Removing the radiator and fan – Golf 4 and Bora:
Before you decide to replace the radiator, take it to a specialist workshop. Professionals can seal small leaks. Maybe the radiator can still be saved. Good work: if your car is equipped with an automatic gearbox, commission to a workshop to remove the radiator. The engine radiator in this version is one unit with the ATF oil cooler; it is necessary to disconnect the wires leading to it. Refilling the gearbox with ATF oil would be quite a problem.
1. Remove the front bumper. Read how to do it in the chapter "Body".
2. Drain the coolant (read the section on changing the coolant).
3. Remove the hoses from the radiator. Pull out electrical connector plugs from thermal switch and fan.
4. Remove the power steering oil cooler, but do not disconnect the wires, so that the oil does not leak from the system.
5. Remove the screws that secure the air outlet grille.
6. In cars with air conditioning: loosen the refrigerant piping clamps and unscrew the evaporator mounting bolts.
ATTENTION! DO NOT OPEN THE AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERANT CIRCUIT!
7. Pull out the electrical connector plug from the air conditioning pressure valve.
8. Carefully remove the evaporator and secure it with wire to the body sheet.
Important: cannot be bent, Crush and twist refrigerant pipes and hoses, in order not to damage the hoses and the evaporator.
9. Set the front belt in the service position and remove the radiator mounting bolts. Remove the radiator with the fan from the engine compartment.
10. With the help of a second person, put the radiator in place and tighten the mounting bolts with torque 10 N-m.
11. Fit new O-rings and fit the hoses to the radiator nozzles. Secure them with new zip ties.