I just changed out my radiator at 120k miles (along with the TB/WP service) and mine was still in excellent shape. But it hasn't lived in the salt like yours.

Your call, but I'd be changing that out immediately if not sooner. There's about 1/8 inch of threads that attach to the heat exchanger inside.

For the record, I put a Murray radiator (from O'Reilly) in my 2008 Ridge. It has the good connectors like the Denso from Rock Auto.

See my thread about it here:

Time for radiator replacement

I'm going to have a local shop do my TB/WP/spark plugs/valve adjustment/serpentine belt and tensioner and replace the radiator and coolant next week. I have 119,800+ miles and with the COVID-19 shutdown going on, seems a good time to get this service done. The shop does a lot of Honda work but...

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

 

Yeah, I would question that advice. To me it does not look good

 

Since it rusts from the inside, its just a guess for anyone. You just spent all that money on the timing belt so you are well invested in your truck, may as well do it now.

 

Upon closer inspection, that doesn't look like the OEM radiator connector. Have you had this since new? It looks to me like it's already had a radiator replacement. Look at the OEM connector in my pic with the ruler above.

 

It is my first vehicle. I bought it 2 years ago at auction with 160k miles for 3 grand because of electrical issues and a fussy tailgate. It sat for around 6 months and I fixed both the tailgate (taken apart and greased) and the electrical issues (master switch). It is now at 165k and has had no issues until today I got the p0420 code.

 

Holy crap. Now that is one serious corrosion. As @speedlever mentioned, time to swap out your radiator. Hoses, thermostat, coolant, radiator cap all needs to be changed.
I have seen the amount of snow that the upstate NY folks get and I am in NJ, shy of 3-hrs down, but this looks like a poorly maintained truck. Hope you get it all sorted out.

 

Ian, you are in PA and I am in NJ. My drives to Philly and experience of the salted roads, was very similar to NJ & NY. I am yet to see any drastic rusting under my truck, but I am only 10 years and 230K+.

 

Yes. My truck is also three years older than yours and spent the first part of its life in Tampa, FL where there is salt in the air year round. The rust on my truck really didn't start surfacing until about 18 months ago when I first noticed it. The underside really isn't all that bad either save a few parts that have significant surface corrosion. Do you keep your truck in a garage or not? I've always been under the impression that garage-kept vehicles don't rust as much, but the constant freeze/thaw cycles of having the truck out in the cold then in the heated garage apparently exacerbate the rusting process. There's also moisture that seeps through the concrete and does further corrosion damage. It's almost better to just keep vehicles outside in the winter months, but I really hate getting into a cold truck and scraping ice and snow off of it.

 

I personally have read up about rust and found that when you keep a car in a heated garage in the winter the melt and freeze cycles boost the development of rust. The frame on my truck is spotless and I am deciding if I want to fix the sills, passenger rear fender, and the tailgate saying I might be taking an internship at an auto body shop. If you look on my about page I have pictures and a description of what I have done to the truck. I helped save it from the scrap yard.

 

As of 2014, my truck has been out in my driveway. I was diligent in garaging my truck from 2012-2014, but from 2010 - 2012 and 2014 to now, its outside. However, I do religiously wash the truck during the winter months, if I drive even a day, and get the underbody washed. I use the automatic carwashes that everyone seems to hate.

Below picture is of my truck's underbody in the last few months.

 

As of 2014, my truck has been out in my driveway. I was diligent in garaging my truck from 2012-2014, but from 2010 - 2012 and 2014 to now, its outside. However, I do religiously wash the truck during the winter months, if I drive even a day, and get the underbody washed. I use the automatic carwashes that everyone seems to hate.

Below picture is of my truck's underbody in the last few months.


View attachment 401663

The underbody on my truck looks very similar, it seems like the last owner had it coated but didn't bother to clean the rest of the truck thinking that it would be safe.

 

When are you going to do a write up on your suspension? Or are you too embarrassed to let us know how much it cost?

 

Hahahaha, you and @Carsmak have been waiting on this, and I owe it to you guys. I'll get back to it next week. It was not as expensive as the brakes.

 

Here are some pictures of what my ridge was like when I got it and after I got some bodywork done and a new bumper. It doesn't even look like the same truck.

 

^^ That is really awesome stuff! I assume you had some rust repair done underneath? It looks like the rust on the rockers was repaired then painted black? Or is that a material similar to bedliner? That's sort of what I was thinking of having done to mine to save on the cost of full body work/prep/paint/clear. If you don't mind me asking, how much did all of this work cost you?

 

It was partially repaired because of how bad it already was on the rockers it would have been impossible to repair without new sheet metal. My bodywork guy did the best he could and covered it with a bed liner type material to slow the rust hopefully. My dad is a salesperson for our local honda dealer and he knew the guy from working with him for many years so he gave me a discount because he knew it was my first vehicle. So, the respray of some areas and some dent and rust repair, it cost me $1,000. It came out really good saying he did it in his garage.

 

Definitely pays to know people. That is insanely inexpensive for that level of work. Rust is a fickle jerk that doesn't go away easily - especially in northern climates with snow, ice, and road salt. I hope you get several more years of service out of her now.

 

I'm hoping I will.