Bongo Fury

Develop a pin hole in the matrix when its not been driven since November? It's been started a couple of times with no apparent coolant problems. Not realising how long it's been since I last drove the old girl, thought I'd better take her for a spin at weekend, so Friday night.....ignition on......LCA didn't switch off..........WTF!!!.........header tank really really low.....,,panic mode now engaged, torch out ,underneath no visible signs of a leak. Steve BDC turns up now, so we fill header tank, start her up, get her nice and hot, and there's steam coming up from the front lower part of the rad!! Sorry, can't get my head round this, last couple of times it's been warmed up it was fine.
So, looks like another new rad (last one was changed when the head went, about 6 or so years ago) not going to use radweld, don't want other problems.

Several possible answers:

- Inferior quality radiator. Genuine Mazda ones typically last 10+ years which is why they cost over £200 rather under a £100 for a pattern part.

- Coolant mixture too weak and has been able to freeze and split one of the capilliary tubes in the matrix.

- Coolant mixture not changed in line with manufacturers instructions (typically every two years) so the protection against corrosion to alloy, steel and iron is reduced.

- Physical damage such as a stone chip or something coming in contact with it.

- Lack of use. Vehicles are designed to be used regularly and will often be in a worse condition by not being taken out for a good run now and again to get everything circulating and up to temperature.

Or just bad luck, but at least the LCA did its job and saved you from something much worse

Simon Jones wrote:Several possible answers:

- Coolant mixture too weak and has been able to freeze and split one of the capilliary tubes in the matrix.

- Coolant mixture not changed in line with manufacturers instructions (typically every two years) so the protection against corrosion to alloy, steel and iron is reduced.

Not a coolant problem, it was changed last year and a good 50/50 mix used.
I know because it was done at my house with BDC.

that's one option crossed off.

May be as it's been left standing ..

I removed a fairly new house radiator and stored in the shed .. couple of years later came to re fit it and it leaked from a rusty pin hole ..

mikeWalsall wrote:May be as it's been left standing ..

I removed a fairly new house radiator and stored in the shed .. couple of years later came to re fit it and it leaked from a rusty pin hole ..

The house radiator will have perfect corrosion conditions as it will have been damp inside and exposed to the fresh air, radiators made from steel are best left either perfectly dry ( very hard to achieve) or left full of water with a corrosion inhibitor in it.