Hi, my car started overheating one night while I was stuck in traffic, then the hose on top of the radiator blew and my car started steaming. Im guessing that I would need to replace the radiator. My question is if I should just go on ebay and grab those aftermarket ones or should I go to a junkyard and look for a used one. The prices are about the same. I was just wondering about the quality of the ones on ebay. Thanks alot, help would be appreciated.

 

why not just replace the hose?

 

Well I tooked a look at the hose, the hose is not something detatchable from my opinion. Its actually the plastic hose that is like right next to the grill, where the radiator cap goes. Thats the hose that exploded.

 

www.radiatorbarn.com best prices ever seen, and better quality than that of ebay. check it out. bought myne from there, but its sitting in my room unitl i change it soon.

 

I really want to know the differences between these and oem ones.

 

Buy a Koyo OEM replacement on ebay for around $140. They are identical to OEM and will drop right in. INstalling the new one is quick and easy job.

 

i would look into your thermostat, it blew because on high preasure.
i could be wrong, but i would check it to make sure. you car was over heating after all.

 

In my experience, first like risingmist had sad, check the termostat, change it anyways even if it visually looks ok (its cheap), then get a new radiator, oem is great if you can aford one but i always used aftermarket ones and had good luck with them as long as you get the good quality aftermarket ones. as far a junkyard goes, NO,NO,NO because you never know what you're getting, it might last you just long enough until the warranty ( if the junk yard gives one in the first place, which is another story) and then blow up on you again if say it is clogged or just do to age. good luck.

 

If I do replace the thermostat, do I have to replace the thermostat only or the whole housing. Because I checked that the thermostat is around 10 bucks and the whole housing is like 70 bucks. By the way, before my radiator blew, the temperture gauge would always remain in Cold, and when I drive it for a while then it will pop right up to the middle.

 

that is odd....sounds like a sensor too

 

Wrong. The thermostat fails open by design and allows coolant to flow through the radiator at all times which results in hypercooling.

 

So what should I look into? I did mention that one of my cooling fan was not working.

 

first fix the cooling fan that isn't working, take your car to autozone, they should be able to tell you what part to replace, while looking under the hood.

next change your thermostat, not necessary to replace the whole housing.

next replace radiator cap.

Once coolant has been properly drained and filled you should NOT see any wet spots below your car (except AC).

If you are losing coolant, (check for leaks or blown head gasket) by
checking for choc milkshake on end of oil dipstick
white smoke sometimes out of tail pipe
wet or dry coolant on end of plugs
difficulty starting or car slight misfire while driving

There's probably nothing wrong with your radiator, and it's probably a loose clamp on side of radiator cap, or the thin rubber overflow hose running to overflow reservoir. replace hose and clamps if necessary.

IF radiator is bad, not necessary, to buy new radiator, should able to get used OEM from junk yard $70 - $100, radiators are built to hold under HIGH pressure, they won't just blow. They'll get small pin hole leaks, (that's when you know time to replace). Soon as you install this radiator, you'll able to tell whether it's good or bad (when hot and under pressure 3K RPM) and or within the first couple of days of driving.

Good luck and be safe !!!

 

i have never heard of a thermostat that fails open. i could be wrong, it has happened once before.

 

Ours do.

10 frijoles

 

yeah ive never heard of a thermostat that can fail open, i could be wrong.
hmm you learn something new everyday.
by the way, how do you know its supposed to fail this way?

 

I have looked on ebay and it seems that the koyo one that they show does not seem to be a real koyo one. Because I looked online for koyo and koyo doesn't carry radiators for maximas. So should I just go and order the one from radiatorbarn.com?