What are the merits of...

[Paul56]

I have to admit... I'm slightly paranoid about getting stranded in some remote area with my car (or anywhere for that matter) over an issue I was not proactive with.

I've been reading about this issue where the coolant and transmission fluid can mix due to an issue inside the rad. I don't have this issue yet, but I'm wondering if it is worthwhile to go ahead with this...

-install a separate transmission cooler thus eliminating the possibility of transmission fluid flowing in the rad at all.

-while at it getting a new rad or having the one I presently have reconditioned. No issues with it... I'm just tryna be proactive about the maintenance. The rad hoses all still look very good, but those metal coolant pipes around the engine have some rust spots on them... maybe replace those as well?

-the other option is to wait until there is an issue rather than spending bucks on something that has not happened and may not happen for a long time if ever.

Vehicle is a 2001 with about 164,000 kilometers or 102,000 miles.

[aperson]

More importantly have you done the timing belt and water pump yet? The way I think of things is that I would rather spend money on preventative maintenance and myself in the comfort of my home rather than have it at some shop that knows I need to have my car fixed and charge me out the ass for the job and may not put as much care as I will.

I say if you're concerned about it then just go for it before it becomes a problem. What you describe can happen to any radiator with a built in tranny cooler, so it's not Neon specific. When you start getting that many miles on the car, I'd start being a little more critical of the car as well, so anything you do can't exactly hurt as long as its done right.

[Paul56]

More importantly have you done the timing belt and water pump yet? The way I think of things is that I would rather spend money on preventative maintenance and myself in the comfort of my home rather than have it at some shop that knows I need to have my car fixed and charge me out the ass for the job and may not put as much care as I will.

I say if you're concerned about it then just go for it before it becomes a problem. What you describe can happen to any radiator with a built in tranny cooler, so it's not Neon specific. When you start getting that many miles on the car, I'd start being a little more critical of the car as well, so anything you do can't exactly hurt as long as its done right.

What you say makes sense... thanks for your comments and reality check.

Yes, I went through the timing belt/water pump issue last summer.

[fixitmattman]

Unless you completely eliminate the lines going to the rad an external cooler won't do anything to prevent this from happening. It's not like it's that big of a problem. Does it happen yes, do you need to change the rad because it could happen, no. Same goes with those coolant lines from the engine. A lot of things could happen, may as well go buy a new car if that's your point of view because it only has 164 000km on it, who know's what'll happen.

Most times maintenance issues just don't pop up, they normally give plenty of warning time, especially when you know what to look for.

[aperson]

I retract what I said about having too many miles, I didn't read the km part, I thought you said 164,000 miles. Something else to take into consideration is how well it was maintained before you got it. I've only seen that problem twice since I've been working on cars (~8yrs) because the cars were poorly maintained. I wouldn't be concerned about the radiator problem unless you can see rust in the fluid. Also peace of mind has no cost in my book.

[Paul56]

I retract what I said about having too many miles, I didn't read the km part, I thought you said 164,000 miles. Something else to take into consideration is how well it was maintained before you got it. I've only seen that problem twice since I've been working on cars (~8yrs) because the cars were poorly maintained. I wouldn't be concerned about the radiator problem unless you can see rust in the fluid. Also peace of mind has no cost in my book.

That would be about 105,000 miles. Sorry about that.

The fellow who had the car before me did very little if any maintenance on it during his 1 year of ownership. If he had kept the car much longer there would have been some serious issues to deal with... so I think I picked it up just in the brink of time. Before that, his father owned the car and went to the dealership like clockwork basically following the scheduled maintenance.

I've had it for a year now and spent last summer and a few dollars getting it into a maintenance state that I'm comfortable with... which included a cooling system flush and fluid replacement.

I think I will leave well enough alone.

[occasional demons]

but those metal coolant pipes around the engine have some rust spots on them... maybe replace those as well?

Those are the "heater tubes" As long as the coolant is in good shape the inside is prolly fine. When I had my head off, I removed them and painted them to match my valve cover. If you go that route you may also consider replacing the rubber hoses that connect them to the waterpump/engine, prolly dealer only items, but they can be a source of a leak when they get old. In reality they prolly should be changed as often as the radiator hoses, but they are a PITA to get to, so I doubt many ever get changed. The intake mani being removed makes it a bit easier.