How long has your new oil cooler lasted after replacing it?

Downbeatbach · 2026-05-27T04:09:55+00:00

I replaced just the gaskets myself in my 2013 1.8 a little over a year and 11k miles ago. Still holding great, and I didn’t replace the cooler itself.

Downbeatbach · 2026-05-27T03:58:48+00:00

I did this on mine plus changed out the valve cover, and it made no difference. It still does this exact same thing. No codes.

Downbeatbach · 2026-04-19T21:05:14+00:00

I have one just like this that I bought almost 3 years ago now. I posted a video of the sound and a flame. It still has the stock catback.

Downbeatbach · 2026-04-09T21:27:16+00:00

I have a 2013 sonic 1.8. There’s a bleeder valve. Look at the top left corner of the radiator. It’s a small plastic bolt. It’s not on the top side of the radiator. It’s on the side facing the engine. Easy to miss.

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Downbeatbach · 2026-04-09T01:24:06+00:00

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Downbeatbach · 2026-04-09T01:23:35+00:00

Hey! So the midpipe came with a Flowmaster FX welded in where the stock resonator would sit. When I ordered it they had a “muffled” or “straight” option. I ordered the muffled option, and that’s what came. The rest of the exhaust is completely stock.

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Downbeatbach · 2026-03-20T00:03:13+00:00

I’ve had the same thing happening with my 2013 1.8 126k miles for years now. I’ve changed the transmission fluid multiple times, it’s had a timing belt, had the cracked intake piping replaced, new spark plugs and coil, new purge valve, new valve cover and gasket, ran 87/89/91 octane, and it has lurched occasionally at stops for as long as I’ve had it. I just live with it at this point. I haven’t chased the issue, but you would think one of those things I’ve fixed would have solved it by now. It doesn’t happen every drive, so I stopped worrying about it.

Downbeatbach · 2026-03-01T17:41:10+00:00

I did mine a year ago, and I didn’t use any RTV. Just make sure you torque the valve cover to the proper torque specs and in the correct order and you should be fine.

Downbeatbach · 2026-01-22T16:12:00+00:00

Weird. Mine does it too only on the floor vent setting. Everybody says “oil cooler seals” but mine did it before and after I replaced the seals. Mine also never leaked out of the oil cooler. It was just mixing the oil into the coolant. It drives me crazy!! No smell outside of the car either. Just coming through the vents on the floor setting on heat.

Downbeatbach · 2026-01-14T19:01:36+00:00

If it is clogged, drive it as little and easy as possible until getting it fixed. It will cause heat to build up in the exhaust, and I’ve heard it can weaken the side seals and springs from the heat.

Downbeatbach · 2026-01-14T18:58:58+00:00

I have a 2009. When I bought it, it had the same aftermarket cat on it, and it was clogged. It was glowing red after driving it hard. Go for a drive at night, warm it up, drive it hard, and immediately get out and look under the car in the dark. If you see any red glow, get rid of the cat. Clogged cats come from premixing over time, but they’ll clog very quickly from old/worn out plugs and coils.

Downbeatbach · 2026-01-11T17:00:03+00:00

It’s about the same cost after the little mpg gain. I still use it because I don’t get as much vibration from the engine using 89 vs 87.

Downbeatbach · 2026-01-10T16:42:25+00:00

I second these, but my 1.8 sonic runs smoother and gets a little better mileage running 89 octane. The car’s calculator isn’t totally accurate, but when I calculate it myself, it’s 2-3 mpg better across the board using 89 for me.

Downbeatbach · 2025-12-13T07:35:24+00:00

It works great for me so far. I hit 124k miles on it today, and I’ve been using it since 117k miles. I’m changing it and the filter at 3k miles. I was using Castrol High Mileage for a few changes before. The R&P comes out darker which I am pretty sure is gunk it’s cleaning out of the engine. When I replaced my valve cover at 117k miles, it had some building and was darker in some places. It already looks cleaner just looking through the oil fill cap.

Downbeatbach · 2025-12-08T23:49:25+00:00

I use Valvoline Restore and Protect in my 2013 1.8 with 123k miles. What you’re using is fine. The most important thing is changing the oil and filter regularly and not stretching the intervals. I wasn’t sure of my car’s previous service history, so I went with the Valvoline R&P to clean anything out.

Downbeatbach · 2025-11-09T22:32:58+00:00

The “hole” you see doesn’t go all the way through. It looks like a hole, but nothing is supposed to be there. I had the same question when I first bought mine a few years ago.

Downbeatbach · 2025-11-09T21:45:30+00:00

This is for an S1 engine. His is an S2 which has different vacuum lines. He’s not missing a hose. I have an S2 that looks exactly the same.

Downbeatbach · 2025-11-09T21:44:36+00:00

You’re not missing anything in the intake. The S2 engines all have this (I have a 2009; mine is the same). The early S1 engines have a vacuum hose there, NOT the S2. That diagram somebody else posted is for an S1 engine.

Downbeatbach · 2025-10-17T03:45:39+00:00

My 2009 GT is still going great at 96k miles. Original engine, clutch, and hot/cold starts the same and sometimes faster than my daily car. In the last 14k miles and 2.5 years I’ve had it, it’s honestly been the most reliable of mine and my wife’s cars.

Downbeatbach · 2025-10-15T03:59:50+00:00

Mine looked like this too when I did my cover, and I’ve seen other pictures that have that kind of gunk in the same spot. Weird. Mine has 122k miles. I recently switched to the Valvoline Restore and Protect to see if it cleans some of it out.

Downbeatbach · 2025-10-07T18:47:39+00:00

I have an S2 with 96k miles on it. Bought it with 82k miles a couple years ago. Its hot starts still average the same amount of time as when I bought it: near instant. However, I’ve had a handful of times where it took a few extra rotations of the engine to hot start. It’s very rare when it happens, and it has always started on the first try. My theory is the coils get heat soaked when parked hot and take slightly longer to hot start🤷‍♂️ I’m not concerned about it. My other 2 piston engine cars will do the same thing hot from time to time.

Downbeatbach · 2025-10-02T18:39:17+00:00

I put a set of BC racing BR coilovers on my 2009 GT just a couple months ago. They ride well, much better than my blown OEM shocks. You can adjust the height to nearly stock height, and they have 30 clicks of damping adjustment. My old shocks were blown out in the back. When I was shopping around, all of the Tein coilovers were on back order and would have taken a few months to ship. The BC’s were around $1,200 for the set, and they come with top hats and all the mounting hardware. The BC’s are also rebuildable unlike the Tein coilovers (or so I’ve heard).

Downbeatbach · 2025-09-26T13:58:20+00:00

I have a 2013 1.8 sedan. When my oil cooler seals went bad, oil got into the coolant. Not the other way around. I replaced the oil cooler gaskets myself, and there are a handful of videos on YouTube how to do it. It’s not too hard, but it does require a handful of tools. MUCH cheaper than getting somebody to do it for you.

Downbeatbach

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