Cooling radiator DIY repair

In detail: do-it-yourself cooling radiator repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The normal operation of the motor is influenced by many factors, including the correct operation of the cooling radiator. For example, a car is stuck in a traffic jam, the engine runs smoothly, and suddenly steam starts pouring out from under the hood of the car. Another case. In the cold season, the motorist suddenly wanted to turn on the stove. And then a breath of icy air was felt from the deflector, and the fuel began to be consumed much faster. A faulty radiator is the cause of these two phenomena. For this reason, it is necessary to try to identify its malfunctions in a timely manner and carry out high-quality repairs.

Among the options for a radiator breakdown there are those that can only be eliminated at a service station.

What can happen to the cooling radiator? So, the generator fails due to the fact that:

The tightness of the pipes through which the coolant enters the radiator tanks is broken;
Cracks form on the radiator tubes (for supplying and removing fluid);
After a car gets into an accident, due to the effects of corrosion, cracks and holes appear on the radiator itself;
The rubber seals of the steel are not tight;
The conductive tubes were clogged, as a result of which the liquid could not be cooled sufficiently.

In order to repair a radiator with your own hands, you must first identify faults in its operation.

Learn how to make the correct highlighting of the number and whether you need it - find out in this material.

Also here you can find out how to remove the VAZ 2110 vacuum brake booster.

If there are leaks of coolant, then the radiator is faulty. It is not difficult to identify a radiator leak, you just need to carefully inspect the parking lot.

Video (click to play).

Looking for leaks. In case of problems with the radiator, this is the first action of any motorist. To do this, you need to open the hood, in which you then search for the pipes leading to the radiator. It is necessary to check the condition of the upper and lower pipes of the motor and two pipes of the stove. Careful inspection of the connections and the sealing clamps is necessary. Hoses must be free of cracks or breaks, and clamps must be free of leaks.

Next, you need to inspect the radiator itself, whether there are traces of recently leaked antifreeze on its body. You need to turn off the engine, wait until it cools down a little, then turn it on again and warm it up to operating temperature. What's in the open hole? During normal operation of the thermostat, antifreeze should flow inside. An empty radiator means that a stuck closed thermostat must be replaced.

You can also check the thermostat with a completely cooled motor. To do this, you need to remove the plug from the radiator and look into it. Antifreeze flowing inside means a stuck open thermostat. In addition, it is because of a faulty radiator that the motor constantly overheats. Diagnostics of the condition of the radiator is carried out as follows. The coolant levels are checked and should be normal. A "cold" start of the motor is carried out. When the engine warms up, the temperature of the pipes supplying the radiator becomes slightly higher. The radiator pipes must be cold. If the outlet pipes become warm, then the thermostat is out of order. If the lower branch pipe becomes warmer, then everything is in order with the thermostat, with poor cooling, we can say that the thermostat needs to be replaced (repaired).

Radiators made of brass. Holes, cracks, gaps in this kind of radiators are eliminated. Before starting work, you need to stock up on a powerful soldering iron (an electric one with a power of at least 500 W is fine); drill, flux or soldering acid (zinc chloride additive); solder; sandpaper and a metal brush.

First, the faulty radiator is removed from the car and cleaned. Further, all damage is inspected on it. Holes or small cracks, for example on the surfaces of the radiator tanks, as well as other damage can be cleaned with a brush. Then it is necessary to sand the soldering points to those. until a uniform metallic sheen appears. This is done in order to remove oxides and so that the solder and metal adhere perfectly. After that, on the brass surface (in the place of the proposed soldering), soldering acid, a drill with flux is applied, due to which the spreading of the solder along the damage will be excellent. When soldering damage, you need to look at the condition of the factory welded seams, which, when heated with a soldering iron on a highly conductive brass material, can also begin to "float". When damage is found near the places where factory seams are located, they are cooled or methods of restoring radiators from aluminum material are used.

Radiators made of aluminum material. To repair damage in this kind of cooling elements, it is worth taking various sealants and adhesives.

Holes with damage 1 cm deep are sealed using "cold welding", produced in the form of small bars and includes a pair of components with an adhesive base and a catalyst. Holes are repaired using the same method as repairs with epoxy and polyester adhesives. Before starting the process called "cold welding", its components are kneaded until they become a homogeneous mass and take the form of a conical shape, the sharp angle of which is pressed into the damage.

Cracks that form at the base of any of the tubes are sealed with epoxy adhesives or its components. The best results with this restoration method can be achieved by adding fillers (for example, aluminum powders) to the glue. A solution of the prepared glue is applied to the places ready for work, after which a certain number of layers of glass fabrics soaked in an adhesive solution are wound in the places of gluing (to increase the rigidity). After the completion of the repair work, the epoxy glue must be dried (at least one day), after which the radiator element can be operated.

Note that the restoration of radiators with huge holes is carried out using epoxy glue and glass fabrics. In this case, the damage is sealed with a certain number of fiberglass pieces, the size of each of which increases (ascending). Each layer is dried after gluing.

If the radiator plastic tank is damaged (such structures are quite common), you can use either the method described above, or soldering the plastics. For the process, it is necessary to use materials identical to those used in the construction. The sequence of soldering is identical to the connection of elements made of metallic material.

You will learn even more details about the repair of radiators from this video:

At the end of the article about how to repair a car radiator with your own hands, Recall that after self-repair, the radiator can last a long time if:

secure it securely;
the external radiator surface must be periodically cleaned with autochemicals;
fill the cooling system only with high-quality antifreeze;
the cooler must be changed periodically (when its qualities change).

You can also, in order not to suffer, buy a new radiator or send it to a service station for repair. As for the cost of repairs in specialized workshops, the price will depend on the service station itself, on how popular it is. For example, in workshops belonging to branded manufacturing enterprises, repairs will be more expensive. In service stations located outside the city, repairs will be cheaper. In cities closer to the center, repairs will be more expensive, further - cheaper.

An article on how to repair a car cooling radiator - causes of malfunctions, methods of troubleshooting. At the end of the article - a video about the professional repair of the radiator.

The content of the article:

Causes of cooling radiator malfunctions
Typical malfunctions
How to pinpoint a radiator leak
Repair methods
Video about professional radiator repair

After the fuel is burned in the engine, about 70% of the generated energy is converted into heat. Some of the heat goes outside through the exhaust pipe, but most of the heat stays inside the engine, heating it to a high temperature.

A cooling radiator (heat exchanger) is used to prevent engine overheating and dissipate heat into the environment, which is the main component of the vehicle's cooling system. A healthy and well-maintained (clean) radiator maintains optimum operating temperature in the engine, allowing it to run at full capacity.

However, the radiator, like all other elements of the car, can fail and stop performing its function. But at the same time, it is not at all necessary to immediately contact a car service for repairs. As practice shows, in most cases, a heat exchanger malfunction can be eliminated independently. To do this, you just need to identify the cause of the breakdown and know how to eliminate it.

There are not so many reasons causing problems with the radiator, and conditionally they can be divided into three types:

mechanical damage;
improper operation;
normal wear and tear during operation.

You can also add a factory marriage, but this reason is extremely rare. In most cases, the above reasons lead to one consequence - a violation of the tightness of the radiator. That is, it simply starts to leak.

But there is another "result" of breakdown, which can be more likely attributed to improper operation - fouling of heat transfer plates... Simply put, the radiator becomes so dirty that it stops exchanging heat with the environment, since an adhered and dried layer of dirt (dust, insects, poplar fluff) prevents heat from separating from the heat exchange plates.

In this situation, it is hardly appropriate to talk about repairs, because the problem is solved by simply flushing the radiator fins with a stream of running water. By the way, dirt can form not only outside the radiator, but also inside it in the form of blockages, scale and corrosive deposits.

A small stone that accidentally flew out from under the wheel of a car, as well as a serious accident with a head-on collision, can damage the radiator mechanically with the subsequent violation of the tightness. Also, the inept maintenance of the radiator by an inexperienced car owner, when he accidentally damages the housing, heat exchange elements or other parts, can also be attributed to mechanical damage.

Incorrect operation can consist not only in untimely cleaning and washing of the radiator, but also in the use of low-quality coolant.

Poor quality of the liquid can lead to its freezing and "defrosting" of the radiator, even with a slight frost, with a subsequent violation of the tightness. Or the composition of a low-quality liquid can be so aggressive that it corrodes metal. And this eventually leads to the same defect - depressurization and leaks.

In a car, as in other technology, there is nothing eternal. And the cooling radiator is no exception.He and its accompanying parts are also subject to corrosion, destruction, blockages during operation.

Typical radiator malfunctions can be divided into two types: external and internal.

External:

violation of the tightness of the pipes for the delivery of coolant to the radiator tanks;
the formation of cracks on the radiator pipes for the supply / removal of coolant;
violation of the tightness of rubber seals.

Internal:

the formation of blockages in the conductive pipes that prevent sufficient cooling of the liquid.

Before starting to repair the radiator, you need to determine the nature and location of the malfunction itself. Almost all external malfunctions of the radiator (except for the usual pollution) consist in a violation of its tightness, which means that there must be a coolant leak.

The intensity of fluid flow from the radiator can be different, and at the initial stage it is visually imperceptible, but a rapid decrease in the level of fluid in the tank is noticed almost immediately. After all, a decrease in the level of antifreeze or antifreeze leads to overheating of the engine, which will be immediately signaled by a special temperature sensor on the driver's instrument panel.

There are two ways to pinpoint the location of a fluid leak. In this case, you will need to completely drain the coolant from the radiator, and disconnect the radiator itself, remove it from the car and rinse thoroughly.

It is necessary to plug (close) all radiator inlets and leave only one. Pour water into the radiator through the left hole. Through the same open hole, using a pump or compressor, create excess pressure in the radiator. A stream of water will begin to come out of the hole in the damaged area.

Also, the removed, empty and clean radiator, but with all the inlets plugged, must be completely immersed in a suitable container of water. Air bubbles will emerge from the holes in damaged areas. If air does not come out, create excess pressure in the radiator with a pump or compressor.

There are several ways to repair a radiator, but not all of them are available and are suitable for independent "garage" or "field" repair. Below we will consider the most simple and common methods of self-repair in simple conditions, without special professional equipment.

For outdoor repairs to a cooling radiator, a heat-resistant adhesive sealant with metal powder is often used. Such a composition is often called "cold welding" or "metal sealant". On the market, such sealants can be offered ready-to-use or as separate components, which then need to be mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Repairing a radiator using external glue-sealant is quite effective, but only subject to compliance with the relevant technological requirements at each stage of work:

the coolant must be completely drained from the radiator;
the outer surface intended for repair must be thoroughly degreased and lightly treated with a file or emery cloth until a slightly rough surface is formed;
to seal large holes (more than 2 mm), metal patches with a degreased and treated surface can be used.

A sealant is applied around the hole (crack). Initial hardening occurs within 2-3 minutes, and full hardening within 24 hours. The product can be used after 24 hours.

The advantage of a metal sealant is that its coefficient of thermal expansion is close to the coefficient of metal, and if everything is done correctly, then the sealed radiator can serve for several more years.

"Chemical sealants" are sometimes also referred to as "radiator reconditioning fluid" or "powder reducing agent".Accordingly, such sealants are powder and liquid.

Eliminating a leak with a sealant (from the inside) is not a difficult process. The sealant is poured into the cooling system, after which it comes into contact with air and creates a polymer plug, which clogs the hole at the leak.

However, this method has a serious drawback - the sealant clogs the cooling system., after which a complete flushing of the system (and an air conditioner with a stove too) is required. Therefore, the internal use of a sealant is advisable only in an emergency, when the leak is urgently needed to be repaired. You can drive with such a sealant no more than 100 km.

Repairing radiators using soldering is considered not only more reliable, but also more difficult and time consuming. However, this self-repair method is not suitable for all radiators. For example, it is better not to use it to repair radiators made of aluminum alloys, which are very difficult to repair under normal conditions. It is better, easier and faster to seal such radiators with metal sealant. Brass devices are considered the most suitable for home repair with a soldering iron.

To solder a brass radiator you will need:

a soldering iron with a power of at least 50 W;
soldering acid (acid and zinc solution) - for cleaning metal from oxide;
borax powder (flux) - to neutralize the oxide film and better spreading of liquid solder;
solder.
metal brush, sandpaper or file.

The surface for applying the joint layer must be pre-cleaned from dirt and dust. Signs of corrosion and oxidation are removed with a wire brush. The working surface is treated with an emery cloth (or a file) to a shine, to improve the adhesion (adhesion) of the metal to the solder. The soldering iron tip must be clean and free of old solder and scale. The work surface must be warmed up immediately before starting soldering.

Important! Soldering can only be carried out at a certain distance from the factory seam, since brass has a high thermal conductivity and can melt the factory seam.

The process of soldering a radiator is not as easy as it seems at first glance. If you do not have sufficient minimum skills to work with a soldering iron or you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to contact a specialist.

If the cooling radiator has extensive damage, but at the same time it is localized (that is, located in one place), then the problem can be solved by plugging the damaged pipes.

Usually, the damaged tubes are tightly squeezed (flattened) with pliers on both sides as close as possible to the damaged area. In this simple way, the leakage of coolant from the defective holes is blocked.

As a rule, such radical actions are taken in the "field" conditions when there is no other way out of the situation. It should be remembered that it is impossible to operate the car for a long time after such a radical repair, and the number of plugged tubes should not exceed 3-4 pieces.

The most recent car models are increasingly equipped with cooling radiators with plastic barrels and an aluminum alloy center section. It should be remembered that it is not necessary to waste time on the repair of such radiators, since they cannot be repaired at all - they must be changed immediately.

Video about professional radiator repair:

If a car's radiator leaks, then most of us resort to replacing it. However, in most cases it is possible not to change, but to repair the radiator. Sometimes no skills are required, but sometimes it is impossible to do without knowledge in the field of welding or soldering. We learn to determine the condition and try to restore the radiator with our own hands.

The most common problem is when the radiator leaks due to old age. Coolant (coolant) runs out of the joints between metal and plastic, which automatically leads to overheating of the engine.It is not always possible to find a replacement radiator, and repairs will cost at least 2 times cheaper than a new one.

Further we will talk about car radiators in general and it does not matter if it is a repair of a heater radiator, an air conditioner radiator or a radiator of the engine cooling system.

Repair of a radiator with chemistry. Minor damages can be repaired with special products known on the market as radiator refurbishing fluid, radiator sealant, or powder reductants. The principle of operation is approximately the same: pour the radiator reductant into the engine cooling system (SOD). The resulting mixture will seal cracks when exposed to air.

Chemistry is different from chemistry, therefore, it is impossible to answer for the quality of such a method as a whole. For example, a low-quality reductant may not help, but, on the contrary, harm it by clogging up the entire SOD. For example, the stove will stop heating and it will be necessary to flush the SOD or change the radiator of the stove. Better chemistry is able to eliminate radiator leakage only for a while (from several days to several months). Thus, chemistry for repairing a radiator is only a temporary solution to the problem.

There is a popular method for repairing radiators. It consists in patching holes using cold welding (a material similar to plasticine, which hardens after use). It is better to close up a small hole in the radiator after degreasing the work surface well. If the hole in the radiator is large, then a piece of tin can be used as a patch, which is again glued with cold welding.

We repair the radiator honeycomb with a mixture of epoxy resin and hardener. Degrease and pour the substance into the damaged honeycomb and level it with a spatula. Now the holes in the radiator are 100% sealed.
In general, the folk method involves the use of many materials for sealing, I just showed the main ones. Whether this approach can be called a high-quality radiator repair, decide for yourself.

The following instruction assumes knowledge of basic welding and soldering skills.
To repair the radiator permanently, it must be removed, but before that, the coolant must be drained from it (described in detail in the article on cleaning the radiator). Now that the radiator is dismantled, we can determine its condition, whether the radiator can be repaired or replaced with a new one.

Repair the radiator by soldering. We clean the place that will be restored well and solder a piece of sheet brass (brass radiators). Here you need to resort to using a gas torch and a soldering iron.

If the radiator tubes are cracked, then it is better to replace them with new ones. We heat the solder until it becomes soft and take the tube out of the tank. In its place we solder a new one. The disadvantage of this method is the effect of high temperatures on the elements of the radiator, which leads to its internal deformation. Therefore, it is better to use argon arc welding (argon welding).

Repair of a radiator with argon welding. The filler material here is a special welded aluminum wire. Special equipment is indispensable here. It should be noted that places treated with argon will be protected from oxidation.
Repair of a radiator using gas-dynamic spraying. When a special powder is accelerated along the inside of the radiator at a very high speed, a 1-1.5mm thick coating forms on the damaged surface. It makes no sense to describe these two methods, because they cannot be done at home.

There are various ways to repair a car radiator, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. In one case, there will be a short-term repair of the radiator, and in the other for a long time.If you doubt your abilities, then it is better to entrust the mission of restoring the radiator to specialists and argon welding. They will not only repair, but immediately clean the radiator and, if desired, install a brass tank.

If the radiator is damaged after a frontal collision of the car, then repairs will cost a pretty penny. It is more correct in this case to buy a new high-quality radiator.

It is very important to keep your car's engine running smoothly. For this to work, it is essential that all systems function smoothly. One of these is the engine cooling system. Quite often, the radiator of the cooling system fails. This brings problems and troubles both in hot weather and in cold weather.

If the radiator is out of order and cannot perform its functions, do not rush to buy a new one. The price for such a spare part is very high. You can repair it with your own hands, if this does not work out, contact a specialist.

Material content [open]

Engine cooling system designed to prevent it overheating, which would lead to complete failure of the unit and costly repairs.

For more efficient operation of the system in the car is installed radiatorhaving a large enough area. Its main purpose is to accelerate the cooling of the liquid that circulates through the system.

Appearance: tube system, the diameter of which depends on the class of the car, with the plates attached to them.

Liquid circulates through the radiator tubes. The simplest is water. It is permissible to pour it into the cooling system. However, its operation is impossible when the minus temperature is established.

Usually, universal fluids are poured in, immune to changes in temperature conditions: antifreeze, antifreeze, freon.

Principle of operation: hot liquid from the engine enters the radiator. Usually it is installed in such a way that there is an additional flow of air from the street. Or a fan is installed next to it. Continuously cooled radiator, colder than liquid. It cools the liquid, taking its heat, and it goes further through the system, again getting into the engine.

Types of radiators at the place of application:

Cooling system radiator... They are needed to maintain the operating temperature of the car engine in safe parameters, by cooling the liquid in contact with the external environment;
Radiator... Needed to maintain higher temperatures inside the car;
Radiators in the air conditioning system - are responsible for cooling the air circulating in the system;
Intercooler radiator... Responsible for cooling the air, which is supplied by means of pressurization to turbocharged engines. In this way, the working density is increased;
Evaporator radiators, integrated into the air conditioning system. Designed to expand the refrigerant and pump cooled air into the passenger compartment;
Oil radiators... They are responsible for cooling the oils supplied to the engine or transmission (this is necessary to increase the viscosity of the oils).

Types by material of manufacture:

Made of aluminum... There are two types, distinguished by design: tubes mounted on plates, plastic tanks or flattened tubes, between which tapes are fixed, plastic tanks;
Brass and copper... Construction: tubes are usually made of copper, tanks made of brass. The structure itself is not prefabricated, but soldered.

Understand that the unit out of order, you can use several featured: the engine temperature rises, there is a noticeable puddle under the machine when checking the coolant level (too low a level indicates a fluid leak from the system). What are the causes that it fails:

Mechanical or otherwise damage working tubes through which liquid passes. At the same time, the pressure inside decreases, the liquid leaves, and the cooling system does not cope;
Integrity violation the unit as a result of environmental influences: rust, corrosion;
Violation of integrity and elasticity rubber parts;
Internal state of the radiator pipes does not allow in full pass liquid, due to clogging, limescale deposits and other reasons.

In order to notice in time that there is a leak in the cooling system or it is simply faulty, you need watch closely the engine temperature and inspect the parking lot. In case of violation of the integrity of the radiator, under the car there will be a puddle.

If such a leak is noticed or occurs engine overheating, you need to determine the place. For this you need:

Raise the hood of the car... First of all, inspect the pipes leading to the engine and stove for damage, delamination, cracks;
Conduct inspection the radiator itself. If it leaks, traces of liquid will be visible;
Inspect thermostat, there is a movement of refrigerant through it or not. If not, then the thermostat needs to be replaced. If this does not help, then the element itself is clogged;
You also need check the operation of the thermostatby starting a cold engine. As it warms up, the cooling system should begin to work, while the cold pipes will be hot, and the weekend should be cold. If this is not the case, it is worth changing the thermostat.

Often times, if no leak is identified, the problem is a broken thermostat. If there is no leakage and the thermostat is working properly, the problem is in the internals of the unit.

Methods for repairing an engine cooling radiator: welding, cold welding, brazing, liquid sealants or adhesives.

You can buy and install a new one spare part, but it is too expensive, and many faults are easy to fix. It is better to try to carry out such repairs yourself. It will depend on the type of cooling radiator.

Before proceeding with the repair, you need drain liquid, disconnect the mount and thoroughly clean the radiator. Then mark all the places requiring repair and sand them to a uniform shine of the metal.

The easiest way to repair a faulty engine cooling radiator is by soldering.

If external repair is required, then first, you need to assess the nature of the damage. These can be small cracks and large holes in one or more tubes.

If large damage, repairs can be carried out by soldering the radiator. This will require special skills and solder.

The main problem when brazing aluminum products is that an oxide film forms on aluminum... It must be removed using a flux, specialized solder or mechanically.

Soldering iron warm up the surface to be repaired;
Cover by rosin, to prevent contact with air and the formation of an oxide film;
Apply to soldering iron some soldermixed with metal sawdust;
Tinning should be done in a circular motion.

If the damage is small, an epoxy-based chemical cold welding can be used.

Damage sealing process copper aggregate almost identical to brazing aluminum. The only difference is the chemicals used.

Treat the radiator area to be repaired with solvent. The site is always clean;
Warm up the surface to be repaired. This can be done with a powerful soldering iron or with a hair dryer, better than a construction one;
Etch the repair sites with soldering acid using a brush;
Apply rosin to the soldering iron and start tinning the damaged area using solder.

In the case of a very large area of damage, there will be little solder. You can apply a patch of the appropriate material and solder it.

In addition to the well-known ways to repair a cooler with your own hands, people have come up with their own ways. There are special liquid sealantsthat can be applied urgently.However, specialized auto shops are not readily available. You can apply the folk method of restoring tightness - seal the damage.

Before applying the glue, it is necessary to prepare the surfaceby cleaning and degreasing it.
Next you need prepare the composition made of epoxy resin and hardener.
Then the resulting substance pour into damaged parts, or apply to cracks and small gaps in the coolant.

Repair cooling radiator, if necessary, you can do it yourself. With your own hands, you can apply cold welding, soldering or glue the unit. Other methods are very laborious and require specific knowledge and equipment.

The following videos also describe all the features of repairing a cooling radiator.

A fairly large amount of heat is generated during operation of an internal combustion engine. In order to exclude the possibility of overheating of the main elements, a cooling system is being installed, an important part of which can be called a radiator. A decrease in the efficiency of the cooling system or its complete failure is not allowed, since in this case the engine will overheat and fail. That is why the repair of car cooling radiators should be carried out immediately when the first signs of a malfunction appear.

The radiator is a combination of thin tubes with thin plates between them. The operating principle of the entire cooling system is quite simple:

The engine has a cooling jacket that is supplied with water or antifreeze. Due to the high thermal conductivity of the materials used when creating the entire system, heat is transferred to the liquid, after which it is removed to the radiator.
The radiator has a fairly high capacity indicator and consists of a large number of tubes. Dividing the structure into many small sections can significantly increase the contact area of the tubes with the plates. In the manufacture of this element of the cooling system, aluminum of small thickness is used, due to which the degree of heat transfer is also significantly increased.
When the vehicle is moving, the radiator is cooled by a powerful air flow. And also additional fans are installed, which can significantly increase the cooling efficiency of the structure.

After the temperature of the working fluid has been reduced, it is fed back to the engine cooling jacket.

The use of aluminum and other similar alloys in the manufacture of a radiator determines that even an insignificant mechanical effect can cause a leak or other defect. The cost of repair services at the service station is very high, which is associated with certain complexities of the process. That is why many people decide to repair the cooling radiator with their own hands.

Soldering the aluminum radiator should be carried out immediately after a malfunction is detected. This is due to the fact that leaks are dangerous for those around and the engine structure:

Too low coolant level leads to overheating of the internal combustion engine.

Due to the heating of the liquid in the system, its pressure rises. At a critical value of pressure, a sharp release of antifreeze heated to a high temperature can occur. Liquid spillage on exposed skin will result in injury.

It is possible to repair a radiator with your own hands only if you have a certain set of tools. This is due to the fact that the mechanical defect can be eliminated only by soldering the hole.

Clogged conductive tubes.When using low quality antifreeze or dirty liquid, there is a possibility that the tubes will become clogged and stop flowing liquid. To solve this problem, you will have to disassemble the structure and carry out cleaning.

Violation of the tightness of the rubber seals also leads to the problem under consideration. In some cases, you can glue the seals, in others, you will have to completely replace it.

Violation of the tightness of the pipes that conduct fluid to the radiator reservoir. Metal damage can only be soldered. It should be borne in mind that not all defects can be repaired; in some cases, you will have to carry out a complete replacement of the element.

Cracking can be associated with improper vehicle use during winter. An example would be the case of using ordinary water or mixing it with antifreeze. When freezing, an ordinary liquid increases in volume, due to which the metal deforms, and a leak may appear.

Most often, the structure is damaged as a result of mechanical stress. An example is a light hit during an accident, as well as hitting a large stone when driving at high speed. Small defects can be eliminated, which will require a repair kit.

At home, a fairly large number of different malfunctions can be eliminated, since the required equipment is often found among motorists.

It is important to identify the problem in a timely manner and start fixing it. In the case of mechanical damage to the structure, it is often possible to identify the defect by visual inspection, in the case of clogging of the system, everything is somewhat more difficult. The engine temperature can also rise due to malfunctioning of other elements of the cooling system, for example, the fan or thermostat. Only after disassembling the structure, one can draw a conclusion about what is the reason for the malfunctioning of the cooling system, and why the engine temperature rises sharply.

You can verify that the problem is a malfunction of the radiator as follows:

If the structure is depressurized, traces of coolant should remain under the hood. At the moment of movement, a high pressure is created in the system, which will push the liquid even through a small hole.
Conduct a visual inspection. As a rule, even minor damage is clearly visible and can be detected by visual inspection.

Before making repairs, make sure that a defective thermostat is not the cause of engine overheating. This device is responsible for redirecting the coolant: if the engine is cold, then it does not enter the radiator. This element is also required to improve heating efficiency in winter, since the stove supplies warm air only after the engine has warmed up.

In order to significantly increase the cooling efficiency in the manufacture of a radiator, a very thin metal is used. This moment determines just a huge number of problems associated with its repair.

Before carrying out work, it should be borne in mind that radiators can be made of the following materials:As practice shows, the easiest way is to restore the brass version at home, since such a metal lends itself well to processing.If the plastic can be quickly replaced, and all the rubber seals can be sealed, then with the repair of the radiator everything is much more complicated: mechanical damage can be corrected only when the metal is very hot, after which the holes are sealed. As previously noted, not all defects can be repaired.Having decided on where exactly the leak appeared, you can start doing the work. This will require:

Soldering iron with a power of at least 500 watts.

Soldering acid.

Bura.

Sandpaper for cleaning the surface.

Solder.

Metal brush for surface cleaning.

Work instructions:

To begin with, the radiator is removed from the car.
The surface is cleaned from possible contamination of various types.
Small cracks and other defects must be pre-cleaned. To remove the oxide, stripping is carried out until the metal begins to shine and the surface is homogeneous.
After surface preparation, borax and soldering acid are applied to it.
The solder used must be evenly distributed over the surface to be treated, for which the soldering iron is preheated to the desired temperature.

You can restore the radiator of almost any car, for example, the Lanos model. When carrying out work, it should be borne in mind that all defects should be located at a great distance from the factory seams. This is due to the high degree of ductility of brass - too high a temperature can deform the factory seams, making them less resistant to pressure.

Soldering aluminum radiators is almost impossible at home. For this reason, the possibility of repairing minor damage by using various adhesives and sealants is being considered.

The choice of glue and sealants should be carried out if the defect is not more than 1 cm. The features of the compositions used include the following points:

The special adhesive is available in two components.
Before applying "cold welding", it is recommended to mix the two components thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
Immediately after obtaining a homogeneous mass, it is given a conical shape, after which the substance is pressed into the formed crack.

In case of damage to the supply pipes, a special glue is used, which has an aluminum pond as an additional filler. Recommendations for its use are as follows:

Thorough cleaning and degreasing of the surface is carried out.

To increase rigidity, fiberglass can be additionally used.

It takes at least 24 hours to dry the glue, during which the treated area should not be exposed to any impact.The radiator is an expensive piece of the cooling system that cannot always be repaired. Compliance with some recommendations for the operation of the car will eliminate the likelihood of damage:

During operation, all elements of the system must be securely fastened, since strong vibration can occur while the vehicle is moving.

Only high quality antifreeze should be used as the coolant. This is because water can corrode and clog the pipes. In addition, ordinary liquid boils at a lower temperature, crystallizes in winter: in both cases, serious pressure acts on the design of the radiator and supply pipes.

When the used antifreeze expires, it should be replaced. This recommendation is due to the fact that over time, the substance used may lose its performance.

It is recommended to periodically clean the outer surface of the radiator and flush the honeycomb.

In many cases, minor damage can be corrected with your own hands, but too serious damage becomes the reason for contacting a service station or completely replacing the device. It should be borne in mind that the sealed hole may leak again over time. Therefore, it is recommended to replace the repaired radiator over time.