Radiator Problem?

andy-1, May 31, 9:35pm
My husband has just put a new thermostat in my mazda demio as the temperature was slow to come up to where it normally would sit. Then the engine would get a little warm, temperature needle was only slightly higher than usual. He did a radiator flush, put in stop leak (tho the radiator hadn't been leaking) and antifreeze and put the new thermostat in. Since then, when I travel for about 50-60kms, the temperature is getting very hot. Putting the heater on full brings it down a bit. Am I now looking at a new radiator? Water level has been fine, tho we did notice the level in the reservoir tank was a little lower than a week ago. Any advice would be appreciated.

intrade, May 31, 9:39pm
why in the hell does he put stop leak in to it? that crap blocks everything up. probably gunged the thermostat shut now .

aredwood, May 31, 11:25pm
Or blocked all the little tubes in the radiator.

mugenb20b, Jun 1, 12:08am
Or didn't bleed the system properly.

msigg, Jun 1, 1:00am
well the reason it is getting hot now is because it has poor water flow, either through the radiator or other parts of the engine/thermostat or the likes. best to empty the whole system/refill, just with water and see how that goes, if all good do your coolant treatment and all good, if still no good then pull the thermo out and check/replace test, just keep going through each item until you can resolve it, then try reverse flush radiator etc.

tamarillo, Jun 1, 1:45am
As above. Get that stop leak out, bleed it well.

cone1, Jun 1, 2:21am
Get the radiator cleaned out, the top tank needs removing and the core needs cleaning. They only need to be 30% blocked to overheat.
If the heater brings the temp down the radiator is definitely partially blocked.

2sheddies, Jun 1, 2:49am
Given new radiators are quite reasonably priced nowadays, by the time you bugger around getting old ones pulled apart and cleaned it'd likely be easier and probably not much difference cost wise to simply buy a whole new replacement radiator and drop it in.

mrfxit, Jun 1, 4:05am
Reasonable priced new radiators are mostly Chinese built & the radiator shops HATE them because they are crap.

New top tank & rad rodded on our 96 bluebird was $260 with all the work done by the rad shop.
Drive in fixed flushed refitted new coolant & drive out

$120 ish to get a radiator stripped & rodded if you take it in.

andy-1, Jun 2, 12:25am
thanks everyone, good advice there.

gmphil, Jun 2, 12:39am
silverdale radiators

ceebee2, Aug 8, 4:13am
Quite expensive though