Answer
Mar 08, 2025 - 10:26 AM
Ah, this is a pretty straightforward job on the A2 Jetta. The radiator sits up front, behind the grille, and you don’t need to mess with the A/C condenser unless you’re dealing with a model that has A/C.
First, drain the coolant from the radiator by opening the drain plug at the bottom. If there’s no drain plug, just pop off the lower hose carefully and let it drain. Then, disconnect the upper and lower radiator hoses, and if your Jetta has an electric cooling fan, unplug the wiring and remove the fan assembly (it’s usually held on with a few bolts.)
Next, you’ll need to remove the radiator mounting brackets or clips. They vary a bit depending on the trim level, but usually, there are a couple of bolts at the top. Once those are out, you can tilt the radiator slightly and pull it up and out.
When installing the new one, make sure to transfer any rubber mounting bushings or brackets from the old radiator, then drop it into place. Reconnect everything, fill it up with fresh coolant, and bleed the system by running the engine with the heater on and the coolant reservoir cap off until all the air bubbles work their way out.
Super doable job, maybe an hour or two depending on rusted bolts or tight spaces. If you ran into any issue, this manual should help you out as it contains the manufacturer's step-by-step procedure to nail the radiator replacement. You'd be saving bucks too by doing it yourself 😉
Good luck!
