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.