trust me this works. been using this trick for 30 years to identify plugged radiators.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hatzie
The whole point of the radiator is to make the water going back into the engine colder than the stuff that's coming out of the engine. 
I'd get worried when the water coming in the top is the same temp as or within a handful of degrees of the water going back into the engine.
The fluffy oily crud in the fins would reduce the coolilng efficiency of the radiator a whole bunch.
Keith,
Do you have a tiny leak in an engine-oil/transmission cooler or cooler hose or the AC condenser that's misting a tiny amount of oil into the cooling stack so the radiator is collecting that fluffy crud?
I assume the charge air cooler is the leading edge of the cooling stack, then the oil coolers, AC condenser, and finally the radiator.
I've had a charge air hose leak blow oil mist into the engine compartment on my 05 Jetta TDI. |