martinmzfan1

Hi folks. New here... but not to owning Mazda (17+ years)!

Question (Yeah, I already did a search, just want the latest consensus from you guys):

Got a confirmed coolant leak at the lower radiator tank, driver's side, next to the ATX hose connection. I already removed the lower plastic shielding and air intake from the top. All connections are secure and leak-free. I noticed it while doing an oil change today!! Argggg When warming up the engine for the change, some coolant slowly began to drip from under the pan. It immediately stopped leaking when the engine stopped.

So... my number one guess is a faulty AL core/plastic lower tank seal at the driver's side bottom. Correct? Protege only has 63K!!

Local dealer has the OEM radiator (FS8M15200B) in stock for $224 (I can negatiate them easily down to $200. Should I replace the unit? How complicated is the labor? I am moderately okay with simple change-outs of parts/fluid changes, etc. Thanks a billion people.

Roddimus Prime

sounds like it only leaks under pressure. Bad radiator.

I would always suggest replacing the bad part if possible. If you can't afford it you could always try some radiator stop-leak.....but that's not recommended unless it's an emergency

martinmzfan1

That is correct. No leak when engine is off. Okay... guess I'll be doing a radiator replacement this week. I don't do temporary fixes -- why postpone the inevitable. A little bit disappointing to see a radiator go bad at only 63K! I'm not complaining, it's not a major cost component and doesn't take more than 1-2 hours to replace -- I hope. I might as well replace the coolant too. It was only supposed to be a fun, simple oil change today!! ahhhh

Omron

If it looks like this, I might have a solution for ya

use a thermal bond and sealed the bottom
well my leak only happend in the winter time so we will see if it can hold up to the -50 this year

martinmzfan1

Thanks Omron. My radiator doesn't look as bad as yours -- yikes -- sorry. But yep... mine is leaking around that lower crimp area between the plastic and aluminun. How do you get the sealant into the crimp area?? Million dollar question -- or really... $224! (new radiator price)

Da P-Funk!

Most attempts to repair fail. On the other hand - it won't hurt to try either...

Radiator shops won't try becasue of disatisfied customers if it doesn't fix it.

I guess i would base the decision on how much labor was involved (do i have to pull the radiator to attempt to fix it?) and schedule (do i have time to do it twice if i have to).

martinmzfan1

I am going to opt to replacement in this case. It's just not worth the risk of a cooling system failure somewhere on the road. The radiator changeout looks relatively "easy" on my Protege ES -- just laborious. Need to remove the following: air-intake duct, both cooling-fan assemblies, radiator mounts (2), five hoses (and respective clamps), two large plastic belly shields, and replace any fluid lost. Not something I want to do twice by choice. Or worse yet... pay somebody to perform.

Looks like my seepage/leak is "minor" right now. My dealers aren't really close, so I'll probably go order/pick one up in a week or so. I would suggest all Protege owners check their radiators for this issue.

Rusty

Crack an egg in it, that'll plug it up, it worked on Mythbusters anyway!

martinmzfan1

Hi people. I want to follow-up with my thread. I ordered the OEM Mazda radiator (FS8M15200B) from Rosenthal Mazda in Arlington, VA for $181 -- no charge shipping or sales tax. Received it in about a week via UPS. Arrived without any problems. I installed it this Saturday in about 2 hours! Let me tell you... it was no cakewalk! I've replaced a radiator fan before, but pulling off the entire radiator is a pain.

First, disconnecting the fan wiring harnesses (2) from both fans was a chore -- difficult retention plugs. Second, the bottom hoses are difficult to pull off from the top of the car -- no floor jack available. That's it. Everything else went smoothly. Only a few onces of ATX fluid spilled out from the cooler lines. I used two foam earplugs to temporarily plug them up! I drained out all the coolant from the engine lines; radiator also drained. New radiator went in perfectly. Reattached all fluid lines, fan assemblies, wiring harnesses, radiator mounts, and ram air intake assembly. Added about 72 Ounces of new coolant both in the tank and radiator. Started car up and checked for leaks. No leaks... yeah!

Examined the defective radiator closely after completion. Found dried coolant all around bottom of radiator and around lower crimp seams. Definately the culprit. Only found this failure after observing a little seepage on the skidpad during an oil change. Wife noticed "sweet" burning smell after parking a couple times and "urged" me to solve this issue forthwith. Done.

Omron

hahha now lets review

New Rad / Do it yourself install Vs. Do it yourself Repair job = Who wins?
New Rad / Install professionally Vs Professionally Installed = Who wins?

lol