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In the past week I have had 2 Kizashi’s come to the shop with failed radiator caps .
A 12 SLS with 169k miles the second was a 2010 SE with 237k. With the cars now being 10+ years old , I would suggest keeping an eye on all under the hood levels and give the top radiator hose a squeeze to confirm the cooling system is holding pressure. Firm feel on hose can be felt as early as a few minutes after start up. A quality brand such as Stant can be had for less than $10 but an original Nippon Denso 1.1 bar 16lb cap can be sourced from a Toyota or Honda Dealer. The Kizashi seems to be hard on these caps as I’ve know seen more than a few of these failed caps on cars I know for sure were not overheated. I am now pushing sales of a new cap on any Kizashi that comes in with more than 125k miles which is nearly all of them given that the average yearly mileage is 12-15k . A bad cap during warm weather will cause overheating damage rather quickly and sadly for most will not be caught in time so do yourself a favor and replace that cap as a precautionary measure . Have the drive belt alignment checked as well see “ Cheap fix 09 belt tensioner “ .
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Last edited by old tech on Mon Jan 09, 2023 3:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
That's exactly what happened to mine on a uphill climb; the cap broke at the spring-loaded valve. Thankfully, I caught the overheat soon enough to prevent damage to the engine. I second Old Tech's warning that OE radiator caps should be replaced on any Kizashi over the mileage of 120K. I'm currently still using my emergency replacement cap I got over the counter at O'Reilly's Auto Parts. It's this and I can attest it fits and works: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/mu ... 7037&pos=0
That being said, it's not of the original design with the pressure valve so I'm only using it temporarily. I ordered a Toyota radiator cap online and when it arrives, I'll make sure it's a proper replacement. Once that is verified, I will share the part number for the Toyota radiator cap.
I just had another one fail on me...I recognized the symptoms this time and got it replaced right away. I have a pressure test kit to help confirm the failed cap and to ensure the new one out of the store is working...I've previously had a couple failing straight off the shelf!
'12 Kizashi SLS AWD w/RF sound
easy to chip Vivid Red and 25% window tint
Michelin Crossclimate 2
Power Stop Rotors and Pads
206,xxx miles and still lovin it!
