# Radiator exploded! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** corrado, volkswagen\ **Created:** [November 9, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-exploded/57365 "2010-11-09T18:12:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![92corrado](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/92corrado/32/2110_2.png) [@92corrado](https://community.cartalk.com/u/92corrado)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-exploded/57365/1 "2010-11-09T18:12:43Z")
Car in question: VW Corrado SLC 2.8L VR6. So I just finished up a motor swap in this car, and everything was going swimmingly (save a couple minor setbacks) I was test driving the car around my neighborhood to work it up to operating temperature to make sure everything was ok. The car seems a bit lethargic and has a bit of valve tap around 2.5k. It does feel a bit bogged down though. As soon as the radiator fans came on, I hear a loud bang. Coolant was spraying out of the actual radiator, somewhere behind the radiator fans (I couldn’t see exactly where it was spewing from) Anyway, I towed her home with no coolant anywhere as it left it’s mark all over the street. My question is this: Could this be simply a bad radiatior, or should I look at the entire system to see if a thermostat or something is faulty? Could this possibly be the work of a bad head gasket? ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-exploded/57365/2 "2010-11-09T18:28:01Z")
Make model and year please. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-exploded/57365/3 "2010-11-09T18:38:40Z")
JEM, it’s a '92 VW Corrado with the VR6. While it might just be a bad radiator, it could also be a blown head gasket. Was this a new, rebuilt, or used engine? Any known history on it? ---
**Author:** ![LedLawless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@LedLawless](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LedLawless)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-exploded/57365/4 "2010-11-09T22:38:41Z")
Did anything plug up or block off the passage to the overflow reservoir, or for the overflow drain from the reservoir? Is sounds like the radiator overpressurized. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-exploded/57365/5 "2010-11-09T23:14:26Z")
Given the info is it possible the fans shredded the radiator? ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-exploded/57365/6 "2010-11-10T00:27:07Z")
Over-pressurization will blow a hose before it will blow the radiator… ---
**Author:** ![LedLawless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@LedLawless](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LedLawless)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-exploded/57365/7 "2010-11-10T05:10:23Z")
Point.