New radiator club member

[Billboard]

Have not used this site so not sure if im posting this right, but, i had leak in 2015 CS with 28K miles, this summer, talked to 2 different radiator repair shops and both recommended Zerex super sealer, I called Cummins and they recommended same fix as first fix, have put around 4K miles on since that and no problem. Zerex is only product as i understand that does not void any Cummins warranties, I guess i will run until i starts leaking again and replace

[oneknight]

Tough question.
After mine was changed, the new bolts for the revised radiator were very obvious. the mounting is completely different.

But I've no clue how a coach delivered with the new radiator would look...

Originally Posted by USMCRET

How can I visually determine if a MH has the problematic radiator?

[MRUSA14]

Originally Posted by Billboard

Have not used this site so not sure if im posting this right, but, i had leak in 2015 CS with 28K miles, this summer, talked to 2 different radiator repair shops and both recommended Zerex super sealer, I called Cummins and they recommended same fix as first fix, have put around 4K miles on since that and no problem. Zerex is only product as i understand that does not void any Cummins warranties, I guess i will run until i starts leaking again and replace

That sounds good but it makes me nervous. There are some reports of plugged heater cores from using stop-leak products. I wouldn't want to cause another problem in fighting the first one.

[kerrvillepil]

I had my radiator replaced in May 2019 at the Sparton facillity in Michigan. 2016 Anthem with 19,000 miles. I had the extended service agreement through NIRVC and Sparton told me it was not covered under their warranty (I think that was a lie but since I had the extended service agreement I didn't raise a fuss)... They used a Modine radiator replacement and I was told by the tech that they haven't had any problems with it. Just had annual service done at 26,000 miles and they added about a gallon of radiator fluid but I haven't noticed any leakage. Hope all is well... If you have a 2015 - 2018 with the original radiator and don't have an extended warranty, get one quick. Cost for radiator replacement was almost $7K, done at Spartan...

[gizmo123316]

I think that I will look for a shop to build a good radiator for me if mine starts leaking again. 7k seems like a lot to pay. As I have stated before, my opinion is that Spartan (and their supplier) should replace these radiators for the life of the vehicle. This cost should not be paid by the customer. It is they who have caused the failure of these radiators by trying to reduce the cost by installing substandard equipment. It has certainly not worked in this case, but they make the customers pay after their warranty expires!! The warranty on radiators should be extended since everyone knows of their failures. I call BS on Spartan.

[soundsuperio]

I am also joining the club. My 15 Anthem is in storage and I noticed a small pool of antifreeze on the ground. Radiator is to be replaced during Spartan training in June. Guess I will invest in gallons of antifreeze til then.

[mbaril]

2017 Aspire, 26k miles, no issue yet but from what I've been reading, it's not a matter of if it's gonna happen but when it's gonna happen. This make any trip a little stressful specially because my next voyage is going across Canada where repair shop are less frequent. So wish me good luck. I was in Charlotte this fall for my third year warranty, I ask them to do a pressure test on the radiator and they said it looks OK!!!

[Gary.Jones]

Mike

If you loosen the cap one notch, and carry a bunch of OAT compatible fluid with you and a lot of distilled water, you can drive your coach a long way to find a place that can work on it and do a replacement/repair. Make sure you are prepared with lots of fluid to replace a leak if one develops. You never know. Actually, Spartan advised me to put in pure distilled water in my system if I ran out of OAT if I developed a problem. Luckily, both times, my coach was the standard slow leak when cooling down.

Gary

[MRUSA14]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Mike

If you loosen the cap one notch, and carry a bunch of OAT compatible fluid with you and a lot of distilled water, you can drive your coach a long way to find a place that can work on it and do a replacement/repair. Make sure you are prepared with lots of fluid to replace a leak if one develops. You never know. Actually, Spartan advised me to put in pure distilled water in my system if I ran out of OAT if I developed a problem. Luckily, both times, my coach was the standard slow leak when cooling down.

Gary

Gary, please explain the "loosen the cap" comment. Do you drive with the cap loosened? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing that?

[Gary.Jones]

Lets start with the cap off the radiator. When you start to put it on and turn it clockwise, it turns maybe an eighth of a turn and stops. Then you usually press down on it and turn it another 1/8 of a turn and that is full lock and fully installed. Fully installed, the system maintains higher pressure than it does with no cap on the radiator.

The reverse of that is just as true. When removing the cap, you turn counter-clockwise an eight of a turn until there is a stop. At that point, the cap is still securely on the neck but it has given up the seal of the radiator cap... and most of the pressure. In other words, the pressure in the radiator is relieved, but the cap is still on. Then you press down on the cap and turn the second 1/8 turn and the cap is free and off the neck.

Now, a leak in the cooling system is made worse by the high pressure developed (and high temperature) when moving down the road. If you have a leak, that high pressure makes the leak leak faster. So, by moving the cap counterclockwise one click and relieving the pressure on the radiator, you decrease the pressure in the system and slow the leak and keep more of your coolant in the system longer.

When I had a leak in my radiator the first time and called Spartan, they told me to do exactly what I just described and then they said, if I kept stopping periodically and removed the radiator cap and re-fill the overflow chamber with distilled water, they told me I could drive many hundreds of miles with the leak... just make sure that the system is full of liquid (distilled water plus the original OAT anti-freeze). They said if I paid attention to it, and my leak was not massive, I could drive a long way with the system this way. There have been owners on here that have driven from the west coach back to the south or FL or the east coast with their leak, just checking frequently. Of course be very careful with the hot water in the cooling system, but with the cap turned to the first stop, water does not gush out and the pressure does not build up terribly, so you can remove the cap after 30 - 45 minutes and check levels and refill. I always remove the radiator cap after a reasonable time (and assuming that the motor has not overheated) and then use heavy tower or air and water proof material with several layers between my hand and the radiator cap so if there is any "steam" that I dont get burned.

Does that make sense? This was what I was told to do by Spartan to enable me to get to a proper repair place with a leak in my radiator.

Oh, and to be clear.... Yes, you can drive the coach that way... probably slower and more carefully going up the east side of the Continental Divide and keeping a clear eye watching the engine coolant temperature the whole time...

The advantage is that you can keep moving toward a repair facility rather than waiting for a tow truck to come and get you to the radiator shop.

Gary

[MRUSA14]

Thank you for that explanation. I was aware of the two-step cap twisting but I wasn’t sure it would be safe or practical to drive with the cap only turned to the first click.

[Boyd R]

I joined the club last month. 20,000 miles on the coach. No warranty, so paid out of pocket.
Had it done at Cummins in Elmira NY, as they are also a Spartan service center. They did a good job, timely manor, and cost was $3,440.00 out the door.

[HarleyDriven]

These all are the ones that had problems, it’d be nice to know how many have not had issue with radiators... I’ll start... 2016 aspire, 32000 mi. No issue

[MRUSA14]

Originally Posted by HarleyDriven

These all are the ones that had problems, it’d be nice to know how many have not had issue with radiators... I’ll start... 2016 aspire, 32000 mi. No issue

No issue yet. My leak just showed up on my 2013 Anthem.