Constant circulation of coolant through special channels allows you to maintain a certain temperature regime necessary for normal engine operation.
Failure of the cooling device, leakage of coolant, or insufficient coolant level can ultimately lead to overheating of the engine and, ultimately, to its breakdown. The VAZ 2109 radiator can be repaired after identifying the main reasons that could cause a failure in its effective operation.
Removing the radiator and its subsequent installation in place must be performed on a cold car engine. Before installing a new or repaired radiator, you should check it for leaks.
To do this, just plug the pipes, lower it into a bath of water and supply air with a pressure of 0.2 MPa. If bubbles do not appear on the surface within 30 seconds, then we can assume that the device has passed the leak test. All work on repairing and replacing the radiator can be done independently with your own hands, without the help of a specialist.
What is a car radiator and what is it used for?
A radiator is a part that cools all engine components that heat up during its operation.
The radiator is designed to change the temperature of the heated coolant by air flow. After all, we know well that if the engine does not operate at an optimal temperature, it will simply overheat, boil and fail. Then you will have a lot of trouble on your head. Let's briefly explore the principle of its operation, for a clearer picture.
Heated liquid (antifreeze) passes through the radiator tubes, which is cooled by air flow. Therefore, this important cooling part is installed in its intended place, which is located in the front of the car body, immediately behind the radiator grille, from where the air flow appears when driving. Thus, this very liquid passes through the “honeycomb” of the radiator and cools the heart of the car to its optimal temperature.
Step-by-step instructions for replacing the radiator
If you have some skills, you can dismantle the radiator yourself. If the car enthusiast does not have repair experience, then it is better to entrust this work to a specialist. Before starting disassembly, you need to prepare a container for used antifreeze. It is not recommended to dump it on the ground, because the liquid is toxic and can harm the environment.
To replace the VAZ-2109 radiator, you must perform a number of sequential actions:
- Disconnect the battery and remove it from the engine compartment.
- Drain the coolant. To do this, unscrew the plugs on the radiator and cylinder block and open the heater tap. Work is carried out on a cold engine.
- On the “nine” with an injector, it is necessary to additionally remove the air filter housing.
- Disconnect the contact blocks from the fan motor and sensor switch and cut off the clamp that secures the wiring harness.
- Remove the throttle linkage bracket attached to the fan casing.
- Disconnect the rubber pipes from the cylinder block jacket, thermostat and steam exhaust hose by removing the fastening clamps.
- Unscrew the nuts securing the radiator to the car body.
- Take it out together with the cooling fan
After this, remove the hoses from the radiator pipes and the remaining equipment.
If the lower mounting pads were removed during disassembly, they must be put back in place, and if there are cracks or loss of elasticity, they must be replaced. At this point, the work on dismantling the defective radiator is considered completed.
Types of radiators
Radiators differ in case material, its quality and assembly method:
- Prefabricated . The very first and cheapest cooling elements that used a mechanical method, where the components were connected mechanically. No expensive material was used and the work was not particularly difficult.
- Brazed copper . The more expensive analogue of the previous type of spare part is practically no different in operation, but it is many times better quality and stronger than the prefabricated one. The main advantages of this type of radiator are good heat conductivity and the possibility of its repair: damaged areas can be soldered and used further. The price ranges from 1000 to 3000 rubles .
- Aluminum welded . It has a one-piece body and design where the latest welding methods are used. They are the most reliable and durable compared to other types. The obvious disadvantage of an aluminum radiator lies in its material, because, as you know, aluminum is not the best heat conductor, but has better heat transfer. And they cope with this by increasing the area of the radiator itself. The price is almost no different from the price of an aluminum radiator.
The radiator of the VAZ 2108, 2109, 21099 engine cooling system leaked
Malfunction: a leaking radiator of the engine cooling system is often found on VAZ 2108, 21081, 21083, 2109, 21091, 21093, 21099 cars with high mileage.
Symptoms of a problem
— At a minimum: a sweetish smell of antifreeze (antifreeze) and barely noticeable steam under the hood of the car after the engine warms up (the radiator “soars”). Most likely, coolant is leaking slightly through the radiator seals, or through a crack somewhere in its aluminum tubes. In most cases, the area where the coolant oozes out sweats and is a different color from the entire surface of the radiator. When heated, antifreeze evaporates and emits a sweetish odor. The level in the expansion tank practically does not drop.
— At the maximum: a real coolant leak (radiator leak) is added to the smell and steam. The leak can be small (drops on the asphalt where the car is parked) or large (a puddle of antifreeze under the car). In this case, the radiator can leak both cold and hot. The fluid level in the expansion tank periodically or constantly drops.
Possible places for coolant leaks
— Connections between radiator pipes and cooling system hoses
— Aluminum radiator tubes
— Radiator tank seals
— Coolant drain plug
Causes of radiator leaks
— Loose connection of pipes and hoses
— Destruction of rubber gaskets of radiator tanks
Fault diagnosis
A visual inspection of the radiator and its hoses helps diagnose the malfunction. Leak areas usually have drips and fogging that are quite easy to detect. The inspection should be carried out on a cold engine and on a warm one (start it and watch where the leak will be as it warms up).
Troubleshooting methods
In many cases, if a serious radiator leak occurs, self-repair does not bring the expected positive effect, or only brings a temporary one. But it’s still worth trying to repair a leaking radiator.
Firstly, if the connections of the radiator pipes and cooling system hoses are leaking, you should first tighten their clamps. If this does not help, replace the clamps with better ones. If this does not help, replace the cooling system hoses. In such a situation, when the coolant leak does not affect the radiator itself, this should help.
If a small crack is found in the aluminum tube of the radiator frame, it can be repaired by cold welding. If you approach such repairs with all responsibility: remove the radiator from the car, thoroughly clean the leak site, dry it, blow off dust and dirt, purchase high-quality cold welding, seal everything according to the instructions for it, then success in the fight against leaks is guaranteed. High-quality cold welding and thorough cleaning of the leak site will enable the radiator to operate for several more years.
A large hole or multiple holes and damage in aluminum radiator tubes must be welded using argon welding. If there is such an opportunity, you can remove the radiator, clean the damaged areas and weld it. The only negative is that the price of repairs using argon welding can be quite high.
If coolant flows through the rubber seals of the radiator tanks, it is easier to replace the radiator with a new one or a working used one than to bother with such repairs.
If you detect a leak from under the radiator drain plug, you can try replacing it with a new one.
If cracks are detected in the plastic radiator tanks, it must be replaced.
Notes and additions
— In addition to mechanical damage, coolant leaking through the radiator seals can cause excessive overheating and increased pressure in the cooling system. This situation is caused by clogging of the cooling system in general and the radiator in particular, a malfunction of the expansion tank cap, a malfunction of the thermostat, or a malfunction of the electric fan on the radiator. You should sequentially check all of the listed elements, and also, if necessary, flush the cooling system.
— The use of special additives in the coolant to eliminate radiator leaks is not recommended due to negative consequences: blockage of its tubes, as well as blockage of the heater tubes and clogging of the engine cooling system as a whole.
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What does the price depend on?
First of all, you need to know that the cost of a radiator depends on the material from which it is made. But that's not all! Since the price also varies depending on the brand and country of manufacture . You need to know this because the types of car radiators depend on the type of engine and battery power.
Basically, copper radiators for a car are suitable if heating of the interior is also necessary. This will serve you for a comfortable ride. And aluminum ones have less weight and the possibility of its repair, as mentioned above.
Only high quality will allow you to use your iron horse comfortably and without problems without the risk of harming other parts, because their breakdown is a great inconvenience not only for your car, but also for you. Therefore, you need to buy a quality product with a guarantee.
How to fix a car radiator leak
The radiator is one of the main components of the car engine cooling system. Even minor damage to it leads to antifreeze leakage. And, this, in turn, threatens to overheat the engine (with all the ensuing negative consequences). Therefore, timely elimination of radiator leaks is a measure that must be carried out immediately in order to further safely operate the vehicle. Repairs (both temporary and long-term) of this unit can be completely carried out independently. How to do it? This will be discussed in our article.
Examples of prices for a part and its installation
Let's look at examples of prices for the part itself and for its installation.
As is already known earlier, a car radiator for a VAZ 2109 costs from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles . The installation itself can cost 200-600 rubles , it depends on the service where you have your car repaired and on the services provided by the service.
Obviously, the price of a radiator for a “higher class” car will itself be higher.
For example, a radiator on a Mercedes-Benz A-class will no longer cost 1,500-3,000 rubles, but 4,000-10,000 rubles , and its installation will be a more fragile task and will require more time and effort; accordingly, it will take money to install, perhaps even 2 times more than “nine”.
Determining the location of the leak
If the coolant “leaves”, you will immediately know about it by opening the hood and finding a drop in its level on the expansion tank below o.
Next, you need to determine the location of the leak. To do this we do the following:
If you are convinced that it is the radiator that is leaking, then it is necessary to take urgent measures to eliminate this malfunction and only then continue to operate the car.
Folk remedy
If a radiator leak is discovered on the road, then you can get to the nearest grocery store, buy mustard powder or ground red (or black) pepper, and use the proven “old-fashioned” method, which was successfully used even by professional drivers when auto chemicals and its developments did not yet have such wide application.
The method of manufacturing and subsequent use of a homemade repair composition is quite simple:
Particles of organic matter temporarily stop small holes or cracks that have formed in the radiator: this will allow you to safely reach your destination and carry out a full repair there.
Important! After a complete repair, the entire cooling system must be flushed using special compounds, and only then new antifreeze must be added.
Methods for eliminating leaks
If you find that the antifreeze level is dropping, you need to take measures as quickly as possible to get to the nearest workshop.
First of all, you need to determine the cause of the leak - the radiator itself is leaking or liquid is leaking from the pipes. If the leak is small, it is not so easy to detect it on the road. Without turning off the engine, try to visually determine the place where the liquid is dripping. If it is winter outside, steam will be released from the hole or crack.
If you are convinced that it is the radiator that is leaking, then you need to determine the extent of the damage. You can prevent a small leak using ordinary eggs, flour, pepper or mustard - under the influence of hot antifreeze, the eggs inside the radiator will boil and the pressure will nail them to the crack. Flour or pepper will also clump into clumps and plug the hole from the inside.
Be very careful before pouring or pouring all this into the radiator - you can only unscrew the cap when the engine is turned off and cooled down , since high pressure is created inside the radiator and a stream of coolant can escape under pressure and burn you. Unscrew the radiator cap, pour one or two eggs inside, or add a small 10-gram bag of pepper, flour or mustard.
According to the testimony of many motorists, this simple method really helps. The leak disappears. However, then you will have to completely remove the radiator and wash it, since the tubes may become clogged and will not allow antifreeze to pass through.
How can you seal a car radiator?
The use of “cold welding” or special adhesive compositions is also a very effective measure to extend the “life” of your car’s radiator. Work algorithm:
Damage to radiators (made from a wide variety of materials) can be quickly and effectively repaired using a special Hosch-Kleber repair compound. The delivery set includes two containers:
How to use this tool to repair a car radiator is described in the video below:
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