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Cooling SystemHow to Radiate Cool (Radiator Care)There's nothing that radiates cool like a vehicle radiator that's helping to keep your engine running at the proper temperature. You don't have to baby it, but you can't simply ignore it, either. Let's take a quick dive under the hood to let you know what the radiator is doing. It takes the heat your engine produces and moves that heat outside. It's not an easy job and heat is an engine's number one enemy. Now that you're thinking how nice you want to be to your radiator, we have a couple of ideas how you can take care of it. The easiest thing is to pay attention to your vehicle's temperature gauge. If it gets in the "too hot" or "not hot enough" range, have it checked out soon. Make sure your coolant is kept at the correct level and if you see a trend that you have to add coolant more than a couple of times a year, you might have a leak. Even if there are no obvious problems, every couple of years or so, consider taking your vehicle in for radiator maintenance. A technician can run a pressure check for leaks and ensure that the thermostat and radiator cap are working correctly. The technician will check that fans are running like they should so they can move air over the radiator and heat away from the coolant inside. Ask your service advisor when you should have your radiator flushed and coolant replaced according to the manufacturer's recommended intervals. In addition to cooling, coolant has corrosion inhibitors which stop working after a while. Without those corrosion inhibitors, the inside of your radiator can literally start rotting away. Keep in mind that the coolant level must be kept at manufacturer's specifications since if those corrosion-preventing chemicals aren't touching the metal, they're not preventing corrosion. Different vehicles use different coolants, so your service facility will make sure yours is getting the correct one. Keep your coolant system happy and one day, maybe you can order up a custom license plate, "RAY-D-8." The Car Doctors of the Antelope Valley Mercury Rising (Hot Weather Vehicle Concerns)The heat is on, and your vehicle takes a beating when it is. Several of your vehicle's systems are under extra stress in hot weather, so here are a few to make sure are getting the care and maintenance they need. It makes sense that the cooling system is one to make sure is in top shape. Vehicle breakdowns in summer are often due to a problem with one of the cooling system's components. Coolant levels have to be up to specs, the ratio of coolant to water must be correct and the hoses, pumps, belts and radiator must all be working properly in order to prevent vehicle overheating. Summer is also hard on your air conditioning system. You might find that no air is blowing out of the vents or maybe only hot air is coming out. Air conditioning equipment is best diagnosed and repaired by a trained and experienced technician. The problem could be in any number of components, including the condenser, compressor or blower motor. You may think the battery gets a break in the summer, but heat will shorten the life of your battery more quickly than cold. Your service facility can analyze the condition of your battery and tell you whether it's healthy or needs replacing. Tires take a beating in heat, too. Pavement can be scorching hot, and the sun's rays break down the rubber. Watch inflation pressure in hot weather, too, since air expands the hotter it gets. Your technician can check air pressure, tread depth, cupping and other uneven wear and diagnose the source of any problems. And don't forget brakes. One video online says brakes on a car that were driven hard on a track reached temperatures as high as 500°C/932°F. Heat can reduce stopping power. A technician should periodically inspect pads, rotors, drums, lines and other components to find a problem before you lose the ability to stop. Finally, engine oil is really put to the test when it gets hot. Your vehicle service facility will make sure you have enough oil and the proper kind to keep your engine's components properly lubricated. Help your vehicle beat the heat. The Car Doctors of the Antelope Valley Your Biggest Fan (Radiator Fan Problems)Your vehicle's engine makes a lot of heat when it's powering you down the road, so it needs a way to get rid of that energy. That's why your vehicle has a cooling system, complete with a radiator and one or two radiator fans, also called cooling fans. Those fans make sure air keeps moving across the radiator so that the heat stored in the coolant can be dissipated outside when the vehicle is stopped or not traveling fast. Radiator fans can develop problems and can stop working properly or stop working altogether. Some signs to look for? If you're driving slowly and idling and you see your temperature gauge moving toward the red or hot zone, that could spell trouble. Another thing you may notice when a radiator fan is failing is that there may be a loud noise coming from the engine compartment. There are two types of radiator fans. One is mechanically connected to the engine and uses the engine's rotational energy to turn it. The other is an electric fan and is the type used in most newer vehicles. In the electrical type, one of the components, such as a relay or fuse, may fail, causing the fan to stop turning. In the mechanical type, since it's driven by a pulley/belt mechanism, one of those components may break or stop working properly. A clutch can wear out or a belt may slip or break. When your cooling fan isn't working properly, it may cause your engine to overheat which could lead to expensive damage. That's why it's important to make sure you visit your service facility if you notice any of these symptoms. A technician is trained to diagnose the problem and make sure your radiator fan is doing its job. When it comes to your vehicle, your radiator fan really is your biggest fan. The Car Doctors of the Antelope Valley Too Hot to Handle (Vehicle Overheating)In the hot weather, seeing steam coming from the engine compartment is something we all dread. No one wants that to happen to them. But if you know the signs of overheating and how to deal with it, you may be able to reduce the risk of damage to your vehicle, maybe even prevent getting stranded on the road. Besides the steam coming out of the engine compartment, here are a few signs of overheating. Your vehicle has a heat gauge that may have a needle that can go into a red zone or up to the "H" (for High) position. You may smell odors, perhaps a burning (could be hot oil) or a sweet smell (engine coolant leaking). When you encounter any of those signs, you know you have to do something to keep the engine as cool as possible to avoid potentially catastrophic damage. Turn off the air conditioning and turn up the heat. While that last part may sound odd, it helps draw heat out of the engine. If you can do it safely, pull off the road to a spot away from traffic. Turn off the engine so it can cool down for a few minutes. You may want to call for help at this point, then switch on the key to "accessory" position to see if the engine has cooled down to the normal range. You may have to have your car towed to a service facility or, if there's one nearby, you may be able to slowly drive to it. But keep your eye on the heat gauge and immediately stop if it starts to overheat again. The best hedge against engine overheating is regular maintenance. When the cooling system and other engine components are working like they should, your chances of an overheated engine are drastically reduced. Your service facility will keep their eyes open for leaking hoses, cracked belts, rusted pipes and other things so they don't fail at the most inopportune time. The Car Doctors of the Antelope Valley Not So Hot in LancasterWhen the weather turns cold, it's nice to crank up the furnace and enjoy the heat. But if your home's furnace doesn't work, it's not too comfortable. Same goes with your vehicle. When the heater's not working, things can get miserable. It could also signal some major problems, which we'll discuss later. A vehicle's heating system is fairly complicated. It's made up of several parts, including a blower motor/fan, a heater core and some mechanical and electrical components. In basic terms, a vehicle's engine warms up coolant which is then sent to the heater core (which is kind of like a small radiator) behind the dash. That blower motor sends cold air through the heater core which heats up the air. Voila! Heat. Diagnosing problems in this system takes a trained mechanic because of the different possible issues. Your heater core may need replacing; they are sometimes in tight spots and may be difficult to work on. Another possible problem could be a defective thermostat, which regulates how the coolant flows through the engine. You may have a leak somewhere in your cooling system. Those leaks may be something as simple as a detached hose clamp or as serious as a bad head gasket. A knowledgeable technician at The Car Doctors of the Antelope Valley will be able to track the problems down. For those reasons, it's wise to get your vehicle's heating system repaired. Not only can driving an unheated vehicle on a cold day freeze your fingers, some related engine problems that are not repaired could leave you stranded. Smart drivers keep up the maintenance on their vehicle's cooling system; it's a hot tip to prevent a cold vehicle. The Car Doctors of the Antelope Valley Engine Hydration for Lancaster Drivers: Role of Your Water PumpThe cooling system in an engine has five components: the radiator, the radiator cap, the hoses, the thermostat and the water pump. The water is literally the heart of the system. Just as your own heart keeps your blood circulating through your body, the water pump keeps coolant circulating through your engine. The Car Doctors of the Antelope Valley Smart Lancaster Drivers Protect Against OverheatingEngines get hot when they run. This heat can build up and damage vital engine parts, so engines need a cooling system to keep them running. Cooling system failure is the most common mechanical failure in vehicles. This is unfortunate, because these failures are usually easy for Lancaster drivers to prevent. The Car Doctors of the Antelope Valley Cool Running in LancasterUnless you live in Death Valley, you really don't hear much any more about cars overheating. That's because cooling systems in vehicles have been much improved. That doesn't mean you can't overheat your vehicle engine, though. Without proper preventive maintenance, you could still find yourself on the side of the road in Lancaster waiting for your vehicle engine to cool down. The Car Doctors of the Antelope Valley Coolant/Antifreeze Service at The Car Doctors of the Antelope ValleyAnyone who drives a car in Lancaster knows that engines get hot when they run. But did you know that engines need to be cooled to keep running? Heat inside an engine can cause the metal parts to expand, which can seize up an engine and make it stop running. It can even ruin the entire engine! Good vehicle care requires keeping its cooling system in good condition.
Cooling System ComponentsToday we want to talk about a system in our vehicles – the cooling system. It's one of those things that Lancaster auto owners don't give much thought to until it fails and then they're stranded by the side of a road in California. |
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