Replacing the radiator

Swapping the rad on a modern Land Rover needs plenty of time, and some help from your local garage, as Dave Barker explains

A Freelander 2 radiator swap needs plenty of time and help from a pro

THIS 2013 Freelander 2 with 75,000 miles on the clock had no signs of overheating, just a puddle of leaked coolant under the front while parked up and a ‘low-coolant’ warning message on the dash. A pressure test confirmed a leak from the bottom edge of the radiator where corrosion could be seen, confirming a replacement radiator would be required.

The last radiator I replaced in a car took around 15 minutes – just two bolts and two compression clips to undo, lift the old one out and drop the new one in – and the radiator cost about £40. I was shocked that almost the complete front of the car had to be dismantled on this Freelander 2 to replace the radiator. The radiator isn’t overly expensive but, if air conditioning is fitted, its condenser needs to be removed, involving draining and refilling the refrigerant, at extra cost. Then there’s around four hours labour costs. Anyone doing this job themselves will need to take the Freelander to a garage to have the air conditioning refrigerant safely removed and stored before starting the work, and then return for the system to be re-charged after completion.

As this Freelander has air conditioning, the refrigerant in the system needs to be removed and later replaced. This work needs to be carried out a garage with the appropriate equipment.

Wear eye protection when disconnecting the air conditioning pipework even though the refrigerant has been removed.