area between your radiator and condenser lately?

Using a coil brush and air from my compressor, I started cleaning out that space between the two. I wish I was on my toes and took some before shots, because I had no idea this much material would come out. The area did not look that bad, sure I saw some grass clippings and fuzz, but geez look at the picture below. I put a standard two C cell Maglite next to it for scale.



Remove the cowl. Loosen the duct connection at the throttle body and disconnect, remove the wire from the holder underneath the air cleaner duct and disconnect the electrical connection to the MAF. Stow the electrical connector on the top of the engine.

Remove the four 10mm bolts holding the cowl in place.

Lift the air duct up and lift up on the cowl and slide it out one side. Clean and inspect the rubber fittings. You might need to glue them back in place and do that now so it will be dry when your done.

Using the brush and air, carefully slide the brush down and pull straight back up. Continue this until you get towards the center. It will probably take a number of passes 5-6 as your blowing the debris away. The coil brush is the perfect size to go up and down without damaging the fins of either the condenser or radiator. These stock items are built much better then the previous generation. You still want to be very careful, take your time as you brush down and back up while blowing with the air. You are going to be surprised. Then go to the other side and meet in the center.



(This picture was after one pass. All of that will clean up when done. You can lift the cowling intake normally seen from underneath (as shown in the picture) and with your brush and compressed air clean that top section out.

Ideally if you wanted to remove the fan assembly and lift it out you would be blown away at the amount of material you can blow through. But I did not go that far. I did reach in between the right hand side fan blades and the material that gets blown out is amazing. Your just blowing air right through the coil.

I then used the compressed air and blew all the junk from underneath the car that came out to one side and swept up this pile. My floor was clean before I started, unbelievable this amount of material was embedded into and in between the fins of the radiator and condenser.



Any way just reverse everything to reassemble. Oh there is a small gray connector lock on the MAF connector, press with your finger nail and pull it out, then squeeze the MAF electrical connector and it will pull free. The lock only goes in one way so re-installation is simple. Re-installation of the cowl, as it slips into position if you'll notice before you start installing there are three plastic receptors on the underside of the cowl that fit into matching pieces in the center of the fan assembly shroud. It sort of pivots from a rearward leaning position forward as the cowl seats into position. Look at the two mating parts before hand will help as you install it. Just a tip.

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The obvious question did it improve my coolant temps, the answer is yes. I've seen a 4 degree drop, yesterday sitting at a rail road crossing for a train, then another few minutes at a light following the train in 98°F hi humidity weather, didn't go over 198. Today drying around in 99-101, stop and go city, it didn't get above 199. While driving, in the city so far, 35-45 mph if I stay moving I was seeing 196°F. That was pretty impressive as just a few days ago I've been running in the 201-205 in this heat.

I would say this couple hour procedure (only because you want to be careful and not damage anything) do at least once a year and perhaps before going on a trip.

Anyway thought I'd share. Some good preventative maintenance that will affect the operation of your engine systems.


Oh the coil brush is a GE Universal Coil Brush (couple dollars at home improvement center).

Check your air filter too while your there. I was surprised mine was so dirty, so I ran down to get a new one after I got done.

 

A couple of weeks ago was the second time that I've cleaned mine out this year. I was very surprised of how much new stuff had accumulated since the last clean up.
I had been to a car show that was out on the lawn. It looked like nothing but grass clippings under there.

 

I clean this area out every spring.... and get a half cup of bug guts, fuzzies leaves, parts of leaves grass clippings... just one drive buy a house where the gr\*** was just freshly cut could make a 20F difference in coolant temps, in juts one pass.. lots of people blow their grass clippings into the rod to be dissipated by the traffic..You don't want to do that, be at least conscious of this happening the day after you cleaned your radiator and condenser out.

Bill aka ET

 

I better check mine... I'm still learning about all the in's and out's of the C5. Thanks!

 

Nice write-up and pics and my coupe gets a good cleaning at least once a year.

Chuck

 

A good reminder for all - thanks for posting it up. I check my radiator area every time I wash the car and clean as necessary what I can see. I probably need to do a more thorough cleaning though.

 

Yeah I frequently check under the nose inlet too, but pulling the cowl and going in between produced amazing results. I'm still astounded by the amount of material that came out.

Yeah I know what you mean, some people blow their yard waste into the road. It's like you didn't know who did it, its right in front of their house, duh. Why people think that is ok, is beyond me. I want to tell them every hear of a yard bag, broom and dust pan?

 

Nice post and great idea for cleaning that hard to reach and get area!

 

Was your AC on or off? I'm seeing 190-194* on the highway and in stop & go traffic 196-203* with the AC off and Im seeing 223-230* with the AC on in stop & go traffic in 100 degree weather.

 

AC On. Living in FL, I never turn the AC off summer, fall, winter, spring (top up or down).

I would think you get the opposite, with AC on forces the primary fan on all the time and you'd get the additional cooling keeping the temps down, and with it off, then the temp has to reach 224 I believe before the primary fan kicks on.

Is you system stock or do you have a 160 thermostat?

My system is completely stock as it came from Bowling Green .

 

Thanks for posting that. Think I will go check mine now.

 

Good job, I know I will do it also, thanks.

 

Great write-up and I did mine every oil change on my blower Vette

 

Jet, man, I owe you a beer.

Strike that. I owe you a case of beer.

And I don't just mean because this post motivated me to clean years and thousands of miles worth of junk from my radiator.

I found two issues:

1) The hose clamps on the air bridge were loose. Like, really loose. The air bridge also wasn't seated properly in the air filter assembly.

2) Even worse, whoever attached my upper radiator hose last put the clamp on at a 45' angle. That means that one edge on inlet tube the other edge on nothin but hose. That was just a ticking time bomb waiting to pop off my car at the wrong time.

 

Something I need to check out.

 

Almost a week later, I'm really impressed with the results of this cleaning. Thursday evening I ran to the coast and back, 90 miles each way, and the temps and humidity were still quite high when I left, in the low 90's. At highway speeds, I ran 194°F nearly the whole way. Usually the lowest it goes in winter at cruise is that so, getting that number at the peak of a summer even around 9 in the evening. During this week of city commute driving, I ran mostly 196-198°F, generally 196 if I move continuously and when I stop at a light it will climb up to 198. I have seen a few 201s, but those usually occur when I pull into the garage after my commute in 98-102°F outside.

I'll be running to the coast again today, it's suppose to be another scorcher, upper 90's. So I'll get a chance to see how it does at cruise mid day driving.

Hey I'm glad everyone is getting some good out of this post. The next tool I can see I need is some type attachment for my compressed air system that extends out from the quikc-connect say about 6-9 inches and has a right angle on the end, sort of "L" shaped.

 

In addition,I use a coil cleaner on my rad once a month.On the hwy,the temps range from 185-188....thats on the 95+ days here in the south.

\db2
carolina

 

Hi Jet Jock,
Great post with pictures. I think this is what your looking for.Do a google on: mtn9762. $ 13.74 for the item. Shipping is $13.24 . No logic there.How much air pressure are you using? This item from harbor freight may be of use also. item number 97014 engine cleaning gun w/ 4' suction hose.
robsc501

 

I think its something like 3.7cfm @ 40 psi.

That's exactly what I'm looking for thanks. Yeah I saw that shipping might look locally first, but thanks.