the hoses currently in my '83 FE are aftermarket and I'm sure that they will last at least five years, probably more. JT > So I finally got my radiator changed and didn't bother calling for > other quotes since I need my car (well, I actually called an Acura [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > labor and cost more. It set me back an extra $60. Did I actually need > those replaced? he was right about the hoses, in theory. i doubt they run $30/each, unless he got them from a dealer. >> >I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. >> >Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > >JT Good advice. I did not imply that I chose to leave them because they would cause less of a problem if they failed. They had been changed and were newer than the other hoses which had been on the car for about 6 years. They inspected well. Frank >>I would strongly recommend that you change out *all* the hoses. A burst >>heater hose will cause you as much grief as the main radiator hoses and >>in a short time as well... BTDT > > Good advice. I did not imply that I chose to leave them because they > would cause less of a problem if they failed. Heater/IAC/Fast Idle Valve/thermostat-bypass hoses are small. When they fail, it's not typically a catastrophic failure. Usually the ends leak because somebody overtightened them. Mine are original (15 years old) and feel fine. I have noticed a small crack in the outer rubber of one heater hose, so this fall I will change the two heater hoses before the winter. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > >>I would strongly recommend that you change out *all* the hoses. A burst > >>heater hose will cause you as much grief as the main radiator hoses and [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > crack in the outer rubber of one heater hose, so this fall I will change > the two heater hoses before the winter. Geeeeeeez... Ain'tcha pushin' the envelope a bit? Or r u jis cheeeeeep??? I'd just replace 'em all and rest with a secure feeling. I have to admit though that the old hoses on my FE (which were probably all original from 1983) still look OK with no cracks or swelling. In fact, they will ride with me as spares just in case... (Remember, this car had about a thirteen year siesta between operational modes). JT (Who ain't cheap, well maybe frugal though...) >> Mine are original (15 years old) and feel fine. I have noticed a >> small crack in the outer rubber of one heater hose, so this fall I [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > cheeeeeep??? I'd just replace 'em all and rest with a secure > feeling. Not cheap, just not seeing a pressing need to do it right now. Got lots of other stuff to spend money on. A car gets close to 270K, and it becomes a hobby... I'll eventually replace them, but not now. Now that you've got me thinking, I guess I'll do them in the fall, with the heater hoses (there are so damn many of them; counting the heater hoses, seven in all). By then the pain of the current bills should have faded from my thankfully porous memory. > I have to admit though that the old hoses on my FE (which were > probably all original from 1983) still look OK with no cracks or > swelling. In fact, they will ride with me as spares just in case... Those little hoses tend to get hard and brittle. And when they do, they're prone to cracking when you flex them. There's little actual pressure on the walls on account of their low surface area, so little real stress. If you have occasion to move them (such as when removing the IAC), that's when you think about replacing them. The big rad hoses have a very large surface area, so there's lots of room for system pressure to act on, and thus lots of stress on the structure of the hose. When they go pop, they go POP! Your coolant is barfed out in seconds. > (Remember, this car had about a thirteen year siesta between > operational modes). > > JT > > (Who ain't cheap, well maybe frugal though...) Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to... :) SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > >> Mine are original (15 years old) and feel fine. I have noticed a > >> small crack in the outer rubber of one heater hose, so this fall I [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to... :) Or the Dan Quale varient... "tomatoe" <G> JT >> Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to... :) > > Or the Dan Quale varient... "tomatoe" > > <G> Better be a BIG <g> there, big guy. Poor Danny. With cameras and klieg lights sunburning his fair skin, he was presented with a mis-spelled flash card while hosting a spelling contest. What to do? Rather than risk ruffling feathers, he went with the flow and allowed what the card said. And the media have never let him forget it. Poor Danny. He was a pretty sharp fellow, actually. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ You could always toss a tube of Aluma-Seal in the radiator, long as the leak is not too large. > I just took my car to a mechanic because of a radiator fluid leak. > Apparently, my radiator is old and needs to be replaced. I was quoted [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Thanks in advance! -- Tp, -------- __o ----- -\<. -------- __o --- ( )/ ( ) ---- -\<. -------------------- ( )/ ( ) ----------------------------------------- No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron... > You could always toss a tube of Aluma-Seal in the radiator, long as the > leak is not too large. And as long as you don't like your motor too much... SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > > You could always toss a tube of Aluma-Seal in the radiator, long > > as the leak is not too large. > > And as long as you don't like your motor too much... I put some in a Vanagon Waterboxer once. They have a known cylinder studs pulling loose problem. It squealed like an enraged and frightened hamster with its fur caught in the exercise wheel, then quieted down. I had it for a couple years after that with no additional problems. The previous generation told me that used car salespersons used to use pepper. It would swell up and seal the cracks for a while. Earle SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com |
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