Radiator problem

Radiator problem

So for as long as I’ve had this car, I’ve had to put antifreeze into it once a month or so. I never saw leaks though. However, this Saturday, I came home to see my car sitting in a puddle of antifreeze and it dripping slowly near the center of the car, towards the front. Today, we took apart the car and removed the fans to take a look at the radiator and hoses. We double clamped the lower hoses because there was a lot of fluid splashed all over that that area. We also found the radiator looking like this (top down view



See all the red crud?
We cleaned it off and started the car up, let it sit there for a while. No leaks!
I took it for a test drive and it started overheating badly and leaking all over the place. I put the heat on but it suddenly doesn’t work! So I’m guessing I need a new radiator? Or could it be the water pump? It’s still leaking fluid as I write this :/ Any help is appreciated.

You need a radiator. That "crud" down there is dried up coolant. Take your car to a shop and have it pressure tested and i bet ya theres a leak down there.

yeah, looked like dry crusty toyota red, made such a mess. I think Im just going to pick up a new radiator then. Thanks for the reply! any idea why heat did not work at all (might be stupid question)?

Coolant runs through the heater core (prettymuch a mini radiator) inside the cabin of the car. The blower motor inside the car pushes the warm air through the heater core to heat the car. If the car is low on coolant, it wont flow through the heater core thus no heat. That or your thermostat is junk. Id recommend replacing that too while you have the cooling system drained. The thermostat also has a gasket that would need to be replaced too if you took it apart. Also plan on getting some tranny fluid too if its an automatic because when you pull the radiator there is tanny lines that run to it to cool the trans fluid. You should make a DIY for when you do all this for future people that need the work done.

awesome, thanks again! I'll be sure to pick up the tranny fluid and I'll be relying heavily on my Haynes book and neighbor to replace the radiator. and good call on the DIY.

im having a leaking problem too. i drive a 2000 celica and the radiator fills through the reservoir and not through a rad. cap.... i double clamped all the coolant hoses and it still leaks. i found it to be leaking out of the cap on the reservoir, so, i replaced it but it still leaks once the engine warms up. any ideas why????