My 2004 Sienna's radiator is leaking again. It was replaced in 2006 as part of the service campaign. Now it has the pink crusty stuff again. I priced a radiator at a couple Toyota dealers and got 2 outrageous answers $576 and $615. I decided to go aftermarket for $280 from a local import part supplier.
I did my research on doing the job and, while a little more involved than previous radiator that I had replaced, it didn't seem too bad. I had never pulled the front bumper cover off before (piece of cake). While getting the old radiator out, I did run into some corroded bolts and nut plates down the bottom. I attribute this to the dissimilar metals and road salt. The other issue was some of the plastic retainers have gotten brittle and broke. The worst being the hood prop rod holder. It now has a velcro strap. I got the old one out and the new one in with out too much difficulty. I took notice that the welded seems of the aftermarket unit looked quite nice and robust . Everything was back together and it was time to fill the system. I did pick up some Toyota Long Life (red) as I believe that is what I already had in the system.
Tragedy struck!
The new radiator was leaking from the drain and they system was not even under pressure. I made sure the drain was tight but it still was leaking. I backed the drain plug all the way out and found the O-ring cut with part dangling. I happened to have a few drain plugs in my junk box and one was a perfect match. It too leaked. I tried several different o-rings but no joy. Not being able to see into the drain, I probed inside the drain with a rod and could feel roughness. Using a small digital camera held in front of the drain, I was able to see that the surface was not smooth. The radiator was no good!
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I don't know if it is a design flaw or manufacturing defect but the downward facing hole where the coolant drains out goes right through where the o-ring has to pass through. The edges of the hole are sharp and cut into the o-ring. There is no way this could work. The Toyota radiator drain has the hole recessed and the o-ring can't come in contact with the edge of the hole.
None of the Toyota dealers or part stores in my area had a replacement in stock. All I could do is reinstall the old radiator.
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After it was installed and filled, I took the van for a test drive. When I got back, I went to open the hood and the latch cable popped off
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. I guess all the twisting around dislodged the cable. By dropping the pan just behind the bumper, I was able to reach up and pop the latch. Of course then I had to remove the latch to reinstall the cable which wouldn't be so bad except it was now dark, getting cold, and I was dead tired.
I am getting too old for this stuff. As a kid, this stuff never bothered me. Work started at 10am and ended 9pm. My hands are battered, busted and sore; my back has asphalt rash and aching. I can't wait to see how I feel tomorrow and the next. On the plus side, I have become quite proficient at changing the radiator out now. This is good as I will still have to do it one more time.
Moral of the story... Check the drain.
Stan
I did my research on doing the job and, while a little more involved than previous radiator that I had replaced, it didn't seem too bad. I had never pulled the front bumper cover off before (piece of cake). While getting the old radiator out, I did run into some corroded bolts and nut plates down the bottom. I attribute this to the dissimilar metals and road salt. The other issue was some of the plastic retainers have gotten brittle and broke. The worst being the hood prop rod holder. It now has a velcro strap. I got the old one out and the new one in with out too much difficulty. I took notice that the welded seems of the aftermarket unit looked quite nice and robust . Everything was back together and it was time to fill the system. I did pick up some Toyota Long Life (red) as I believe that is what I already had in the system.
Tragedy struck!
The new radiator was leaking from the drain and they system was not even under pressure. I made sure the drain was tight but it still was leaking. I backed the drain plug all the way out and found the O-ring cut with part dangling. I happened to have a few drain plugs in my junk box and one was a perfect match. It too leaked. I tried several different o-rings but no joy. Not being able to see into the drain, I probed inside the drain with a rod and could feel roughness. Using a small digital camera held in front of the drain, I was able to see that the surface was not smooth. The radiator was no good!
I don't know if it is a design flaw or manufacturing defect but the downward facing hole where the coolant drains out goes right through where the o-ring has to pass through. The edges of the hole are sharp and cut into the o-ring. There is no way this could work. The Toyota radiator drain has the hole recessed and the o-ring can't come in contact with the edge of the hole.
None of the Toyota dealers or part stores in my area had a replacement in stock. All I could do is reinstall the old radiator.
After it was installed and filled, I took the van for a test drive. When I got back, I went to open the hood and the latch cable popped off
I am getting too old for this stuff. As a kid, this stuff never bothered me. Work started at 10am and ended 9pm. My hands are battered, busted and sore; my back has asphalt rash and aching. I can't wait to see how I feel tomorrow and the next. On the plus side, I have become quite proficient at changing the radiator out now. This is good as I will still have to do it one more time.
Moral of the story... Check the drain.
Stan
