A vehicle's cooling system is vital to your engine's performance and stability. It helps draw excess heat away from engine components so that it can operate correctly. A faulty cooling system may bring down the entire engine system and cause it to overheat. You can avoid this problem by understanding your vehicle's cooling mechanism and what kind of maintenance it requires.
Common Cooling System Problems
A car's cooling system channels excess heat from the engine to the surrounding atmosphere. However, a malfunctioning system won't facilitate heat dissipation, leading to engine failure. Your car may overheat for a number of reasons that could go wrong with the cooling system.
- Damaged Radiator Hose – A crack in the radiator can cause coolant to flow out from anywhere within the system. Without cool coolant flowing into the engine, it will likely overheat. You can typically smell or see a coolant leak.
- Malfunctioning Thermostat – A damaged thermostat can stay closed or open. If the thermostat can't measure the engine temperature accurately or make decisions based on the reading, your car can also overheat.
- Broken Water Pump – If the vehicle's water pump doesn't turn as quickly and efficiently, the car can overheat. A failed pump will cause an insufficient circulation of coolant to and from the engine's radiator, leading to a dramatic hike in heat.
How to Prevent a Breakdown
When your car overheats, the temperature gauge on your dashboard will indicate that your engine is hot. If you see the needle climb, these are the steps you should take immediately.
- Turn on the heater to pull the heat away from the engine.
- Turn the air-conditioning system off to lessen the engine's workload.
- Pullover to a safe location to check your coolant levels. Make sure to wait until the engine has cooled off.
- Take your car to a trusted automotive mechanic so that they can run tests and inspections.
Regular inspections of your cooling system are necessary if you want a healthy engine. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck in the middle of the road. For quality and reliable cooling system service and repairs, we invite you to Import Auto Specialists. Please give us a call or visit soon.