Debris in radiator/condensor
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Debris in radiator/condensor
I posted about this before but the thread vanished into cyberspace so I can't pull it back up. I was at the dealer getting the oil changed in my '07. They showed me a ton of debris loaded up in the condensor and of course offering to clean it out for an extra $45. I said no to that. Well, this past Sunday, I got out my homemade water wand just for this purpose, leftover from my '99 C-5. I removed the air-bridge, covered the intake to the MAF, the condensor/radiator covering, then washed it all out. The C-6's radiator is very difficult to get through to spray from the rear to the front. The condensor is considerably thinner than that of the C-5's but it was very obvious that the debris was getting through it to the radiator. When I was done, there was quite a bit a debris on the ground. So, the lesson here, if you had a C-5, the C-6's are no different. They are rolling vacuum cleaners. If this is your first C-6, plan on cleaning this out once every two years or more depending on how many miles you put on your car otherwise, we'll start seeing lots of posts with temperature issues in traffic.
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
The majority was small rocks but there was lots of small straight fiberous type stuff from who knows what. Candy wrapper, cigarette butts and so on. The rocks are what plugs up the radiator from doing its job. There was a lot....very similar to the C-5's.
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 9,615
Likes: 13
From: Burlington NC
We have found just about everything packed into a radiator. Plastic bags covering 50 percent of the core, died rabbits-birds, used rubbers, leafs, snow fence and etc. When people call me with a new overheating issue, I first ask them to clean out their old radiator and see if the problem goes away.
I'm still waiting to find this thread. "I just cleaned out my radiator and found Hoffa"
Randy
I'm still waiting to find this thread. "I just cleaned out my radiator and found Hoffa"
Randy
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Safety Car
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 3,570
Likes: 3
From: Austin, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Houston, Dallas, Hong Kong, Elgin, etc.. Texas
I did not realize it was an issue until I helped install an A&A supercharger on a 1999 C5. The radiator was just packed with very small rocks. Just big enough to fit into the gaps of the cooling fins. It was simply amazing how many there were and how neatly they packed in there.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
So I picked up one of those 2' long blow guns at harbor freight but I could not see a good way to use it. I bit the bullet and removed my condenser and radiator for cleaning. Pretty labor intensive but I'm glad I did it, kind of. Coolant temps seem noticably better (which makes sense because the bulk of the junk was inbetween the radiator and condenser right in the center) but I can't tell a difference in my AC when not moving (still warms up) which is what I had mainly done this for. I also put some weather stripping on the sides of the condenser so it seals up against the radiator to prevent/hamper air from going around the condenser.
As a note, I blew lots of air through both units and they seemed reasonably clean but was surprised to find that lots more came out by tapping the units on the ground.
As a note, I blew lots of air through both units and they seemed reasonably clean but was surprised to find that lots more came out by tapping the units on the ground.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
The Z06 has a flexible flap that seals the opening under the car. 100% of the air going to the radiator, condenser and oil cooler goes through the grille opening. I'm not seeing a lot debris in my Z06 radiator, so having all the air pass through the grille must help.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
I would take some but my camera is on the blink. http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...sigb=13k14o9o0
This is the best I could do. The flap is visible in a couple of the photos. At the front, it is secured to the bottom of the front fascia with three screws in the recessed areas and at the rear the flap has a 90* bend and is secured by the three screws that attach the center air dam to the metal brace.
This is the best I could do. The flap is visible in a couple of the photos. At the front, it is secured to the bottom of the front fascia with three screws in the recessed areas and at the rear the flap has a 90* bend and is secured by the three screws that attach the center air dam to the metal brace.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,002
Likes: 2,703
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
We came back from a 4,000 mile road trip, including driving across Nebraska. I washed out a coffee can full of dead grasshoppers, at the next oil change the tech said he got nearly another bucket full. He was amazed the engine wasn't overheating.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 20,933
Likes: 905
From: salem OR
But for only 14k My condenser was full of grass clipping and little rocks.
I changed to the dewitts raditor. Plus I throughly cleaned the condenser
using a air blower. but I had everything out so it was easy.
