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Car Forum / Volvo Cars / July 2005Radiator advice for '92-240 sedan
My 1992-240 sedan has about 225K on it. Still runs great. Had radiator cleaned 3 years ago. Replaced thermostat a year ago. Have noticed that temp gauge needle goes above normal range but not quite into "red zone" occasionally. Have noticed it more lately especially when idling for a few minutes. Then after driving, it will slowly,over a period of a few minutes return to the normal range. Question: With this amount of mileage should I be looking at a new radiator or should I just remove it and have it cleaned again? Also, if you think I should get a new radiator, what kind should I get and are there any web sites with this radiator info? Thanks. JB btw. to reply by e-mail, please remove parenthesis. thanks. jb > My 1992-240 sedan has about 225K on it. Still runs great. Had radiator > cleaned 3 years ago. Replaced thermostat a year ago. Have noticed that temp [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Thanks. > JB > My 1992-240 sedan has about 225K on it. Still runs great. Had radiator > cleaned 3 years ago. Replaced thermostat a year ago. Have noticed that temp [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Thanks. > JB There's not really any set mileage, it depends on too many factors to predict, including both the construction of the radiator and the properties of the water you put in it. For replacements, Nissens makes a nice 3 row radiator, I have them in both of my cars and have been very pleased with the performance. >My 1992-240 sedan has about 225K on it. Still runs great. Had radiator >cleaned 3 years ago. Replaced thermostat a year ago. Have noticed that temp [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >Thanks. >JB Hello JB: I concur with what James had to say but might add this: you never mentioned where you live. Climatic conditions can make a big difference in how long a radiator lasts. I live in Upstate NY near Canada and they use salt on the roads--which can seriously shorten the life of a rad. One thing I'd suggest is cleaning it front and back with a pressure washer to determine there is not any debris clogging the cooling fins. If you need to replace the rad and keep the car for a long time, I'd suggest you look at the three-row copper rad from FCP Groton http://www.fcpgroton.com My recollection is they are about $175 and are made by Nissen--but I could be wrong on that. Anyway, specs look good and it's the way I'd go for a car I was going to keep for more than a few years. Another option is http:/www.eEuroparts.com They have the OEM rad manufactured by Valeo (same company who makes them for Volvo) for $120 and change with free shipping this month. Keep in mind the Valeo is the same as the original OEM and has plastic tanks. I hear many complaints about the plastic tank rads--but my 93 wagon has the original rad and so far it's fine (not sure if I should have said that, as for all I know it will fail next week.) Anyway, I don't work for FCP Groton, eEuro or IPD but have had good experiences with all of them and have recently ordered parts from each. I prefer FCP Groton as they are in Connecticut and I'm in NY, so I usually have the parts in a day or two at most. IPD is a different story. I've been buying from them for years and customer service is great but if one lives on the East Coast I simply cannot recommend UPS ground for shipping. My most recent order took 10 days to arrive. I now find out it would have taken 3 to 5 days via US Postal Service and would not have cost more. Allow me to make it clear that this is a UPS issue, and has nothing to do with the quality of service I've gotten from IPD over the last 25 years Good Luck, DOc > They have the OEM rad manufactured by Valeo (same company who makes > them for Volvo) for $120 and change with free shipping this month. > Keep in mind the Valeo is the same as the original OEM and has plastic > tanks. I hear many complaints about the plastic tank rads--but my 93 > wagon has the original rad and so far it's fine (not sure if I should > have said that, as for all I know it will fail next week.) The biggest problem with the plastic tank radiators is not that they fail, but the way they fail if/when they do. It's usually catastrophic and results in complete coolant loss in a matter of seconds with no warning at all. thanks for all the advice. JB > > They have the OEM rad manufactured by Valeo (same company who makes > > them for Volvo) for $120 and change with free shipping this month. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > but the way they fail if/when they do. It's usually catastrophic and results > in complete coolant loss in a matter of seconds with no warning at all. >> They have the OEM rad manufactured by Valeo (same company who makes >> them for Volvo) for $120 and change with free shipping this month. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >but the way they fail if/when they do. It's usually catastrophic and results >in complete coolant loss in a matter of seconds with no warning at all. Hello James: Thanks ever so much for that tip! I was not aware of the catastrophic failure issue and see now I had best budget for a new rad to be on the safe side. For $150 and under 30 minutes to swap it out for the new one I'd be crazy not to do it ASAP. And yes, I will spend the extra few dollars for a three row Nissen or comparable rad. I've owned Volvos since I was 16 and issues like this trouble me. Let's hope they are not still using plastic tank rads on the newer cars. Anyone know? Regards, Doc |
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