Did my driving habits crack my radiator?

[mb567]

Have just paid €300 for a new radiator in the Dolomites after the engine overheated and dumped all the coolant on the side of the road. When the radiator was removed there was a clear crack in the plastic housing near the top right hose.

Now I'm entirely happy to conclude the 19 year old radiator cracked in protest at yet another steep hill on a hot day, but I have to entertain the possibility that my driving habits might have contributed. Having taken a period of self reflection, I've identified the following possible culprits:

- accelerating past the point I'd normally change up gears, to avoid losing momentum when going uphill
- engine braking in second gear for quite a long time when descending
- rev matching when shifting down gears
- lazily flooring it to only just accelerate out of a corner in eg 4th gear instead of changing down to 3rd for a smoother acceleration


Could any/all of these have caused a cracked radiator? Or are there any other likely bad habits that MH newbies like me often fall into?

 

[Barclaybasher]

I think it cracked because it was 19 years old.....

 

[MisterB]

I think a few 19 year olds are on crack

 

[John Barrett]

IMHO the short answer is No. Some plastics age harden and you just got unlucky!
John

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

You were lucky to get hold of a radiator where you were, and the price sounds to be ok. you were just unlucky for it to crack

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[mb567]

Good to know, thanks all! Will be watching the heat gauge like a hawk, hopefully this has sorted it.

I think a few 19 year olds are on crack

Surely not

 

[Otter Spotter]

Y

Have just paid €300 for a new radiator in the Dolomites after the engine overheated and dumped all the coolant on the side of the road. When the radiator was removed there was a clear crack in the plastic housing near the top right hose.

Now I'm entirely happy to conclude the 19 year old radiator cracked in protest at yet another steep hill on a hot day, but I have to entertain the possibility that my driving habits might have contributed. Having taken a period of self reflection, I've identified the following possible culprits:

- accelerating past the point I'd normally change up gears, to avoid losing momentum when going uphill
- engine braking in second gear for quite a long time when descending
- rev matching when shifting down gears
- lazily flooring it to only just accelerate out of a corner in eg 4th gear instead of changing down to 3rd for a smoother acceleration


Could any/all of these have caused a cracked radiator? Or are there any other likely bad habits that MH newbies like me often fall into?

YES, you have been forcing the issue and you know where you are going wrong.
coming from from a Police advanced driver with 2 years in Traffic before I saw my vocation, you should always be at the correct speed at the entry to a bend and in the right gear, otherwise if something happens you lose seconds And cannot be smooth out of the bend, So if you are travelling around a bend in 4th you are not doing yourself or your engine any good.
any driving style that causes the engine temps to rise is potentially hazardous to radiators health .
but you know this already, Be kind to your vehicle and it will be kind to you, why do you think rally drivers have service teams following them, it’s because they are screwing the ar@e off the the motor.

 

[busbuddy]

Dolomites always used to overheat, rubbish they were

 

[Otter Spotter]

Dolomites always used to overheat, rubbish they were

That’s not true, it was the Triumph 1500 driven like Dollies that overheated the Dolly Sprints were great cars they had overdrive

 

[busbuddy]

Sprints were the worst, head gasket made of cheese....no4 spat into water jacket every time, lovely engines now that decent gaskets are available

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[Otter Spotter]

Th

Sprints were the worst, head gasket made of cheese....no4 spat into water jacket every time, lovely engines now that decent gaskets are available

That’s weird I never had a problem with my Sprint, though it was looked after by a racing mechanic as a favour. It was not raced just used to get down sarth fast.

 

[Landy Andy]

Not your fault, will just be an age issue or due to strain being put on the pipe. The heat you are generating is what it designed to deal with. Would be the same design for far hotter countries, and far worse / harder drivers.

 

[ambulancekidd]

Not your fault, will just be an age issue or due to strain being put on the pipe. The heat you are generating is what it designed to deal with. Would be the same design for far hotter countries, and far worse / harder drivers.

I'm with you on this one Landy Andy. Old radiators begin to clog up in the middle of the matrix & the first sign that there is an issue is usually during hard work, towing, climbing & hot weather being the usual culprits.

So no matter how carefully you drive, a radiator is a wear out part & you've done well to get your radiator to this age.

 

[Northernraider]

Nothing to do with your driving just the age of the radiator ...

 

[poppycamper]

That’s not true, it was the Triumph 1500 driven like Dollies that overheated the Dolly Sprints were great cars they had overdrive

I second that...wish I still had my Dolly... great car for the weekly overnight bash back to Plymouth... Sorry to see it go.

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[wigster]

Not your driving just old rad.

 

[DiggerJon]

19 years! Lucky you! My Fiat radiator lasted only 8 years in my Swift Sundance but fortunately expired at home near my usual garage. Mind you, don't get me started on the litany of other failures both of the Fiat and the Swift whilst in my careful ownership! After finally selling it, I swore never to have another Fiat or Swift and so far my choice has been vindicated over the last 9 years in my Ford Transit/Tribute combination.

 

[John Barrett]

Dolomites always used to overheat, rubbish they were

Agreed. Head gasket went on my Dolly and the bolts were seized in the head. Scrapped the car!

 

[tonyidle]

Y

YES, you have been forcing the issue and you know where you are going wrong.
coming from from a Police advanced driver with 2 years in Traffic before I saw my vocation, you should always be at the correct speed at the entry to a bend and in the right gear, otherwise if something happens you lose seconds And cannot be smooth out of the bend, So if you are travelling around a bend in 4th you are not doing yourself or your engine any good.
any driving style that causes the engine temps to rise is potentially hazardous to radiators health .
but you know this already, Be kind to your vehicle and it will be kind to you, why do you think rally drivers have service teams following them, it’s because they are screwing the ar@e off the the motor.

Without taking anything from the message on driving style - in this case (and most others that occur) your radiator died of old age. All plastics become brittle as they age. A bit like people .

 

[jockaneezer]

In our tugging days, long inclines used to send the car's temperature gauge into the red, we had to set the car's heater to hot and put the blower fan on flat out, with the windows fully open to help dissipate the heat !

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[mb567]

Y

YES, you have been forcing the issue and you know where you are going wrong.
coming from from a Police advanced driver with 2 years in Traffic before I saw my vocation, you should always be at the correct speed at the entry to a bend and in the right gear, otherwise if something happens you lose seconds And cannot be smooth out of the bend, So if you are travelling around a bend in 4th you are not doing yourself or your engine any good.
any driving style that causes the engine temps to rise is potentially hazardous to radiators health .
but you know this already, Be kind to your vehicle and it will be kind to you, why do you think rally drivers have service teams following them, it’s because they are screwing the ar@e off the the motor.

Interesting, thanks for the tips. Was trying to improve on cornering yesterday while driving, I find the trickiest are uphill hairpins where I think 2nd will be low enough but then need to shift down to 1st on the exit.

What about the engine braking in 2nd gear? I'd like to keep doing it as it's the only gear that will properly hold us on steep declines without overusing the brakes, but not if it might overheat again. We don't have a tachometer but the engine doesn't sound overly strained when I'm doing it.

19 years! Lucky you! My Fiat radiator lasted only 8 years in my Swift Sundance but fortunately expired at home near my usual garage. Mind you, don't get me started on the litany of other failures both of the Fiat and the Swift whilst in my careful ownership! After finally selling it, I swore never to have another Fiat or Swift and so far my choice has been vindicated over the last 9 years in my Ford Transit/Tribute combination.

Ours is a Ford Transit, hoping this is the last issue for a while!