I think most aftermarket radiators are pretty similar as far as quality goes. Denso or mishimoto may be a little better quality, but it's hard telling. I usually just get them from the part store so i get a lifetime warranty.

Plastic tank radiators usually leak from being cracked or at the tank seals to the core. When you say the hose flange, are you sure it's not a bad hose or clamp? Just curious where it's leaking from.

 

I don’t know the real technical term so I just called it a flange. It is leaking from the brass coloured fitting at the bottom left side (when standing in front looking down). My mechanic told me it’s leaking from that fitting and trying to tighten it would just make it worse.

That’s smart to buy a lifetime warranty radiator locally. If I had done that last time I would just go get the replacement.

 

Search Aluminum radiator on eBay or Amazon.
I've seen them posted but few months back.
I'm sure they are still available.

 

Guess I would just be nervous about putting in a used and or cheap radiator. I have experience with the latter. Decided to put in a cheap-o ebay special in my other Honda(accord) years ago. Then it blew a quarter sized hole on the plastic tank a few months later on the freeway. No joke. Almost cooked the engine.

Original one just blew out on the CR-V at approx. 250K. Thin crack. Bought an aftermarket one that said OE...along the lines of Denso. I suppose its better.

Suggestions:
Plastic Tanks: Denso/TYC

Aluminum Tanks: Haven't researched it enough. Plenty of resources though.

 

I would not buy Denso if its the same as the one that broke. Specially if the label looks clean and fairly new looking.
You will be replacing it again fairly soon.

 

Maybe I have an email of the order if I can search it out in my emails. I’ll have to look and see if there’s any label.

 

Driving around in -25C the last couple of days makes rethink a used radiator. Not exactly the kind of weather that’s fun to get stranded in.

This car also has other heating issues. It doesn’t get much heat. I backflushed the heater core and it’s a bit better. The temperature gage bare lifts above the bottom line. On the highway today it was right on the bottom line (but it is extremely cold out).
Edit: after coming out of the mall and starting the car I saw the temperature gage was waaay down at the C, so even when it’s at the bottom line it’s still quite a bit above that and the heat exchanger is working to pump heat into the cabin. I’m also driving with the heater on max the whole time. It’s way warmer than last year when I was freezing. I could put something to block the front of the front radiator.

 

Sounds like the Water thermostat stuck open.

 

Not sure. I will change it when I do the rad. I’m also getting only about 15 l/100 km which is pretty bad and also sounds like a stuck open thermostat.

 

Yup, As long as the ect reads cold(stuck open tstat) ecu will run rich.

And no autolock either

 

What do you mean auto lock?

 

Transmission lock -up.
Sorry I used wrong term.
I need to back up my brains memory. Lol

The Accord would not go into that gear at highway speed. Rpms kept higher. The transm got back to normal once the Tstat was replaced.

I'm guessing the V is the same.

 

I figured that’s what you meant. The RD1 has the overdrive button which keeps if from shifting to fourth. I believe it does keep it in third longer when cold. My car shifts fine to fourth. I do intentionally keep the overdrive off when merging onto the highway or for hills etc. It does seem to shift normally. It may just be a symptom of it being so darn cold outside 🥶

 

In the automatic, the torque converter clutch doesn't fully lock up until the engine gets to operating temp. The vehicle will go into final gear, but the torque converter won't be in full lock up. You won't notice this until you put in a new thermostat. You'll actually feel it lock up when it warms up the first time if you are cruising at steady speed down the road. It will almost feel like you shifted into another gear.

Get a thermostat from Honda. That is one part I always get from the dealer on any honda. With the poor heat, it sounds like a likely cause. You can order honda factory thermostats right on amazon or ebay, or wherever you prefer. Probably 30 bucks.

 

My fuel mileage is definitely bad. Getting 15l/100km, but doing short trips in very cold weather.

I will post back after the job is done. I was going to do the work this weekend but it’s very cold and snowy. Too much snow to move my summer car out of the garage into the guest parking area. The summer tires have absolutely no grip on snow.

 

Filled up today and got 18l/100km. Something is definitely out of whack.

Got the radiator out and drained and filled the transmission fluid in the process. Got the thermostat out and it’s not stuck open. Edit: after running some experiments I believe it’s opening too soon. Not “stuck open” but not functioning efficiently and at the correct temperature.

I have a gates one I ordered a while back. They look very different. One thing I notice is the OEM says 78C and the gates says 82C. I put them in hot water and I notice there is a point where the OEM starts to open a bit. I got a thermometer and at 55C it’s cracked. At 65C there’s a few mm gap.

The gates doesn’t open until above about 85C.

One thing that is blatantly obvious is the cheap one doesn’t have nearly the flow of the OEM. I will install it and see how it works.

I would certainly buy a high quality OEM thermostat and not even consider cheap ones. Even fully open it is very much more restricted. It will make the cooling system work that much harder.

Today was warmer and my temperature gage actually got up to a somewhat normal level.

In retrospect, the symptom of very little heat in the cabin in winter has been telling me to replace the thermostat. Hopefully I haven’t caused damage to the cylinders by running it in open loop so much.

I wonder what temperature it leaves open loop? It is based on the cat temperature so the extreme cold temperatures don’t help. I bet there is a lot lot lot of carbon buildup. Indid notice this summer that the piston heads look pretty black just from looking through the spark plug holes.

 

 

See the light going through the rubber diaphragm in the middle of the thermostat? That is where these thermostats commonly fail. You shouldn't be able to see through that with thermostat closed. Water flows through enough to act like it is stuck open. I don't have a new one to look at, but I'm pretty sure that's the case.

 

It will close up, but it starts to open up at 55C and has a good few mm gap at 65C. I’m curious to see if it fixes my fuel economy.

 

I've used Denso with no issues. The all aluminum ones for Civics and such I believe is Mishimoto. Something like that.

 

I was looking at Rock Auto and it’s funny that the second cheapest has a lifetime warranty. Although it would be cost prohibitive to ship something back on warranty it’s still a good indicator of quality to me. Too bad shipping is so much. I have a cart full as backup ready to pull the trigger if my current used replacement doesn’t work out. Locally the parts store has one option, which of course is more expensive, but no shipping charges and it’s immediately available within walking distance.

Mine is leaking from the bottom fittings so all-aluminum wouldn’t help (and I couldn’t find).

If I need a new one the best would be johns suggestion of a lifetime warranty locally sourced unit but I didn’t find that yet.

 

A new Denso should last over 10 years, how long are you planning to keep the CRV? I put one in my Pilot, and my CRV, and my Del Sol.

 

I’d like to keep it ten years but it’s a battle against rust. My engine also burns some oil and lately my gas mileage has been brutal. Not sure how long I can keep nursing it along but we’ll see.

I’m not sure what my last make of rad was. It maybe lasted 6 years then started leaking through the fittings.

 

I got the job done (I hope lol)
The thermostat bolts were a royal pain. My Camry has the thermostat right there facing forward within easy reach. Honda no so much. Blocked by the air filter housing (not so hard to remove once I loosened the retaining ring bolt enough), and the lines for the transmission cooler and a big wiring harness which was a pain. Once I figured out the right combination of tools and techniques it was ok, even when I had to take it off again

My big drawback was I couldn’t get first radiator hose to fit. It kept wanting to crimp and the angles were wrong, WTF? I forgot to lune the tube at the radiator housing and it was a real paint to get the hose in the right orientation. Grip and turn grip and turn! Heavy duty gloves for extra grip! Tore my thin disposable gloves! Then I realized I was trying to connect it to the upper radiator and it’s the lower hose!!!
Then it fit nice. After that debacle it was somewhat smooth sailing. I still kind of hate hose clamps 🤬

After looking very very carefully that things were all hooked up I started it and warmed it up. Tons of white condensation out the back but it’s very cold outside 🥶

Bled and filled with the cap off and it warmed up to normal range. No apparent leaks except….maybe for the same place my old one was leaking! Doh! Not sure yet. Also some steam from the vicinity of the cap but I did spill coolant while bleeding it. Time will tell if I need to buy a NEW rad and not use one from the wrecker like an idiot. At least the rad change is quite easy. The hard part was the thermostat and lower hose.

Bright side is the transmission fluid level after the change appears to be bang-on. I am having second thoughts about the valvoline max life. I have read good things, and also opinions from the other side of the fence. If anything I may change it out in a year (but I did buy two jugs so 10L which will be three changes 😂)

I will have to take it for a few test drives to make sure nothing’s wrong before my wife has at er.

 

Got it out of the garage and took it for a test drive. My Camry sure didn’t want to move in this cold! I had to move it out I go the driveway and back into the single garage, swapping positions. It stalled. It barely rolled. It’s my summer vehicle so it’s protesting at having to move in -25C conditions 😂🥶

The CRV reached heat now. Drove around like normal all peppy. Transmission shifts fine with the valvoline maxlife.

No apparent leaks of anything. Will keep an eye on it.

Now the question is will my gas mileage improve?

 

An update even though an update isn’t required:

I took it out briefly on the highway and it ran well. Temperature is in normal range. Shifting with the valvoline maxlife is good. I think I will stick with this stuff. I do have another 6l so that’s two more changes. I believe it took 2.9l.

There was a crazy noise from the right front wheel. I thought oh oh. Bearings? Then afterwards I looked and realized I’d pulled the plastic shrouding back and I didn’t put back the plastic pins that always break, so easy fix. Must has been blowing back and rubbing a bit.

No apparent leaks in the engine compartment but hard to tell with the drippings from the changeovers. I washed the plastic splash guard at the bottom of the radiator a bit when parked in the mall underground which is at least above 0C as compared to -27C outside. Hopefully I’ll be able to see any leaks.