Thread: Super annoying low coolant alarm going off until car warms up (earth issue??)

Originally Posted by Young Angus

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Is there a good better option for replacement radiators for these? I seem to remember reading something that said replacement radiators for these were made of something that was less reliable than original units??? No idea where I read that though or if it's even correct...

You can check your rad to see if the components are plastic side tanks and copper fins or a full copper(ie., copper side tanks too).
Actually scratch that! .. had another look at your pics and that rad plug side definitely looks copper .. so you got about as good as it gets.

Like I said earlier tho, don't be fooled by the clear looking colour of the coolant.
I'd quadruple checked mine over the course of many months hot and cold, and my water(only) looked clean enough to drink .. (only in an emergency of course! ) .. but having used that coolant flush recently and seeing brown water coming from the bottom of the rad made me think again.

I still have an ebay aluminium rad to try out on mine one day too. Had it for well over a year sitting, waiting for the day to try it's luck at keeping mine cool with the A/C on.
But I wanted to do it with a new frame and larger intercooler.
I reckon I'll do it all the week after next with all the new silicon hoses and stuff.

Actually! .. today would have been a nice day to get out there and get wet with all that type of work .. to hot(currently 41 here too).

Haha yeah this 41 degrees can just get lost...good for testing out cooling systems though

So are there any benefits to the aluminium rads over the copper ones or is that just what they make these days?

I suppose in the next couple of weeks I'll find out if the aluminium rad is any better or worse than my copper one.
Al is cheaper and lighter.
So I suppose one benefit of Al radiators is that you can upsize it without making it heavier than a copper rad.

I don't think any car makers use copper rads in their new models nowadays .. haven't seen a new car with a copper rad for years!

Originally Posted by AK83

I suppose in the next couple of weeks I'll find out if the aluminium rad is any better or worse than my copper one.
Al is cheaper and lighter.
So I suppose one benefit of Al radiators is that you can upsize it without making it heavier than a copper rad.

I don't think any car makers use copper rads in their new models nowadays .. haven't seen a new car with a copper rad for years!

This looks like a good read, sounds like it's more or less a very similar outcome no matter which way you go, but you probably won't get modified different design radiators made out of anything but aluminium I'd say.

Aluminum VS. Copper-Brass Radiator: Final Thoughts

Seeing quite a few references to water in this thread. Hopefully they're using it to bring a concentrate to the right ratio.
Flushing aside, even for a short time, water on its own is a no-no for iron block/alloy head engines.
I was told once by a motor engineer that once that corrosion starts, it cannot be stopped, and the residue starts coating the water galleries and the inside of the radiator tubes. Adds up to more cooling problems down the track.

Originally Posted by Young Angus

.... but you probably won't get modified different design radiators made out of anything but aluminium I'd say....

There is one shop in Bendigo ... Bendigo Radiators .... that does a modded copper rad(or two).
Very expensive mods tho .. think around the $700 mark.

What material are the radiators in Landcruisers, 79 utes, Rangers etc made from...ie other brands that get out into the bush/corrugations etc?
Seems common to hear that the aluminium radiators do NOT stand up well to the rigours of real 4WDing/outback touring.
Based on that I am looking to replace my rad with a good copper one when the time comes.

edit: oops omitted a very importnat 'NOT'

Originally Posted by edddo

What material are the radiators in Landcruisers, 79 utes, Rangers etc made from...ie other brands that get out into the bush/corrugations etc?
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They'll be the normal aluminium/plastic bonded and crimped types.

The way I see it, if truck makers are happy to use that type nowadays, there's not really much of an issue in terms of durability.