PRODUCT DETAILS
Mishimoto Performance Aluminum Radiator (MMRAD-CIV-01) - 2001-2005 Honda Civic (Non-Si)
The 7th-gen Civic is getting old enough now that the factory radiator is a common failure, the plastic end tanks crack and the car starts losing coolant, usually at the worst time. This Mishimoto all-aluminum radiator replaces it with TIG-welded aluminum that won't crack, more coolant capacity, and better heat dissipation. It's a direct fit for the 1.7L DX, EX, and LX, and it's the permanent fix rather than another plastic-tank unit that'll fail the same way in a few years.
Why The Factory Radiator Fails
Worth understanding, since it's why most people end up here.
The stock radiator uses plastic end tanks crimped onto the core. It's how most OEM radiators are built, but the plastic gets brittle with age and heat, and it cracks, usually along the top tank or where the tank meets the core. Once it goes, you're topping off coolant and risking an overheat on a hot day or in traffic.
An aluminum radiator with welded tanks does away with that entirely, no plastic to crack, no crimped seam to weep. For a Civic that's developed a radiator leak, or one you want to keep reliable for years more, this is the fix that doesn't come back.
Dual-Core Aluminum
It's a two-row, 1.57" brazed aluminum core with TIG-welded end tanks, built from aircraft-quality aluminum and holding 1.52 gallons, more coolant than stock. Aluminum tolerates heat and pressure better than the factory plastic-and-aluminum unit and sheds heat more efficiently, so you get better, more stable temperatures whether you're sitting in traffic on a hot day or just want the car to run cooler and last longer.
The included 1.3 bar high-pressure cap raises the coolant's boiling point for more margin before the system vents, and a magnetic drain plug catches metal debris in the cooling system before it circulates through the pump and engine. Both make it a complete upgrade rather than just a bigger core.
Manual Transmission Only
Important fitment note, so check before ordering.
This radiator is for manual transmission cars. It doesn't have the integrated transmission cooler that automatics need. If your Civic is an automatic, you'll need Mishimoto's universal transmission cooler kit alongside this radiator to cool the trans fluid.
For a manual car it's a direct fit as-is. For an auto, plan for the separate trans cooler.
Fitment
2001-2005 Honda Civic DX, EX, LX (EM2, D17A1/D17A2)
Part number MMRAD-CIV-01. Manual transmission (automatics require a separate trans cooler). Direct fit, factory location. Have an EP3 Si? That takes a different radiator.
Who Should Grab This
This is for the 01-05 Civic owner whose factory radiator is cracking or leaking, and for anyone who wants to get ahead of it with an aluminum unit that won't fail the same way. Welded aluminum tanks, more capacity, a high-pressure cap and magnetic drain plug included, and a true direct fit for the 1.7L. Confirm you're running a manual, drop it in, and stop worrying about the radiator.
Fits: 2001-2005 Honda Civic DX/EX/LX (EM2, D17A1/D17A2), manual transmission. Part number: MMRAD-CIV-01. Construction: dual-core (2-row) 1.57" brazed aircraft-quality aluminum, TIG-welded end tanks. Capacity: 1.52 gal. Includes: 1.3 bar high-pressure cap, magnetic drain plug. Install: direct fit, factory location. Note: manual only (auto needs a separate trans cooler); Si models use a separate radiator. Warranty: Mishimoto lifetime.
2001-2005 Honda Civic DX/EX/LX