Thread: 98 GTP Cracked New Radiator

ok guys im having some issue so here it is i just replaced my radiator since it had a very small crack on n leaked very slowly soo i was like allright ill replace it soo there i go n replaced the radiator and also the coolant temp sensor since it was throwing allot of codes like egr valve code and something bout ect soo i replaced both n they ran just fine for a couple of hours i even had the car running for a good hour n took it on a test drive( by the way temp gauge tead 260 the whole time i tought it was bad gauge) it drove fine n now today after dinner with the wife came home smelled some coolant, me thinking it was probably being burned of by exhaust poped the hood open n BLAM top of radiator is cracked since i can hear steam coming out but cnt see soo here is what i think is wrong when i called autozone they specifically asked if i needed a 5/8 radiator or 1 inch me only being my third owning the car i was like IDK so called napa n all they said was we got it here in stock i was like cool $191 radiator for 131 since i work for ntb they give me tremendous discounts Now could i have maybe gotten the 5/8 radiator didnth really compare sizes when i took old one out OR could it be something to do with the temp gauge it still reads 260 all the time even after bleeding radiator for 20 minutes

yes the fan comes on but have not checked to see if the fan turns off, so i can disconnect the temp sensor and run it just like that? will it throw any codes since it did it before? also read on mitchell that the bad coolant temp sensor causes air intake temps to read wrong wich will sometimes cause slight high idling wich it did before i got the coolant temp sesnsor BUT gonna go tomorrow and pick up new rad gonna make sure that its 1 inch and i will see what happens what do yall think

ok well sounds good im gonna replace rad get another temp sensor then make sure relay works and im gonna try my hardest NOT to put the pedal to the floor lol

You could put in a mechanical gauge to see if the temperature is really that high.

Is your thermostat opening? It's something easy to replace. Always use OEM. You can verify its function by putting it in a glass dish and warming it up on a stove top. Watch to see if it opens near boiling. Also check to see how slow/fast it opens.

ok bought a new radiator made sure it was 1 inch thick went ahead n bought another temp sensor when i looked at new temp sensor it was a little diffrent but still same three prong connection also bought a new coolant temp sensor and i freaking forgot thermostat but the thermostat should be in the same area from were u pull that lil plug to bleed the sustem on the top radiator hose correct?

yea sorry i bought the low level coolant sensor and bought another temp sensor and the rad still forgot to buy the thermostat gonna do dat at lunch since napa is tight up the street

Originally Posted by 98GTPvet

yea sorry i bought the low level coolant sensor and bought another temp sensor and the rad still forgot to buy the thermostat gonna do dat at lunch since napa is tight up the street

NAPA probably doesn't carry an OEM thermostat. I wouldn't piss around with an aftermarket t-stat.

ok well just replaced radiator n found that i accidentally punched a hole in it when i was putting it in the the upper hard line it got tangled with the spark plug wires wich didnth go trough my head of me just removing them for the moment oh well also i did accidentally dent the other cooler in front of it just curious what the other cooler for and what fluid should i watch out for coming out

That "cooler" in front of the radiator is your A/C condensor. If you punched a hole in it you won't see any fluid as refrigerant is a gas and will just escape into the atmosphere. Your A/C will not work either. Hopefully you just bent some of the cooling fins. They can be straightened out if you take your time. They make a special comb for them or you can use a pick if you're careful. Gotta take your time around the rad. area on any car or bad things happen.