2004 Toyota 4Runner radiator failure explanation

ASHLEYJEFFRIES2

MEMBER
2004 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
4.0L
V6
4WD
AUTOMATIC
179,000 MILES

I am completely in love with my truck but I want to light it on fire and roll it down a volcanic hill. It seems like I have done nothing but fix it the past two months. Once a week I come out to a new problem. Newest one is I have put two new radiators in it in a week, both have failed in the same place. First one I will take credit for as I got it on Amazon for 90$ thinking I would save. Made it about 20 miles before it blew and had to have it towed. This one I got from Napa and made it almost 200 miles. It almost lasted a week. WOW. Is this common in these year trucks? Before you even ask and piss me off let me say that I am completely sure that it was put in 100% correctly both times as it's pretty easy and you have to really try to screw that up. I'm just super bummed and thinking of selling my baby

3 Replies

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

Unless it was the same brand radiator both times I wouldnt see how it was a common failure. Have you checked to make sure you dont have a bad head gasket blowing the radiators from compression damaging the new radiators?

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Monday, July 28th, 2014 AT 6:21 AM

ASHLEYJEFFRIES2

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Radiators are designed to work under pressure. Even if it was from exhaust gases getting into the system they would shoot out of the overflow (ie:boiling over) or one of the two hoses would blow long before causing an internal leak in a brand new radiator. Besides that I have done 3 block tests at running temp about two and a half weeks ago and they came out fine. No symptoms of a gasket failure. The hoses operate the way they are supposed to which is great since they are only about a month old. I have only had this truck for about a year but it has never once overheated since I got it so obviously not an issue with the two radiators I've since gone through. I know this for a fact because I have a live transmission OBDII machine and I watch it like crazy. It's not a hg failure any other ideas? Do you have experience or is this something your picking up from google? Not trying to be offensive I'm just super pissed off that I have to do this again and everywhere I try to research seems like people just wanna throw that answer out regardless of the symptoms and I'm kinda sick of the dumbness of it.

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Monday, July 28th, 2014 AT 6:55 AM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

Alright if its not the vechile then the only other explanation is a bad batch of radiators from that brand. Ran into that with a saturn I owned first new radiator lasted a Couple of months next one less then a month. Put a factory one in never leaked again.

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Monday, July 28th, 2014 AT 9:45 AM