Lexicon1

Hi all
about 9 months ago, I had the SC430 timing belt changed...water pump and thermostat also.
at a recent oil change I noticed that there was a coolant leak (pink solid powder residue) at the radiator cap, overflow cap and also at the front of the upper radiator hose connection. I did not check any other coolant hose connections (because they are all more difficult to check).
I did notice that the coolant recovery chamber was at its max or slightly above its target level. I removed about 4 ounces of excess fluid.
the question is... would the dealer's potential overfilling of the radiator fluid when the timing belt was changed have caused the seepage at the radiator hose too???? there are no indications of overheating at the instrument panel that I know of or any instrument lights going on .
your opinions requested
thanks

Coleroad

No that small amount extra isn't the problem. I would say it's time for a new radiator cap. It's not very expensive. Sounds like the cap seal is leaking slightly

Bgw70

What you said is concerning, "also at the front of the upper radiator hose connection". You may need a new radiator!
What year is your SC?
I have a 2002 with 70k miles and replaced my radiator a few months ago. The radiator was cracked and what you are describing is what I saw on mine.

Bgw70

Pointing at the crack





Note the crack!
And the white spray everywhere...if you see this, you need a radiator ASAP!
DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR!!!
Except to the mechanic.

texsexlex

iTrader: (3)

I would clean it very good & try to see where the leak is coming from for certain. If it's just the cap, it may drip down to the radiator. If it's the radiator, the leak should be seen there, although the fan may spray it elsewhere. I would probably buy the cap, as Coleroad recommended, then keep a close eye on it. If you still see it leaking,then get a radiator, as Bgw70 recommended......

Bgw70

Concur! I don't want to come across as chicken little but if it is leaking and you run out of anti freeze you may destroy the engine.
Do not go by the temp gauge, check the level in the radiator, when it is cool.
By all means, change the cap first...
If you are seeing the splash everywhere, the white splatter, look for a crack.
The radiator in these cars will fail!

Lexicon1

Thanks guys.
will update when I get cap and monitor for a week or so.

BCT

Hi guys,
I think I may need new radiator. I see coolant residue next to the radiator. Any recommendation? I see Advance Auto has lifetime warranty radiator $140. Dealer is closed now (weekend) but I am guessing $300 for OEM. Any thoughts?

Thanks
Chris

Harold57

By next to the radiator, where do you mean? The reason I ask is that if a radiator cap is going bad, it can leak out the fluid or if a nearby radiator hose is going bad or the seal between the hose and the radiator is going bad, it can leak from there also.

Bgw70

purchase the OEM from Amazon, I think it was $90

do another CL search

BCT

It is on passenger side plastic where the air filter reside. It was small residue like the coolant was sprayed. It was still wet. I was trying to figure out if my horn is not working. Seems like only one that is working, but that can wait. I was thinking the radiator has a small crack, but I guess it can be from radiator hose. I am going to wipe and clean everything so I can see where the leak is coming from. Kinda surprised because the radiator looked brand new.

Thanks! I did some search before posting but did not see this.

Bgw70

I did a search for you, please read this thread. In this thread you will find links to the OEM $90 radiator.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...ement-diy.html

Caflashbob

Steve at luxury motorcar (the luxlink guy) mentioned when I asked about a replacement engine for a sc430 sitting on his shop floor mentioned a cooling loss having killed the original motor.

the temp sending unit is radiator mounted? If you lose coolant the gauge shows cold? I may have that wrong but the temp sender is mounted to the radiator not the motor so be careful here.

maybe someone swapped parts?

sixonemale

I just recently filled my overflow tank above the maximum line and sure enough it appeared as though I had a leak from a fairly new radiator. I could see pink forming around the slotted metal perimeter piece of the radiator on the drivers side. I washed it off a couple of times by squirting small quantities of water on it and now the pinkish residue is no longer forming. So in my case it seems as though the cause what appeared to be leaking radiator was caused by putting too much of the 50/50 mixture of Toyota Super Long Life Coolant and water caused the appearance of leaking radiator.

Bgw70, Just by glancing at your overflow tank it does not look like you are using a 50/50 mixture of Toyota Super Long Life Coolant because it's not red/orange in color. Are you using an equivalent with the required chemical constituents as listed in the owner's manual?

"Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” or similar high quality ethylene glycol based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrate and non-borate coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology"

chuyrobles

I would want to know now if there is a leak. Call some radiator shops to find out how much they charge to do a cooling system pressure test. In meantime, right after you turn off the warmed-up engine, check to see if you hear any hissing or see coolant seeping out.