Engine Oil Cooler Replacement Cost Estimate

When the oil cooler or lines have failed in some way, the technician will likely have noticed the check engine light, low oil warning lamp, low oil pressure lamp, or the engine oil temperature lamp. There may be several other checks before arriving at tests for the engine oil cooler, and those may include checking the reliability of the engine oil temperature sensor, the engine oil pressure switch, or the engine oil level sensor. If the sensors sending the warning messages are functioning properly, the technician will begin searching for the cause. If the oil cooler is leaking, it will be diagnosed and replaced right away. However, for oil pressure issues, the oil cooler may be removed and either backflushed or pressure checked to test for clogging. If the oil cooler and lines are incapable of passing fluid or air pressure, they will be flushed individually to find the location of the clog and remove it. For an oil cooler with bend fins, the fins will be straightened unless the technician does not believe the oil cooler can be salvaged.

Replacing the oil cooler involves removing the mounting hardware or fasteners, disconnecting the two lines from the oil cooler, and installing the new oil cooler in its place. Afterwards, the engine oil system will be flushed, drained and refilled with clean oil, and the oil filter will be changed as well. For oil coolers which may be part part of the vehicle's radiator, the engine cooling system would be drained, radiator removed, and the cooling system would be refilled and bled after the repair is complete. Lastly, the technician would drive the vehicle, monitor oil pressure and temperature, and possibly manually clear the OBD trouble codes before confirming the repair.

Removing the oil cooler in an attempt to prevent a repair is not recommended. The oil cooler can be bypassed in order to avoid towing the vehicle home, but any sort of strenuous driving may cause excessively high engine oil temperatures. If there is trouble with the oil cooler, and it no longer functions properly, replacement is the safe option.

Many vehicles do not have oil coolers, and many radiators have two cores to accommodate engine or transmission oil along with engine coolant. In any case, it is important to understand the system used on your vehicle before authorizing or performing maintenance to the engine oil cooling system, as there may not be one. Also, power washing any air to liquid cooler will cause the fins to flatten, which blocks airflow and reduces efficacy of the cooling unit. If cleaning is needed, a radiator comb is the tool for the job, and lightly pressurized water can be used in a non-dusty environment.

Diagnosis of a clogged engine oil cooler will be a little more difficult, but a blocked or leaking engine oil cooler can be diagnosed by anyone, and the radiator comb available to straighten fins and removed debris is consumer available at most parts stores. A leaking engine oil cooler can be replaced at home with a quality set of line wrenches or quick disconnect tools, depending on the make and model. The beginner DIYer could accomplish this task with a little assistance as long as removal of body panels is not required to access the engine oil cooler.