Hi
When i got in from work tonight i noticed that coolant was dripping onto my drive. I checked the top hose on the drivers side which has been replaced before but this was ok.

The bottom of the radiator at the back on the drivers side is wet & so is the engine undertray but it's dark now so i can't get a real good look at it. I topped up & it took about 1/2 a litre.

The car is almost 12 years old & it's still the original radiator.

Is it most likely to be that ?
Will it be okay to drive til i can get it looked at ? [most likely Saturday]

Thanks in advance.
Simon

 

Hi Simon,

Its common on classics to split the end tank on the radiator and cause coolant to leak all over the undertray, I would keep a very close eye on the coolant level if you plan on driving it still. But will need a new radiator asap.

 

Thanks for the reply rob.

I have thought better of using it tomorrow since i posted before & guess i will be on the hunt for a new rad 1st thing in the morning.

Simon

 

Mine holed the core in EXACTLY the place you are describing, Simon.

Once removed, an easy job, the core at the bottom was crumbly, the slightest touch holed it again. Time for a new rad.

Mine came from a local guy, I went on Yell.com, and entered "Car radiators".

It was £64, guaranteed two years, and EXACTLY like my old one, except new.
The guy who sold it me threw in two good quality jubilee clips to replace the old wire clips.
He also tipped me off that the spigot just above the top hose is dead easy to break off when removing/replacing it's hose, so go easy and always pull/push in a straight line. Break it and the rad is finished

ebay also sells the EXACT same rad, lower price, but shorter guarantee. I like to buy local when I can