A Guide To Understanding Your Vehicle's Radiator

You must maintain your engine's cooling system unless you want it to freeze or overheat. In order to avoid those breakdowns, it is crucial to use appropriate maintenance. Knowing a little more about the radiator might make the maintenance a little easier.

Drain the Radiator

Every 24,000 miles or 24 months, your radiator needs to be flushed. The process is simple. First, drain the cooling system. You should use a quality flush product and water. Always follow the instructions that came with the flush product.

The antifreeze mix varies depending on the extremity of the temperatures. The mixture of antifreeze and water are 70%–30% or 50%–50%, use more antifreeze than water for extreme temperatures.

Radiator Types

Three processes are involved for your radiator to function; including intake, cooling, and an outlet. The process is simple, but you must realize two types exist, a crossflow and a downflow. The crossflow coolant enters from a side tank and moves sideways to the other side of the radiator. The opposite is true for a downflow radiator because the coolant flows from an upper tank and continues downward across the radiator's body. If you are a do-it-yourself person, verify this before your order or pick up the part needed.

Emergencies

One of the most common demons faced with overheating is a thermostat that is not a part of the radiator. However, it controls the amount of coolant flowing in and out of the radiator. The radiator hoses may become damaged and need replacement periodically even if they are performing correctly. Caution must be taken to ensure nothing blocks the front of the radiator.

On occasion your car may be running hot because of air trapped in the cooling system, restricting the coolant flow, and reducing its efficiency. You may need to have the lines bled to remove the bubbles. Leaks may also happen to make steam radiate from under the hood. A failed fan may be an issue in older cars. The newer models uses electric fans to keep the car cooler at lower and idling speeds.

Final Tips

Remember, if you want your car to get you to your destination, you need to remember your radiator's maintenance. Standing on the road in the hot or cold weather is not any fun if you have a car radiator hissing at you. Whether you do the work yourself or retain a professional, whether or not you end up at the side of the road with an overheating vehicle may depend on it.

For more information, contact an auto service like Redlands Auto Electric.