Rusted radiator support failed safety inspection
12-26-2015, 07:46 AM
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Philly Suburb
Posts: 393
Rusted radiator support failed safety inspection
96 Maxima, radiator support rusted, failed PA state safety inspection, I know some forum members have replaced the radiator support themselves, I have 14 days for free re-inspection, really don't want to spend a lot of money to have body shop do it for me, now I need to figure out what to do.
12-26-2015, 08:00 AM
#2
I just bought a brand new oem Nissan lower radiator support. 193 shipped. Removing the bumper by hand takes about 15 mins then you can see the lower radiator support. Take a drill and drill bit and drill a little until you remove the spot weld holding the two pieces of sheet metal together. I'm borrowing a cheap wire welder from my friend to spot weld the new one on. Harbor freight has cordless drills for $20. You can so it yourself. It'll take several hours but doable. Don't forget to check the cars level and add plywood shims under each Jack stand to make it level.
12-26-2015, 10:27 AM
#3
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Philly Suburb
Posts: 393
I just bought a brand new oem Nissan lower radiator support. 193 shipped. Removing the bumper by hand takes about 15 mins then you can see the lower radiator support. Take a drill and drill bit and drill a little until you remove the spot weld holding the two pieces of sheet metal together. I'm borrowing a cheap wire welder from my friend to spot weld the new one on. Harbor freight has cordless drills for $20. You can so it yourself. It'll take several hours but doable. Don't forget to check the cars level and add plywood shims under each Jack stand to make it level.
12-26-2015, 11:27 AM
#5
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Philly Suburb
Posts: 393
I don't plan to keep the car for long, maybe couple of more years so I don't want spend big money on it, the car has over 220k miles, I have replaced radiator and alternator in past 3 months, there is always something with the old car...
12-26-2015, 11:59 AM
#6
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 2,979
Old cars have problems because people neglect them.
When you buy an old car you inherit those problems.
A Maxima with 220 k miles can have several years of service left in it.
Why not fix it properly. I would get the oem part.
I am curious about cutting the old one out and using nuts and bolts to reassemble. I seem to recall 1970s cars which had bolted
radiator supports.
When you buy an old car you inherit those problems.
A Maxima with 220 k miles can have several years of service left in it.
Why not fix it properly. I would get the oem part.
I am curious about cutting the old one out and using nuts and bolts to reassemble. I seem to recall 1970s cars which had bolted
radiator supports.
12-26-2015, 01:50 PM
#7
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Philly Suburb
Posts: 393
I owe this car since new and maintain pretty much everything myself, mechanically, it has no issues and run very good, but body is not in good shape, rear passenger side quarter panel and rear passenger door scratched on a yellow parking garage exit pole (there was a damn truck parked too far back, blocked 1/4th on the left side of the garage exit so I was trying to squeeze through and turned right too shape). Over the years, I have replaced rotors/pads and brake cylinder, cleaned EGR system, MAF, O2 sensor, knock sensor, exhaust and muffler, inner and outer tie rods, front axles, alternator, radiator, starter and I also replaced valve cover gasket, driver side front wheel bearing, powered radio antenna, I changed oil myself with mobil1 full synthetic oil, I have upgraded sound system, the list goes on and on. Almost all most common 4th gen problems, I have them and sorted myself. But it is just too much, the car might just worth of $500 ~ $700 so I plan to get couple of more years of life out of her and move to something else.
12-26-2015, 06:20 PM
#10
This is why you don't want ebay, they actually tear and split before they have time to rust. Man up, put down cash for OEM, and WELD it. This is one time where you just do it right.
I need pictures of your core radiator support please.
Reason being, I want to compare what a proper core radiator support to what my mechanic installed:
After some tapping on it and listening to the sound, it sounded really thin, so I got my camera, and sure enough, I get that. Had I known about this before it was installed, I would have stopped my mechanic completely and asked that they order a OEM one.
Currently debating what to do:
1. take it back to the same mechanic, and have them install a new and proper OEM one
2. have them just wield some additional support over this (same mechanic)
3. just take it to someone else completely.
Other notes:
I intend to keep this car for a long while longer since we just got another Maxima, and are currently paying it off.
This picture is less than a week after I got the car back.
I posted in this thread before, and hence why I was extremely suspicious when I got the car back: THREAD
If you are wondering why I didn't notice this before, it is because the 4th gen is my father's, so we took it to his long time friend and trusted mechanic. But after I did a closer inspection this morning...
Thank you everyone.
Reason being, I want to compare what a proper core radiator support to what my mechanic installed:
After some tapping on it and listening to the sound, it sounded really thin, so I got my camera, and sure enough, I get that. Had I known about this before it was installed, I would have stopped my mechanic completely and asked that they order a OEM one.
Currently debating what to do:
1. take it back to the same mechanic, and have them install a new and proper OEM one
2. have them just wield some additional support over this (same mechanic)
3. just take it to someone else completely.
Other notes:
I intend to keep this car for a long while longer since we just got another Maxima, and are currently paying it off.
This picture is less than a week after I got the car back.
I posted in this thread before, and hence why I was extremely suspicious when I got the car back: THREAD
If you are wondering why I didn't notice this before, it is because the 4th gen is my father's, so we took it to his long time friend and trusted mechanic. But after I did a closer inspection this morning...
Thank you everyone.
Last edited by asand1; 12-26-2015 at 06:22 PM.
12-27-2015, 07:22 AM
#11
The eBay piece will rust quickly. I've heard 6 months and it falls off the car. You can bolt it on, I've heard that too. Do it yourself and buy the oem part. It's $200.00 or less shipped.
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