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That $50 aftermarket radiator cap cost me a new engine
I put a cheap radiator cap from an auto parts store on my 2003 Subaru Outback last summer. It looked fine but the seal gave out at highway speed near Flagstaff, Arizona. The coolant boiled over and I didn't notice the temp gauge until the head gasket blew. Has anyone else been burned by a simple part that looked the same as OEM?
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jason_kelly83d ago
Cheap radiator cap from an auto parts store" - that cap was probably fine, man, sounds more like you just didn't check the temp gauge in time.
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the_lucas3d ago
Three summer ago I had the same thing happen with my '97 F150. That cap is probably fine but if you didn't burp the system right after you put it on, air gets trapped and the gauge never reads right until it's too late. I'd bet @jason_kelly8 just skipped bleeding it.
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miabennett3d ago
Flagstaff at highway speed is brutal, I know that stretch of 40 well. I used to be one of those guys who swore aftermarket caps were just as good, figured it's just a spring and a seal, what could go wrong? But last year my buddy's 4Runner lost all its coolant from a $20 cap that looked identical to the OEM one. The little rubber gasket inside wasn't molded quite right, it let air in and eventually pressure dropped just enough to cause a slow leak. I still think your Subaru's head gasket might have been on its last legs anyway, but yeah, I don't mess with cheap caps anymore. A $50 part seems expensive until you're looking at a $3,000 repair bill.
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