Ducato x250 radiator change.

[Johnnyb]

Has anyone changed the radiator on a 2.3 engined x250 & can give me any pointers before I start? I've found quite a few guides for the previous shape Ducato but none for the x250.

The problem I've got is a small amount of coolant dripping off the intercooler which is fastened to the bottom of the radiator. I've had a very quick look at the hoses which all seem dry at the clamps so suspect the radiator is at fault.

 

[DanielFord]

I could be wrong, but I think you have to remove the front bumper first, then you can get at the rad.

 

[airwave]

Just a quicky , i really can't help with removal , but i take it you are actually using water . You say you checked the hoses , well you have checked the cooling fan switch/probe , and ruled out the overflow as well .

 

[Johnnyb]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Yes, using water and having to top it up occasionally. I've followed the overflow pipe but it disappears into an area I can't see properly. Not spotted the fan switch yet. The radiator itself is pretty difficult to see, it has the fans on one side, the air con condenser on the other and the intercooler along the bottom.

 

[airwave]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Yes, using water and having to top it up occasionally. I've followed the overflow pipe but it disappears into an area I can't see properly. Not spotted the fan switch yet. The radiator itself is pretty difficult to see, it has the fans on one side, the air con condenser on the other and the intercooler along the bottom.

Dam .

I feel your pain my friend . I would suggest a pressure test , but to be honest it would prove inconclusive , without a positive check on the other two . I'm guessing this motor ent very old .

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[airwave]

I've found this on the net for you .

There appear's to be two way's to remove the rad , http://www.ourwanderer.uk/peug19.htm , maybe you should take a look . I know it's a peugeot , but the ducato , peugeot , and citroen pretty much share the same base van .

Now i also have another option for you http://manuals.co/workshop/fiat/ducato . It's a pbf download , but more importantly , it's free . However i would strongly advise you to ascertain by any mean's possible that it is actually the rad at fault . It look's a long job , with something , that at this point , i seriously doubt is at fault .
The newer the engine , the less i would suspect it , unless there is reason to suspect a mitigating factor , say insufficient antifreeze .

 

[dave newell]

Yes I've done a couple of X250 rads, one on my own van.

Open the bonnet.
Remove the front grill panel.
Remove the slam panel.
Remove the cap from ther expansion bottle/header tank.
Disconnect bottom hose and drain coolant.
Disconnect top hose.
Disconnect fans.
Lift rad out.
Reverse procedure and refill with fresh coolant.

Unless you know its been done within a couple of years I'd replace the cambelt and water pump while you've got the front off becaue access is so much better with all that bodywork out of the way.

Rad swap according to Autodata is 1.35 hours.

D.

 

[TheBig1]

Download the X250 workshop manual here
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4ki7hp9ihep5vkz/DUCATO_CD3.ISO?dl=0

 

[Johnnyb]

Thanks for the links and suggestions everyone, really appreciate it.

To answer a few questions, the van is 6 years old and has covered 19000 miles. The antifreeze is ok and the cambelt and water pump were changed just over 2 years ago. It does seem quite rare for the radiator to fail on the x250 as there is hardly any info about but I'll be giving it a very close going over before I start tearing it to pieces

 

[airwave]

Well , , your not convincing me that it could be the rad , mate . You say your topping up occasionally , which sound's like now and again to me and not very much at that . A rad problem would be constant . With the motor running the cooling system is pressurised , this would force water out , so you would at best be topping up every time you run the motor . Personally i would find a sheet of card , take the van on a drive (about 10 mile or so should be enough) , then when you park up , place the cardboard under the rad , and have a cuppa , check about 15 - 20 minute's later .
That will tell you how bad it is and where it is (roughly) . A damp patch , or no water could indicate a pressure issue , which most likely will be an airlock in the cooling system . Expanding when warm , it would push the water out of your overflow . With the water pump being replaced , you say 2 year's ago , your antifreeze is due for replacement again , has it been ? . Though it is possible this stem's from the replacement of the waterpump it's self . DO NOT OPEN THE COOLANT FILLER WITH A WARM ENGINE , it will still be pressurised and will fire coolant out , literally . Serious burn's will result .
A 6 year old rad , kept with antifreeze is highly unlikely to develope a fault . These are my feeling's on this subject , my friend , but without being there , and looking myself , it's difficult to tell exactly what the problem is .

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[Johnnyb]

To give an idea of the topping up required, a 300 mile non stop journey will see the level in the header tank drop around 2cm so not losing gallons but enough to raise concerns. As mentioned, I can see coolant dripping off the bottom of the intercooler (which is on the bottom of the radiator), what route the coolant is taking to drip off the intercooler is the puzzle.

 

[olsgreen]

Old thread I know, but I've got exactly the same issue.

What was the outcome? Did you change the rad?

 

[Landy Andy]

I’ve changed mine and there are a few variations of X250 rads. You will need to know what you’ve got, and what you want.

 

[airwave]

few variations of X250 rads.

Ah that takes me back , I had a mk 1 Fiesta ghia , back in the 80's . Rad started leaking . I had 5 before i got the right one , each one was for my year and model car . Then back in 99 , i brought a Capri , with a 1600 Cortina motor in it , so nothing special , radiator started leaking so i ordered one . Wouldn't ya know it , wrong one again . Didn't muck around this time , i shoehorned the thing in . threw loads of excess bits away , but it ran fine . Last rad i changed was on a Honda automatic , cost 6 times what the Capri rad cost , but plugged straight in . I'm now up for a rad change on my 230 , old ones 20 year old . It's not leaking , but it's falling to bits , and i kid you not . Tried to clean it , and a load of vanes fell off , though i suspect it has leaked in the past and been sealed . That would account for the state of the header tank too , which i've already changed , having problems sourcing hoses though ! .

 

[Landy Andy]

Some sites have full engineers drawing for the rads which is a great help. Main points on the 250 were the thickness and the size of intercooler mounts on the bottom from memory. There were also massive differences in cost when looking into it.

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[dunnah01]

Radweld isn't as demonic as many think and will usually sort out small weeps

 

[Simon Meadwell]

My Citroen relay work van looses about 25mm in header about every two to three weeks. Nobody can trace the leak so i top up every week if required no problem.

 

[airwave]

Radweld isn't as demonic as many think and will usually sort out small weeps

I only used it once , on my Fiesta . Despite it being well mixed , it was like pouring liquid mud into the radiator . It worried me at the time as i reasoned it could actually block the rad . It didn't , but then again it didn't stop the leak either . I have neither used , nor recommended it use since . My Fiesta , hah i still ended up changing the radiator .

My Citroen relay work van looses about 25mm in header about every two to three weeks. Nobody can trace the leak so i top up every week if required no problem.

The problem with a small weep in my experience , is they generally get worst over time or fail completely , usually at a time when you least need it .

Investigating another part on my van , actually discussed in another thread . I discovered a small oil leak coming from the lower block . It's just above where the oil filter sits , and appears to be coming from where the dipstick connects into the block . Despite it's location , further investigation has revealed , a small fitting allows the lower engine breather tube to also connects here . Worst yet this fitting appears to be made of plastic , and is sealed with a standard 10mm o ring . I suspect the o ring is worn , though to be honest , i've not disturbed this part yet . Even so i've managed to source a completely new fitting just in case , along with a new lower breather hose ,which is also not looking it's best .
It's actually quite accessible at this point , and a pretty easy fix , due to the fact i have already removed the radiator . It would be a completely different story with the rad in place , and mirrors would have to be employed .

 

[dunnah01]

only used it once , on my Fiesta . Despite it being well mixed , it was like pouring liquid mud into the radiator . It worried me at the time as i reasoned it could actually block the rad . It didn't , but then again it didn't stop the leak either . I have neither used , nor recommended it use since . My Fiesta , hah i still ended up changing the radiator

I'd never recommend using it over changing a rad but I've chucked some in a few cars to get by with generally good results and no bad things happening. Usually the repair lasts as long as I have the car (between 1 day and 2 years ) The Radweld I'm used to is pretty thin and pours easily but there are different flavours of the same thing out there.

 

[airwave]

The Radweld I'm used to is pretty thin and pours easily

Nah this stuff was thick , that's why i was worried it would block the galleries , and it would have been Radweld . You had to give it a really good shake before pouring it in , but even then it was quite thick . My dad was against it from the start , but i was younger and less affluent so had little choice .
Ended up he brought the rad for me , but that was just the start of the challenge .

The header tank on my 230 was the same colour , and so bad the only way you could tell what the level was , was by sticking ya digit in , there's evidence of this stuff throughout the system . Nice clean one fitted now , never raced nor rallied . Actually never been wet either , come to think of it .

I do like the idea of different flavours though .

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[olsgreen]

I used radweld on an old escort and it did the trick, not willing to stick it in my van!

 

[chatteris]

K seal is what you need, had a leak on the heater of my x250 work van put 2 bottles of k seal in 6 years ago and had no problems since then

 

[RustyRuss]

We went to northern Spain in my MX5 mk1 (see Avatar to the left). The temp guage went through the red zone and out the other side as we neared the channel tunnel on the way down. I suspected a sludgy radiator. We ran no faster than 80mph on the French motorways in full July sunshine with the lid down and the heater on max blowing through the windscreen vents. I had phoned the guy I get all my MX5 bits from whilst still in the chunnel carpark and he said a replacement rad would be £35 plus around the same for delivery to Bilbao. I gave him the Spanish address and the bloody radiator got there before we did! I found a nice high kerb in a nudist beach car park and swapped out the old one. I always carry a basic set of tools, socket set, spanners, screwdrivers etc. so it wasn't difficult to do. Took a bit longer than I expected though as the views were so appealing........

How did the original OP get on? Did he get it fixed? I hate it when you follow a thread for ages and don't get the final chapter, it's a bit like someone nicking the last page out of your holiday novel!!

Cheers!

Russ

 

[olsgreen]

RustyRuss Funnily enough I'm in southern France and I'm weighing up my options... I think I may well do it down here or at least get it so that if it does go I can do it!

 

[B-well]

How did the original OP get on? Did he get it fixed? I hate it when you follow a thread for ages and don't get the final chapter, it's a bit like someone nicking the last page out of your ho...........

Russ

HOW DID THIS END.................

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[airwave]

I’ve changed mine and there are a few variations of X250 rads. You will need to know what you’ve got, and what you want.

Yeah , i've found the same with the 230 , there's about 4 variations . I've actually got the correct radiator , and finger's crossed may have found one of the missing hoses .

I won't know till it arrives next week , from Poland ! .

The other won't be quite so easy , actually i don't think it ever existed , as the part i've removed is a modified part anyway , and as all the other hoses are 20 years old (their date stamped) , this one is almost certainly also original .