If you don’t immediately see any leaks, turn on your engine and inspect your engine compartment. As best you can, inspect the radiator, the end tanks, reservoir, and any surrounding tubing. A visual check of much the radiator may be difficult as it is located typically behind your air conditioning condenser and partly covered by a fan shroud. Once your radiator is clean, check for any signs of cracks or leaks. Avoid wiping any part of the radiator as this could cause further damage to the fragile cooling fins of the radiator. To spot a leak, it’s best to first clean your radiator and surrounding components.

Safety glasses and gloves are recommended for safe inspection and repair. Use safety gear to ensure a safe maintenance routine.

Radiators are pressurized systems, so be extremely cautious before opening your system or working in your engine compartment. Open the hood and wait up to a few hours before the engine is fully cooled. Park your vehicle and wait for the engine to completely cool. There are many areas of your radiator that could be cracked, so finding the leak can take some time. Any yellowish or black colored liquid could be motor oil, and an orange or green color typically indicates a coolant leak.īefore you learn how to use radiator stop leak, you need to find the source of the leak. Condensation naturally forms as your AC is operating, so this isn’t a cause for concern. One of the most common sources of liquid dripping from your vehicle is your air conditioner. Driving while your temperature gauge is too high could damage your engine and create additional costly repair issues. A slightly higher temperature may be caused by other issues or by a minor leak, but if your engine temperature climbs too high you should avoid driving your vehicle. Discoloration or rust in your engine bayĪ rising temperature gauge is one of the easiest signs to spot.Puddles of green or orange coolant under your vehicle.Here are the common signs of a radiator leak to watch out for: A small leak may be difficult to notice at first, but a major leak should be easy to identify. Since you're missing the clip, get that as well, because it does not come included with the flange.Ĭooling section for Passats on Germanautoparts.First, it’s important to check for signs of a leaking radiator. Online you can get it for less than $1.00. Include it in your order, because the o-ring usually ONLY comes with the sensor at auto parts stores. Get the O-Ring for the coolant temperature sensor, as this will either disintegrate in your hands upon removal, or will tear somehow. I can say the same thing about FCPEuro, except they have free shipping on orders over $25. Germanautoparts has an easier site to find things (I usually use it for a reference point to find the name, or part number of a part.) Though they charge a bit for shipping, usually UPS, their customer service is awesome. Or you can order it from the various online retailers, I prefer either FCPEuro, or. Last two flanges I bought were for a MKIV VW Jetta 2.0l for like $4.95. They can usually get the part same day if ordered in the morning, or next day if it's more rare. I recommend Carquest because they get their parts from WorldPac suppliers which has various OEM and aftermarket OE equivalent brands. Guide to replacement, pretty universal to all engine codes (the difference is the amount of PCV stuff in the way)Ĭan order part from a local store like Carquest, Autozone, Advance Auto, etc.

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