2004 Toyota 4Runner radiator failure explanation

Tiny
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
Monday, July 28th, 2014 AT 5:50 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
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
Tiny
ASHLEYJEFFRIES2
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  • 2 POSTS
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
Tiny
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

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