The transcooler in the radiator went bad causing transmission fluid to get into the transmission and transmission fluid to get into the radiator. This caused heavy slipping in the transmission to the point where we thought the transmission was going out. Also, it caused the car to overheat much more easily which caused the thermostat to get stuck and ultimately led to the heads finally completely cracking.
We decided to get the new radiator and other supplies at Auto Zone and do it ourselves, but they had to special order and ship it to us, which took a couple of weeks, meanwhile we couldn't use our car with out it stalling out and dieing because of overheating. We had to take the bus and ask around for rides in order to get any where for the next couple of weeks until the radiator finally came in the mail.
We decided to go the route of doing it ourselves because of the work and money involved. We had to not only change the radiator and cap, but also change the transmission fluid, filter, and gasket, as well as flush the entire cooling system. We managed to do it for just under $350 including the cost of tools. If we had gone some where instead of doing it ourselves, it would've been much more. Changing a radiator is on average anywhere from $250-$400, flushing it usually costs another $30-$50, and changing the transmission fluid, filter, and gasket is usually between $75(If your very, VERY lucky)-$200. If we had gone some where, this fix would've cost us between $355-$650. In our area the prices we were quoted, were $375, $45, and $165 respectively. This does not include the cost of the tow needed to get the car to the shop.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The transcooler in the radiator went bad causing transmission fluid to get into the transmission and transmission fluid to get into the radiator. This caused heavy slipping in the transmission to the point where we thought the transmission was going out. Also, it caused the car to overheat much more easily which caused the thermostat to get stuck and ultimately led to the heads finally completely cracking.
We decided to get the new radiator and other supplies at Auto Zone and do it ourselves, but they had to special order and ship it to us, which took a couple of weeks, meanwhile we couldn't use our car with out it stalling out and dieing because of overheating. We had to take the bus and ask around for rides in order to get any where for the next couple of weeks until the radiator finally came in the mail.
We decided to go the route of doing it ourselves because of the work and money involved. We had to not only change the radiator and cap, but also change the transmission fluid, filter, and gasket, as well as flush the entire cooling system. We managed to do it for just under $350 including the cost of tools. If we had gone some where instead of doing it ourselves, it would've been much more. Changing a radiator is on average anywhere from $250-$400, flushing it usually costs another $30-$50, and changing the transmission fluid, filter, and gasket is usually between $75(If your very, VERY lucky)-$200. If we had gone some where, this fix would've cost us between $355-$650. In our area the prices we were quoted, were $375, $45, and $165 respectively. This does not include the cost of the tow needed to get the car to the shop.
- siveheart, La Puente, CA, US