A basic knowledge about the major components of your car will help establish a better connection with your vehicle and will need lesser number of visits to the auto shop for expensive repairs. Among the lesser discussed parts that actually play vital roles in making your vehicle run smooth and deliver consistently composed rides, is the radiator. But like any other mechanism, even the radiators can get damaged over the time, and need a replacement.
But knowing when to replace your car radiator you need to know the following warning signs that will clearly indicate of a trouble with the car radiator, suggest several auto experts of the San Luis Obispo car dealerships.
Importance of Radiator
The radiator is one of the major parts of a vehicle’s cooling system. It plays a vital role to make a vehicle work the way it should. Hence a damaged radiator will affect the performance level of a vehicle. Without the proper functioning of the radiator the car engine will start accumulating excessive heat that will take no time in damaging the driving components.
How the Radiator Works
A car engine starts generating heat while running. Coolant is a liquid that is used to prevent the engine from getting overheated by absorbing the heat and venting it out of the engine block and sending it to the radiator.
From there the radiator passes the heat out through thin metal fins, just as the fan dissipates the heat in a room.
Common Problems of Radiator
The like any other mechanism, even the radiators face with some common problems that we are listing below:
- Rust and corrosion
- Leakage or clogging in the core part of the radiator.
- Damage in the radiator fan
- Leakage in the coolant lines or the coolant tank.
When to Replace a Radiator
If you see any of the following signs, know that your car radiator needs an urgent replacement.
If you see any sign of steam or smoke that is rampantly billowing out from the under the hood, you need to instantly pull your car aside and open the hood, to cool it down, or else your engine can be damaged beyond repair.
- Check the temperature gauge if it is indicating any rapid increase in the temperatures
- Check if the exterior of the radiator is rusted
- Check for any brown colored debris accumulating in the radiator
Over the time, any or all of this can take place preventing the radiator from acting properly. Chances are mor to face such issues with car radiators as well as the coolant lines if the car is aged more than 15 years. In such case apart from the initial trials of topping up the coolant level or even replacing the coolant won’t suffice. You’ll need a professional hand to check the radiator and if necessary replace it from a repair shop of any of the reputed Car dealers near San Luis Obispo.
Remember that your car depends a lot on its radiator to keep functioning effectively. So, an occurrence of any of these above said problems, with the radiator will inevitably damage your vehicle to a large extent. So,, none of these signs should be ignored.