95 Corolla Radiator Repair?

Hello,

I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.

Does anyone know if it can or cannot be repaired? I haven't seen the
hole myself as the car is still in the shop for the belts. Also, does
the quote sound right? We're approaching a point where the cost of that
fix is getting very close to the purchase price of my vechicle.

The car has 89,000 miles on it btw.


Thanks

"TCM" <IAmTCM@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1165688232.173905.99190@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
> squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
> car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
> radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.
>
> Does anyone know if it can or cannot be repaired? I haven't seen the
> hole myself as the car is still in the shop for the belts. Also, does
> the quote sound right? We're approaching a point where the cost of that
> fix is getting very close to the purchase price of my vechicle.
>
> The car has 89,000 miles on it btw.
>
>
> Thanks
>[/color]

A radiator replacement is not technically difficult and something that an
independent shop should be able to do without any problems for less money.
I would get the quote in writing and then ask an independent shop that has
ASE certified technicians for a quote. If you are not in a hurry, the
radiator could be sent to a radiator shop for re-coring, depending on where
the leak is.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

"TCM" <IAmTCM@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1165688232.173905.99190@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
> squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
> car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
> radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.
>
> Does anyone know if it can or cannot be repaired? I haven't seen the
> hole myself as the car is still in the shop for the belts. Also, does
> the quote sound right? We're approaching a point where the cost of that
> fix is getting very close to the purchase price of my vechicle.
>
> The car has 89,000 miles on it btw.
>
>
> Thanks
>[/color]
It seems a little strange to me that (since you don't indicate you've had to
refill the radiator because of this leak) that they've suddenly found a leak
in it. I'd want to have a good hard look at the radiator before
authorizing them to replace it. I'd also check around and find out
competing quotes for replacing it if necessary.
Not necessarily related, but years ago I had a Peugeot which had a faulty
head gasket allowing coolant into the engine, and making an emulsion of the
oil. The only available Peugeot mechanic wanted about $1200 to replace the
head gasket (and was quite surly to boot, making it a "take it or leave it"
deal) so I went home, got a bottle of black **** called "radiator
stop-leak", poured the stuff in and changed the oil, and drove it without
problems for a year or more before I sold it, still with the repaired gasket
doing its job. Try it out. It may be $5 well spent.

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:12nm0ci7p5cmg8f@corp.supernews.com...[color=blue]
>
> "TCM" <IAmTCM@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1165688232.173905.99190@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>> Hello,
>>
>> I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
>> squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
>> car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
>> radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
>> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
>> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.
>>
>> Does anyone know if it can or cannot be repaired? I haven't seen the
>> hole myself as the car is still in the shop for the belts. Also, does
>> the quote sound right? We're approaching a point where the cost of that
>> fix is getting very close to the purchase price of my vechicle.
>>
>> The car has 89,000 miles on it btw.
>>
>>
>> Thanks
>>[/color]
> It seems a little strange to me that (since you don't indicate you've had
> to refill the radiator because of this leak) that they've suddenly found a
> leak in it. I'd want to have a good hard look at the radiator before
> authorizing them to replace it. I'd also check around and find out
> competing quotes for replacing it if necessary.
> Not necessarily related, but years ago I had a Peugeot which had a faulty
> head gasket allowing coolant into the engine, and making an emulsion of
> the oil. The only available Peugeot mechanic wanted about $1200 to
> replace the head gasket (and was quite surly to boot, making it a "take it
> or leave it" deal) so I went home, got a bottle of black **** called
> "radiator stop-leak", poured the stuff in and changed the oil, and drove
> it without problems for a year or more before I sold it, still with the
> repaired gasket doing its job. Try it out. It may be $5 well spent.[/color]

In my experience, those stop-leak products often cause more problems than
they cure, clogging internal passages. They often work by solidifying in
the presence of air, much like a blood clot, and any air in the system can
cause internal clogs. Of course, if there is a leak, there is a good chance
that there will be air in the system. I have seen quite a few vehicles at
dealerships with cooling systems and transmissions ruined by those products
when a proper repair would have been less expensive.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

They may be giving a parts price quote for an OEM radiator. To me it seems
high, but then again, I don't own a Corolla. I changed out my Previa
radiator a few years ago using a new radiator from an independent shop.
Seem to recall it cost in the low $200 range. No labor charge since I did
the work myself.

"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
news:b64a0$457b00a1$47c2b532$15994@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> "TCM" <IAmTCM@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1165688232.173905.99190@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>> Hello,
>>
>> I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
>> squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
>> car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
>> radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
>> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
>> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.
>>
>> Does anyone know if it can or cannot be repaired? I haven't seen the
>> hole myself as the car is still in the shop for the belts. Also, does
>> the quote sound right? We're approaching a point where the cost of that
>> fix is getting very close to the purchase price of my vechicle.
>>
>> The car has 89,000 miles on it btw.
>>
>>
>> Thanks
>>[/color]
>
> A radiator replacement is not technically difficult and something that an
> independent shop should be able to do without any problems for less money.
> I would get the quote in writing and then ask an independent shop that has
> ASE certified technicians for a quote. If you are not in a hurry, the
> radiator could be sent to a radiator shop for re-coring, depending on
> where the leak is.
> --
>
> Ray O
> (correct punctuation to reply)
>[/color]

"TCM" <IAmTCM@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1165688232.173905.99190@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
> squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
> car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
> radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.[/color]

A perfectly decent non-Toyota new replacement radiator can be had for
$200-300. As for the replacement labour ... lets see what has to be done.
- drain the current radiator 5 minutes
- remove the existing rad hoses 10 minutes
- remove the clips that hold the rad in place 10 minutes
- remove the old rad and drop the new one in place 1 minute
- replace the clips and rad hoses 15 minutes
- fill the rad with new coolant, and blead the air out of the system 15
minutes

I make this 56 minutes, buts lets make it 1.5 hours to allow for goof ups
and profit margin. So, 1.5 h at $50 / hour = $75. I'd ask the dealer
explain exactly what the other $235 labour is supposed to be for.

SD

On Sat, 09 Dec 2006 10:17:12 -0800, TCM wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
> squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
> car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
> radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.
>
> Does anyone know if it can or cannot be repaired? I haven't seen the
> hole myself as the car is still in the shop for the belts. Also, does
> the quote sound right? We're approaching a point where the cost of that
> fix is getting very close to the purchase price of my vechicle.
>
> The car has 89,000 miles on it btw.
>
>
> Thanks[/color]


AutoZone:
SPI CU1409 LLT $148.99

Looks like a decent price to me! Probably good for 30,000-75,000 miles or
more, if you do regular service on your cooling system.

On Sat, 09 Dec 2006 10:17:12 -0800, TCM wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
> squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
> car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
> radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.
>
> Does anyone know if it can or cannot be repaired? I haven't seen the
> hole myself as the car is still in the shop for the belts. Also, does
> the quote sound right? We're approaching a point where the cost of that
> fix is getting very close to the purchase price of my vechicle.
>
> The car has 89,000 miles on it btw.
>
>
> Thanks[/color]


Oh, btw, as Ray says, it's not a hard job. Not hard at all, In fact, all
it requires is a 10mm wrench, a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. Maybe
take half an hour if you can spin a wrench, 75 minutes if you can't...

Dealer gives you fancy waiting areas. That cost money. ;)

Rockauto.com has these prices but you have to pay shipping, which adds
a bit. SPI had reboxed Koyo before which was good, then they switched
over to other low cost source. I wouldn't use SPI. Get Proliance
(formerly Modine).

So a rad can be changed by home mechanics for a little over $100.



SPECTRA PREMIUM Part # CU1409 {#1409} Radiator Cap Included $86.79
PROLIANCE Part # 432359 {#1409} $103.79
KOYO, OE STYLE Part # 1640016441 {Radiator: 27 1/2 Inch Core
#1640016720} $124.79
KOYO Part # 1640016431 {Radiator: 25 Inch Core} $171.79

Hachiroku ãƒ?ãƒ?ãƒ*ク wrote:[color=blue]
>
> AutoZone:
> SPI CU1409 LLT $148.99
>
> Looks like a decent price to me! Probably good for 30,000-75,000 miles or
> more, if you do regular service on your cooling system.[/color]

"Stewart DIBBS" <sjd@pixcl.com> wrote in message
news:8rKdnUaBF_6m8-bYnZ2dnUVZ_h63nZ2d@magma.ca...[color=blue]
> I make this 56 minutes, buts lets make it 1.5 hours to allow for goof ups
> and profit margin. So, 1.5 h at $50 / hour = $75. I'd ask the dealer
> explain exactly what the other $235 labour is supposed to be for.
>
> SD[/color]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where do you live that labor is $50 per hour?
When I went to the Toyota dealer last month, his labor rate was $88 per
hour.
Maybe he has a bigger boat with bigger payments.

TCM wrote:[color=blue]
> [...]
> They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.[/color]

I had it replaced on my '93 Corolla 1.6 XLI a few weeks ago, they asked
about €180 ($240) for the radiator and then something for labor, I'm
pretty sure that was below €100 ($130).

My repairshop told me just like you that they can't patch it.

Hans

It's an easy job to do yourself, or take the rebuilt one from Autozone
down to the local high school, give it to the automotive shop teacher
(assuming they have one) and let the class do it. Or find some kid in
your neighborhood who likes to work on cars and give him 50 bucks to do
it. That price you were quoted is a total rip-off.


TCM wrote:[color=blue]
> Hello,
>
> I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
> squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
> car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
> radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.
>
> Does anyone know if it can or cannot be repaired? I haven't seen the
> hole myself as the car is still in the shop for the belts. Also, does
> the quote sound right? We're approaching a point where the cost of that
> fix is getting very close to the purchase price of my vechicle.
>
> The car has 89,000 miles on it btw.
>
>
> Thanks[/color]

On Sat, 09 Dec 2006 18:55:58 -0800, johngdole wrote:
[color=blue]
> Dealer gives you fancy waiting areas. That cost money. ;)
>
> Rockauto.com has these prices but you have to pay shipping, which adds
> a bit. SPI had reboxed Koyo before which was good, then they switched
> over to other low cost source. I wouldn't use SPI. Get Proliance
> (formerly Modine).
>
> So a rad can be changed by home mechanics for a little over $100.
>
>
>
> SPECTRA PREMIUM Part # CU1409 {#1409} Radiator Cap Included $86.79
> PROLIANCE Part # 432359 {#1409} $103.79
> KOYO, OE STYLE Part # 1640016441 {Radiator: 27 1/2 Inch Core
> #1640016720} $124.79
> KOYO Part # 1640016431 {Radiator: 25 Inch Core} $171.79[/color]

Damn! Got one of those for my 'hachiroku'?! Dealer was about $375, and my
employee discount brought an aftermarket one down to $124 (I think it was
SPI...)



[color=blue]
>
> Hachiroku ãƒ?ãƒ?ãƒ*ク wrote:[color=green]
>>
>> AutoZone:
>> SPI CU1409 LLT $148.99
>>
>> Looks like a decent price to me! Probably good for 30,000-75,000 miles or
>> more, if you do regular service on your cooling system.[/color][/color]

$50us/hour ??? I don't think so....

Where are you located: I want your mechanic to service my TOYs.


Oh, wait: LABOUR not labor.... so, I must assume that you do not
mean US currency.

de Vince
Long Island, NY (too far to drive to Canada for the $50/hr labour
rate. )


On Sat, 9 Dec 2006 21:17:36 -0500, "Stewart DIBBS" <sjd@pixcl.com>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>
>"TCM" <IAmTCM@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:1165688232.173905.99190@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>> I recently took my 95 Toyota Corolla to a toyota dealership to repair a
>> squeaky belt that was causing my power-steering to go out. While the
>> car was their, one of their mechanics said he noticed a hole in the
>> radiator. They are suggesting that they install a new radiator at $617
>> for the parts and $311 for labor. I asked them if it was possible to
>> just repair the hole with soddering or something else and they said no.[/color]
>
>A perfectly decent non-Toyota new replacement radiator can be had for
>$200-300. As for the replacement labour ... lets see what has to be done.
>- drain the current radiator 5 minutes
>- remove the existing rad hoses 10 minutes
>- remove the clips that hold the rad in place 10 minutes
>- remove the old rad and drop the new one in place 1 minute
>- replace the clips and rad hoses 15 minutes
>- fill the rad with new coolant, and blead the air out of the system 15
>minutes
>
>I make this 56 minutes, buts lets make it 1.5 hours to allow for goof ups
>and profit margin. So, 1.5 h at $50 / hour = $75. I'd ask the dealer
>explain exactly what the other $235 labour is supposed to be for.
>
>SD
>[/color]