Radiator Update #1

A friend and I drove out to where my wife had left the car. It started up without any trouble, which means that spraying coolant had likely created a short which caused the starter to fail when she had first experienced the problem.

My line of thinking was this: if I could get the car closer to Grand Forks than Fargo, my insurance company would pay for towing to Grand Forks. I put in a bit more coolant and watched it drain out. With some rough (and rather uneducated) calculations, I determined I should be able to make it at least 10 miles/10 minutes before needing to shut the car off to cool down. That would be about how far I made it.

I let the car rest for a good solid 30 minutes. When I tried to fire it back up, Casper just clicked at me. If I couldn't get the car back to Grand Forks, I couldn't very well perform the repairs... I would have to pass this one up.

I gave in and called the insurance company regardless. It was 7PM on a Sunday evening. The rep I spoke with did some searching and tried to patch me through to several 'local' wreckers to no avail. After wasting nearly 30 minutes on the phone, he decided to give me the number of a 24-hour wrecker in Grand Forks.

Fast-forward to today: the bill came in at $218.50. The insurance company is evaluating it to determine what portion they will reimburse. The wreckers were kind enough to charge the battery, and I was able to drive my car from their lot to a friends' where I could perform the repairs in a heated & well-lit garage.

It appears to just be the radiator. I've already got it removed, along with the radiator fan, all of the coolant hoses, etc. While things are out, I've got extra elbow-room to test sensors and other hard-to-reach items.

I compiled a list of parts to order, and here's what I've got:

• Radiator
• Upper Coolant Hose
• Lower Coolant Hose
• Thermostat and Thermostat Gasket
• A/C & Power Steering V-Belt
• Alternator V-Belt

All said, the order cost me $243 shipped.

I will also be taking the time to clean the coolant reservoir. Once everything is put back together, I'll see about cleaning out the engine compartment with a pressure-washer. I've read this is safe to do, so long as you run the engine while you do it and be sure to stay away from places which cause the engine to sputter.

More to come. I apologize for the lack of pictures, and hope to get some taken and uploaded soon.