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Auto Engine Cooling 101

Whether you own a standard gasoline car, a hybrid, or a diesel, your vehicle will have a cooling system in place. These types of engines are all powered by the generation of forces that propels the vehicle forward. The methods used to generate these forces also generate a great amount of heat. Without being taken care of, these intense heats would start fires and melt the engine and the rest of the car. That is why all cars need a method to cool the engine down.

A standard combustion engine has a mixture of fuel and gasoline which is first compressed and then ignited to generate power. A hybrid works using this same idea but also incorporates an electric motor which can be used in combination with the combustion engine to maximize fuel economy. A diesel engine compresses the air and fuel mixture so much more to the point that ignition is not necessary. The compressed fuel will ignite due to the extreme compression, which propels the vehicle forward.

Your vehicle is equipped with a cooling system to make sure that your engine never overheats. This will help increase the longevity of your vehicle and also help protect the driver and other passengers. These cooling systems are built up of several important components that each are responsible for driving being possible today.

Engine Coolant

Engine coolant flows through the cooling system like the blood in our bodies does. This coolant has the responsibility of carrying the heat away from the engine. This will allow the engine to operate at its usual temperature.

Originally, water was used in cooling systems to carry the heat away from the engine. This worked decently well, but there were a few disadvantages. The first of these disadvantages was that the water eventually lead to the rusting of engine components. There also was an issue with waters freezing and boiling point. Water freezes at 32 degrees. There are many places that get much colder than this. This meant that in cold weather, the coolant inside your entire vehicle could freeze. Water also boils at 212 degrees. That meant that if the temperature ever got that high, the coolant would begin to boil, causing significant damage to the engine.

For those very reasons, a new type of coolant was developed, often referred to as antifreeze. This new coolant had special additives which prevented it from rusting internal components. It also had a higher boiling point and a lower freezing point than water did. All cars today now use coolant in their cooling systems. This coolant lasts for a very long time but will on occasion need to be flushed out of the system and replaced with new coolant. Over time the additives wear out in the coolant and can begin to rust or destroy internal parts. Many manufacturers recommend having the coolant changed every 30,000-60,000 miles.

Water Pump and Thermostat

As I learned the hard way one time, two very important parts in your cars cooling system are the water pump and the thermostat. (The experts at A-1 Auto Tech, Inc. saved my bacon on that situation. But I digress.) When your car first starts, the coolant will be sitting in a radiator tank. Your water pump is what is responsible for pushing the coolant throughout the cooling system. It is generally driven by your serpentine belt. This will supply the power needed for this pump to move the coolant around as needed. Your water pump will last a very long time, but do fail. Your water pump has a very obvious indication as to when it is failing. There is a small hole on the bottom of the water pump known as a weep hole. When the water pump is getting close to failing, coolant will begin to drip from that hole. This is your warning that the water pump needs to be changed soon.

Your thermostat has an equally important responsibility. Your thermostat is what ensures that your engine is always operating at its ideal temperature and also that it warms up to that ideal temperature as fast as possible. Your thermostat sits between the radiator and the engine block. It will remain closed when the engine is cold. This will force the coolant to continue to flow through the engine block without being cooled off. This will cause the engine to warm-up fast. When the temperature reaches its optimum range, the thermostat will open, allowing the coolant to flow to the radiator and be cooled off. Your thermostat will continue to open and close while driving as the temperature gets too warm or too cold.

Cooling Fan and Radiator

From the engine block, your coolant will flow to the radiator. The radiator is mounted in the front of the engine bay. This allows for the air to flow through it. As your coolant flows through the radiator, the heat will be transferred from the coolant to the air. This cools the coolant off and prepares it to head back to the engine.

Your cooling system is also equipped with a large fan. This fan is used to help cool the coolant as well. The fan does not always run but generally can be heard when it turns on. It sits behind the radiator and increases the rate at which the heat is transferred to the air. Your fan will also turn on when you are stopped and idling in order to create airflow at a standstill. By now you should have a good understanding of how a cooling system works. We also found a video which illustrates how this works and is very useful. Take a look below!

Cooling System Repair and Maintenance

Your cooling system requires very little maintenance. As mentioned earlier, on occasion you will need to change out the coolant in your system. As far as maintenance goes, that is all you will need to do. Occasional cooling system repair is a part of life though. Your water pump will wear out overtime due to use. Your radiator can start to fail for several reasons. It also can be punctured from hitting something. 

These repairs are generally not super complicated but may be difficult to a beginning mechanic. With a basic knowledge of how cooling systems work, you should be better off knowing what is going on with your car and what is needed to repair it.

For some good detail information on radiators here is a link to a wikipedia article.

#Radiator repair #auto cooling system repair #auto radiator repair