Hey guys been a very long time since my last visit..so my 2008 Nismo needed it’s annual state inspection and oil change which I always bring to the dealership. All is well? Not so much. The tech comes outside to show me something, it turns out I have a small coolant leak coming from the radiator at the seam near the drain plug. To me this is very strange the only has 27,000 miles on her and is in minty condition. I have owned the car since 1,200 miles.

I’m like wtf..this should not be happening (yet) but whatever. Dealership quoted $500 parts and labor BUT at this point should I go aluminum aftermarket or stick with stock Nissan part? This car is by no means a track beast or very rarely driven very hard.

Rich.

 

i would just do oem...

 

I'd do a comparison on pricing for the OEM radiator vs. aftermarket aluminum versions. The OEM radiator is a composite body with aluminum top and bottom crimped on. Even with low miles, it's under pressure each and every time you start your Z, so it's no surprise some will spring a leak.

 

I should have taken a pic while it was up on the lift..ug. But dang for under 30k for this to go and most get a lifetime out of their radiators. I’m leaning towards OEM just for the sake of fitment etc. Not sure how the aftermarket rads will fit and don’t want to have to do any “modifications” just to fit
her in. She is pretty much a Sunday driver at this point.

Thanks
Rich

 

Watch for leaks and cooling consumption before shelling out. Just saying...

 

Huh?? Explain please.

Rich.

 

Not to put too fine a point on it, but some repair shops/dealers have been known to blatantly cause or mimic problems that were not there when the car rolled in. I've had it happen to me. It's possible such a low mileage vehicle does indeed have a problem, as it it over 10 years old (see below). My only suggestion was drive your car and watch for leaks, also see if it's consuming coolant BEFORE you spend money on a new radiator, and before you get too stressed...GL!

Always good advice!

 

Fair enough. Thank you for the explaination. Unfortunately I think this is a “real” problem with the radiator. The tech suggested the same keep an eye on the reservoir level etc. Do you all think $500 parts and labor is a bad price from the dealer? I am no opposed to going with an all aluminum radiator even if it is a little bit more $$ than OEM. But if brackets need to be bent or some other mods need to be done in order to fit the aftermarket rad then I don’t want to deal with that “custom” install.

R.
Thanks all again for the replies..

 

I have decided to go with an OEM/Nissan radiator. And may just have them install it as well. Though it doesn’t look like too much of a hassle to change it out. What I have seen and notice though is how damn thin the radiator is compared to the aftermarket aluminum ones that are available.

Thanks for all that replied. Nice to see this forum isn’t “dead”.

Rich
NY

 

Update of sorts... So far the coolant level inside the reservoir has not dropped below the max line ..in fact it is slightly higher after driving. Not sure it that makes sense. Perhaps it is even “over filled” a tad. I have seen no drops, puddles or signs of leakage even the belly pan shows no evidence of coolant or even dried coolant. That being said I did poke my finger up into the belly pan hole for the coolant drain plug and nothing at first went up a bit further and did get some coolant on my finger it was cold even though I had just run the car around the block to get it up to temp.

I am watching it closely every time I drive her, which isn’t very often. I actually just replaced the original battery today. I am also tempted to do the job myself if it gets to that point. Doesn’t seem like it is too bad of a job and I can take my time as she isn’t my daily.

Anyone else looking forward to seeing what Nissan will create with the next Z????

Rich

 

Oh brother, here we go again.... “next Z”, psh. If Nissan doesn’t deliver something REAL by October 22, I’m done with Nissan. To try and celebrate something as monumental as a 50 year anniversary with something as LAME as a sticker and paint package, they have clearly given up on the enthusiast market. With that I assume they’re just pandering to the poseur set.



Annnnd, my apologies for the thread hijack/digression.... back to the thread.... ��

 

Considering you can get an OEM replacement radiator for slightly over $100, yes that is a ridiculous/ typical price for changing the radiator from a dealer, even if you replace hoses/ thermostat, etc...

The only way for you to find the leak is remove the under-tray/ anything else in the way, and inspect under the car while it is running. The car will need to be supported/ lifted on jackstands to do so. But this may not be something you can do without the space/ tools.

 

Very true. But even without doing that there would be evidence of a leak from less coolant in the reservoir and drops/drips etc. When coolant dries it leaves a visual residue which again I don’t see. And like I said I will keep an eye on it as I have been whenever I drive the car. I don’t see a Nissan radiator for “slightly over $100” I suspect those are OEM style/fitment and NOT a Nissan part number. Either way when it comes time to do the job I will most likely do it. It’s a very straight forward replacement.

Thanks
R.

 

Yeah Nissan needs to get their act together. I feel now that the Supra is released, which is way way over priced and looks um kinda ugly, the new Z could be something very special indeed. Offering more options and of course a Nismo edition 🤙🤙

 

Well in case you end up replacing the radiator, here is a link to where I found the part:
Rockauto-radiator

The part is made by Denso, which produces many OEM parts that Nissan uses.

 

I assume they make one for standard transmission as well..

 

I would presume that that radiator would also work with a manny tranny as well. There are just no lines to hook up to it and the cooling line inside is not open to the cooling liquid so no leak.