- I have a 2001 Chevy Prizm, aka Corolla, that I received at 60k miles, and it now has 125k miles. I have maintained this vehicle's components extremely meticulously. I plan to keep this car for some time. My main concern is that the radiator is the the original from since it was built, and the radiator hoses most likely are as well. Should I replace the radiator and/or hoses as preventative maintenance so I don't end up blowing the engine unexpectedly?
Thank you in advance
Radiators can last surprisingly long. I have seen 30 year old cars with the original radiator.
Wow! I'll take both of your advice and just keep regularly inspecting them
Hoses for sure, they're 20 yrs old. About $20 bucks each (upper/lower) So when you go to drain the coolant and swap the hoses, take a peek in the radiator and look for signs of any corrosion. But if you want to replace the radiator for piece of mind, heck, they're just under $100 bucks.
I also forgot to add that I did a complete coolant flush and changed thermostat at around 90k. And also that the hoses and radiator seem in surprisingly decent condition if this makes a difference or not as I know about how the internal degrades over time. But I agree with your statement because 100-140 bucks is way cheaper than buying a new engine or vehicle. Thanks 👍
Well, that's a different story... I'd just keep an eye on the hoses and check for any soft spots, like whenever you do an oil change.
Duly noted, will continue to inspect regularly in this case.