Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell?

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Fri 5 Aug 2011 00:32
Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell? - balleballe

Ive just had to call the RAC out as temp sensor was at max while driving back from work and the engine management light came up.

It's been diagnosed as a radiator leak (the guy showed me exactly where it was leaking from)

Question is - do I try to save some money and use Radwell - or just go ahead and fork out for a new radiator?

Are there any drawbacks of using Radwell (Radwell plus from halfords)? It just seems too good to be true.

Thanks

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Fri 5 Aug 2011 01:07
Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell? - unthrottled

radweld works by plugging holes-the trouble is that it doesn't know good holes from bad holes...

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Fri 5 Aug 2011 01:11
Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell? - jamie745

I was going to make a joke incorperating Michael Barrymore into the punchline but then thought better of it.

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Fri 5 Aug 2011 01:55
Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell? - unthrottled

Ha ha!

OP. Some people report that it blocks heater matrixes. Other reports are favourable. But I got a shiny new(ish) radiator from a scrappy for £20. That's got to beat a band aid.

Putting an egg into the radiator cap works well too. Add a bit of pepper. Bingo!

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Fri 5 Aug 2011 02:05
Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell? - jamie745

I used Radweld in my Mondeo for nearly two years and it was fine. Sort of.

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Fri 5 Aug 2011 08:38
Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell? - jc2

Exchange rad. from Serck!

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Fri 5 Aug 2011 09:59
Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell? - Ethan Edwards

Good advice. Don't skimp on this kind of stuff.

You'll find when a situation arises that you desperately have to have your car working, sods law says that will be the exact moment that it lets you down.

Radweld or an egg or white pepper (I know sounds crazy) are 'get you home fixes'..not a proper fix. It's a Band Aid solution ....without the music.....!

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Fri 5 Aug 2011 20:41
Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell? - madf

Radweld is great for simple uncomplicated engines,

You are talking sophisticated warp the cylinder head if it overheats a lot and £500 plus bills if it overheats again..

So are you feeling lucky or will you do the job properly?

Cos if you bodge it, sure as apples it will fail in a traffic jam in very hot weather 100 miles from home and you will need a new radiator plus a tow plus ££££s..

Or just bodge it and sell it...

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Fri 5 Aug 2011 22:01
Mazda 6 - New radiator or Radwell? - balleballe

Decided to just get a new radiator installed. I phoned all the garages aroud (6-7) and from the sounds of it they all use the same supplier (one garage told me that their supplier has been asked about this models'd radiator 6 times already today lol).

Because of the complexity of the removal (front bumper has to be taken off - much like a passat) the labour accounts for 2/3rd's of the price. £300 including VAT - does that sound reasonable

Even If I was to sell the car, I wouldn't simply put in radwell, then shift it. It just seems unethical to me

Thankyou all for the replies

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