How to Replace Radiator 2009-17 Chevy Traverse
Created on: 2018-02-23
How to repair, install, fix, change or replace a broken, damaged, or leaking radiator on 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC, Acadia, or Saturn Outlook.
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step 1 :Draining the Coolant
- Make sure the engine is cool
- Open the hood
- Have a drain pan ready
- Loosen the lower radiator hose clamp with slip joint pliers
- Pull the hose off the engine
- Direct the fluid into the drain bucket
- Allow the coolant to drain completely
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step 2 :Removing the Hood Shroud
- Pry the plastic clips out of the hood shroud with a flat blade screwdriver
- Peel the weatherstip ends off the hood shroud
- Pull the shroud up and off
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step 3 :Removing the Front Bumper Cover
- Remove the T20 Torx bolts from the top of the bumper cover
- Remove the 7mm bolt from each inner fender
- Remove the two T20 bolts behind each inner fender
- Remove the T20 bolts from the bottom of the bumper cover
- Remove the 10mm bolt from the bumper cover
- With the help of an assistant, pull off the bumper cover
- Disconnect the parking light wiring harnesses
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step 4 :Removing the Hood Latch
- Remove the four 10mm bolts from the support
- Remove the support
- Unclip the push clips on the rubber air guide with a trim tool
- Slide the air guide down and out
- For the passenger side, push the air guide out of the way but do not remove
- Remove the 13mm bolts from the hood latch
- Unclip the electrical connector
- Pull the hood latch out and disconnect the electrical connector
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step 5 :Removing the Radiator
- Loosen the 10mm bolts from the top radiator mounts
- Loosen the hose clamp from the upper radiator hose
- Work the radiator hose off of the radiator
- Remove the second hose from the radiator neck
- Unclip the radiator from the a/c condenser
- Evenly pull the radiator up without stressing the lines
- Have glove fingers and zip-ties ready
- Pull the rubber cap from the cooling line
- Pull the clip on the cooling line out with a pick
- Disconnect the cooling line and place a glove finger on the end and zip-tie it
- Repeat this process for the second cooling line
- Disconnect the cooling fan electrical connector
- Pull the radiator and cooling fans up, separately from the condenser
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step 6 :Separating the Radiator from the Cooling Fans
- Pry up the clip securing the fan to the radiator with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the 10mm bolts from the fan shroud
- Unclip the fan shroud from the radiator and remove it
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step 7 :Preparing the Radiator
- Loosen the lower radiator hose clamp
- Remove the lower radiator hose
- Pry off the rubber plugs from the bottom of the radiator
- Remove the radiator cap
- Unclip the air guide from the radiator
- Remove the securing clip from the radiator
- Remove the protective caps from the new radiator except for the cooling line caps
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step 8 :Installing the Cooling Fans to the Radiator
- Clip the cooling fan shroud to the radiator
- Tighten the 10mm bolts to the fan shroud
- Press in the clips to secure the fan to the radiator
- Clip in the securing clip to the radiator
- Clip in the air guide to the radiator
- Tighten the radiator cap
- Press on the rubber plugs to the bottom of the radiator
- Insert the lower radiator hose to the radiator
- Tighten the lower radiator hose clamp
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step 9 :Installing the Radiator
- Carefully insert the radiator into place
- Clip the a/c condenser to the radiator
- Remove the cooling line caps
- Remove the glove from the cooling lines
- Connect the cooling line to the radiator
- Secure the clip to the cooling line
- Place the rubber onto the cooling line
- Repeat this process for the second cooling line
- Connect the upper hoses to the radiator
- Secure the hose clamps with pliers
- Tighten the 10mm bolts to the radiator mounts
- Slide up the air guides into place
- Clip in the air guides
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step 10 :Installing the Hood Latch
- Connect the hood latch harness
- Clip the harness in
- Press the hood latch into place
- Tighten the 13mm bolt to the hood latch
- Reinstall the bumper support
- Tighten the four 10mm bolts to the support
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step 11 :Installing the Front Bumper Cover and Lower Radiator Hose
- Connect the parking light wiring harnesses
- With the help of an assistant, lift the bumper cover into place
- Push in the bumper cover clips
- Insert the T20 bolts at the top of the bumper cover
- Insert the T20 bolts at the bottom of the bumper cover
- Insert the 10mm bolt in the bottom of the bumper cover
- Insert the two T20 bolts behind each inner fender
- Install the 7mm bolt into each inner fender
- Connect the lower radiator hose
- Tighten the lower radiator hose clamp with pliers
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step 12 :Filling the Coolant
- Push the lower radiator hose onto the engine
- Tighten the hose clamp with slip joint pliers
- Twist the radiator cap off the radiator
- Add coolant to the radiator, using a funnel
- Add coolant to the overflow reservoir, using a funnel
- Twist on the radiator cap
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step 13 :Bleeding the Cooling System
- Start the engine
- Bring the engine to between 2,000 and 2,500 RPM
- Bring the engine to operating temperature
- Check the coolant level
- Add coolant to the overflow reservoir as necessary
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step 14 :Installing the Hood Shroud
- Put the shroud into place
- Clip the weatherstrip ends onto the shroud
- Push the clips into the hood shroud
Tools needed
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13mm Socket
Funnel
Socket Extensions
Rust Penetrant
Channel-Lock Pliers
Jack Stands
Anti-Freeze
Trim Tool Set
Flat Blade Screwdriver
T20 Driver
Paper Towels
10mm Socket
Ratchet
Floor Jack
Complete Metric Socket Set
Hi, I’m Mike from 1A Auto. We’ve been selling auto parts for over 30 years!
We'll go inside the vehicle and open up the hood. To remove this plastic shield that's on the front of the engine compartment there are 10 clips: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Take a small, flat bladed screwdriver or trim clip tool. Pop them up to loosen them. We'll need to go in like this. Pull them out. If the middle comes out, it's okay. And then this rubber seal is clipped in here. Just kind of pop it out. With a small flat bladed screwdriver, just pop it out. This trim clip tool, these may break when you're taking them out. You might want to have some new ones on hand. If the middle comes out, it just pushes right back in there. Just repeat that for all the clips. These ones are a little trickier because they're deep inside here. Trying to get this in here to pry them up. Just go along and do the same for all of them. This should just lift right off now. And then we'll put it outside.
There's six T20 Torx bolts, or Torx screws on the top of the radio support that hold the bumper on. We're going to remove those. The top of the bumper is loose. We're going to lift the vehicle up to about waist high. You can take the bumper off of the car on the ground, but this will make it easier for us and easier to show what we're doing. Use a seven millimeter socket, an extension, and a ratchet. There're two seven millimeter bolts here. We're going to remove them. They're holding the bumper to the fender. Just going to tilt the wheel in. We need to do that. You're going to repeat this for both sides of the car.
There are two T20 Torx screws that are holding the fender liner to the bumper. You got all the bolts loose, we kind of tug on the bumper. You see it's starting to come loose. Just repeat this for the other side. For both sides remove the two T20 Torx on the bottom of the fender liner where it connects to the bumper. There's 10 millimeter bolts on each side, and this little bracket's holding the front bumper on. Remove both of those. This bracket's already broken, but you would take this bolt out. Same for the other side. Bumper clips in the brackets, so I'm just going to pull on it. Pull it out of the clips. Sometimes you have to give a good tug. Just go along all the way right along the edge. I'm going to do the other side now the same way. I'm going to support the bumper like that. Pull away from the vehicle.
There are fog lights, or front marker lights. I'm going to unplug those. Do the same for both sides. I'll put our bumper aside.
I'll reinstall the bumper. Don't forget to reconnect the turn signal lamps. Both sides, just snap them into the connector. It'll click when it's in. Put the bumper back into place. Push it up into the bracket. Lift it up and in. Get both sides set. Just clip it into place.
Reinstall the bolts, screws, and clips. Your bracket isn't broken here, this one's broken, but you reinstall the 10 millimeter bolts. It holds the bottom of the bumper on. You do the same for the other side. Reinstall the two Torx screws. You do the same for the other side. Reinstall the two seven millimeter bolts or screws. One had a wider head, one had a smaller head. The smaller head one was towards the inside.
Reinstall the six Torx screws, one on the top of the bumper. Install the upper cover in the inch compartment. Just slide it under that ground point. It's going to go over these rubber mounts here, both sides. Let's go under this weather strips. Same thing for both sides. Reinstall all the push clips. It's easier to push the clips in if you pull out the center part. This is the last one. And that is complete. Close your hood.
Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.
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Chevrolet GMC Buick Saturn Radiator TRQ RDA82725
- Left & Right
- No
- Yes
- Plastic
- Plated
- Yes
- Female
- 7
- Aluminum
- Cross Flow
- 1
- No
- Top Right
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How To Replace Radiator 1992-2001 Chevy Suburban PART 2
Learn how to replace the radiator in your 92-01 Chevy Suburban with this step by step video from 1A Auto. This is part 2.
