What does a Car Radiator Do?

In order to understand the function of your car's radiator, knowing the nature of the internal combustion engine that it protects is important. The very nature of internal combustion results in a great deal of heat building up in the metal of the engine block due to hundreds of powerful explosions happening every minute.

To avoid problems like overheating and seizure, the engine block should be kept cool. Also, if the pistons are not able to slide freely in their cylinders because of excessive friction, then there is a chance that they will snap and will cause the engine to fail. In order to prevent this, water and anti-freeze is pumped in the water jackets in the engine block to absorb the excess heat.

The radiator is designed to maximize the surface area through a number of internal folds and chambers. While the hot engine coolant is moving through the nooks and crannies, excess heat is also drawn out in the walls of the radiator. Thus, when the car is moving, the front of the radiator is also cooled by ram air.

If something goes wrong in your car's radiator, then its operating temperature can reach dangerous levels in mere minutes. When this occurs, the engine should be cooled down before the car can be safely driven.

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Radiator Flushing: Washing Off Clogs and Residue

While veins and arteries would need medical attention to get the plaque and clots out, a car radiator only needs to get flushed every once in a while. This helps wash down whatever residue could be building up inside. It also gives you a chance to change your coolant and check if you have the right coolant to water ratio.

The first thing you should do when planning on doing a flush is to shut the engine down and give it ample time to cools down completely, as steam from the radiator could scald you. Let the engine cool on its own and don't douse water on it.

The newer auto radiators for sale are equipped with an easily accessed drain plug; so place a bucket under it and open it up to let the old coolant drain out. When finished, put the liquid in a container with a tight lid and label it “antifreeze” before disposing of it properly. Close the valve when the radiator is done draining.

Then remove the radiator cap, and fill the radiator with water, and run the engine for ten minutes before shutting it off to allow it to cool down again. Then drain it once more and put the water in a closed container.

Put in new coolant mixed with water (check your manual for the ratio), and start the car with the heater on High setting, turning it off only when the temperature gauge reads normal. Wipe the radiator with a rag and keep the used rags in a sealed bag.

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Sure Signs of Car Radiator Problems

Your car's radiator is responsible for keeping its engines from overheating and other mechanical problems. The internal combustion engine's mechanical performance creates friction that ultimately generates heat, something that the radiator has to stave off to prevent frying some of the more sensitive parts of the engine. Hence, it's important to regularly check for these signs that your radiator might not be as efficient as it used to be:

Check under your car or below the passenger compartment for dark green or orange puddles as these are signs that your engine's coolant fluid is leaking. You can also spot this problem if you notice that your coolant refilling stops are getting more and more frequent. Have your radiator replaced immediately upon discovering this problem.

Wait, did your car's heater just blow cool air? This might be a sign that the hot coolant in your engine is no longer circulating. Car heaters operate through a mini-radiator and a fan inside that transfers the heat coming from the engine into the passenger compartment; in other words, no warm air from the heater means there's something wrong with the engine's cooling system.

When driving, regularly check your car's engine temperature gauge and make sure that it hasn't yet gone beyond normal levels. If it has, take a pit stop somewhere safe and grab a bite to eat or take a nap while you wait for the engine to cool down.

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Troubleshooting a Radiator Cap

Though rarely noticed, your radiator cap plays a critical role in your vehicle's cooling system. They're inexpensive to purchase and takes only mere seconds to replace, so there's no reason for you to not replace a faulty one. Ignoring a radiator cap problem can lead to overheating and even engine damage, which could possibly end up costing you a whole lot more.

How radiator caps work

Radiator caps contain a spring-loaded plunger which maintains the pressure in the cooling system. When pressure becomes too high, the plunger will divert overflowing coolant to a reservoir. As the engine cools down, the coolant condenses, which creates a vacuum that allows the radiator cap to “sip” the antifreeze from the overflow reservoir back into the cooling system.

Diagnosing a faulty cap

A faulty radiator cap will present a few common signs that are typically easy to spot. For instance, a cap that is unable to maintain pressure will allow coolant to boil at normal operating temperatures. This boiling can be easily heard, and confirmed by looking at the overflow reservoir. Coolant spilling around the cap is also a common sign.

Replacing a faulty cap

To replace the cap, simply unscrew the old one and put the new one in. Just make sure that the new cap has the same pressure rating as the old one, and don't remove the cap until the engine is completely cool. Otherwise, you risk getting burned by hot coolant as the cooling system releases pressure.

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