Radiators

Most radiators I've seen have what is called a "petcock" valve at the bottom which can be opened and closed by hand. They have what looks like wings on either side that can be griped with the thumb and forefinger. Turn it one way to open it and drain the fluid, turn it back to close it. It isn't a plug like you find in an oil pan.

It could cost between 300 dollars and 600 dollars to replace the radiator in a 2003 Kia Optima. This varies with the type of radiator chosen and your location.

In the plastic jug on the left firwall be sure to fill it to the "COLD" line if the engine is cold which it should be or you would not have opened the cap.

sounds like you have a cracked head or cracked block.however, i would check to make sure it is not transmission oil and thereby ruling out a radiator problem

Check on driver or passenger side of the radiator, on the side next to the motor. Should be a small metal plug.

hi,remove the wires from the thermo switch that tells the fan when to work and bridge them together,fan shoul work with ign on,if not faulty.

The radiator drain is located on the lower right inside corner of the radiator. It is difficult to reach, especially if you have large hands. The drain petcock is plastic with a rubber o-ring for a seal. It is a good idea to have a spare o-ring on hand as these are known to break easily.

If a leak exists, there should be green or red fluid leaking from just under the nose of the car. It is possible that the engine must be running for the leaking to occur, but this is not always the case.

Easiest way is to remove the rad competely. Take off the front driverside wheel and remove the wheel arch liner. The hose runs from the back of the block to the bottom of the rad. Remove the screenwash bottle. Under the bonnet remove the expansion tank, its bracket and the other hoses. Remove the air intake too, just the top half will do. Now you should be able to pull the rad out with the bottom hose attached but be carefull, two people make this much easier. Now you can see the awkward twist type connection. Take it apart carefully as there is an O ring inside which you should really replace. When you refit the o ring use vaseline or baby oil and make sure you line up the slit in the bottom hose with its corresponding guide in the rad. Now block off all outlets and fill the rad with water. The first time I did it the O ring didn't seal properly.

When refitting again use two people to guide the bottom hose through the hole in the wing as its easy to damage it!

Drain the radiator and flush the system. Now, just install a 50/50 mix of the proper anti-freeze and distilled water. You can even buy it premixed. Normally 1 gallon of anti-freeze mixed with 1 gallon of water will be more than enough.

Your coolant system is a pressurized one so some pressure is normal, if the hose is expanding it probably needs to be replaced. Check to be sure that you have a good radiator cap that has the correct psi rating for the vehicle. If the radiator cap is venting pressure into the overflow tank and it is a proper functioning cap then there may be a head gasket issue to deal with but it sounds like what you have is normal, but the radiator hose is getting old.

A cracked radiator can not be fixed. A cracked radiator needs to be replaced . A mechanic can replace one in a few hours.

The amount of coolant is dependent on the options installed in the vehicle. At the manufacturers recommended 1 to 1 ratio of water to coolant it takes anywhere from 3 to 5 Liters.

Look at the bottom or rear of radiator

leave it off while flushing & while filling it up with water & anti freeze the first time, leave cap off, crank car then fill rest of way. you should see burp bubbles.

In the '03 Owner's manual, a rather poor picture shows the oil drain bolt at the bottom right rear of the engine; it's axis is parallel to the ground, fore and aft. If the picture is correct "Engine Oil" label is cast into the bottom casting at the bolt. Directions are to run engine to normal temperature; lift hood, remove engine oil fill cap. Remove drain bolt and washer from the bottom of the engine. Remove the oil filter and let the remaining oil drain; a special wrench is needed for the filter. (I'd guess a normal oil filter wrench will work. )

It depends - if the leak is small, just put a bottle of Barr's stop leak in the radiator - make sure you follow the directions. It works great on small leaks.

There can be several reasons for a boil over condition. 1. low or insuffecient coolant. Anti-freeze protects from boil over too. If the level of coolant is low or does not have enough "antifreeze" in the mixture, the boiling point is lowered. 2. thermostat is not opening or not opening enough. A thermostat must be installed, however. If the thermostat is not installed the coolant circulates so fast that the radiator does not have time to remove the heat and boil over results. 3. insufficient coolant flow. Blockage from thermostat, debris in the radiator or a condition called electrolisis. This is the hard white scaley stuff that you may see inside the radiator that is the result of the coolant flowing over the different types of materials in your cooling system. Regular flushing and renewing coolant is the best prevention of this. A professional flushing or replacement of radiator may be required to fix. 4. Head gasket or cracked head. This would be a major engine mechanical failure and would require removal of cylinder heads for close inspection. Other gasket failures could also contribute to overheating by allowing air into the cooling system, thereby lowering the boiling point.

Evap flush is a scam. No need to do it. No manufacturer lists it on their recommended maintenance schedule.

Rick

I'm a retired ASE Master/L-1 Technician. I still keep current with the latest automotive technology. Visit my blog for cool articles and TSB's: http://free-auto-repair-advice.blogspot.com

If you mean after you filled it with coolant, then jack up the front of the car, fill the radiator slowly,run the engine until it is at the normal temp. then let it sit overnight, refill the next morning. Should be all set. Reason - air rises to the highest point.

Low on coolant? A/c or defroster set to "on" position? Defective coolant temp sensor? Also could be defective fan motor. if that is the case make sure you order the exact same part number b/c from car to car they can vary and if you dont get the correct motor it may cause overheating problems.

In the down panel from back. Its like a butterfly