Why You Need To Maintain Your Engine Cooling System

What Does Your Engine Cooling System Do?

Your engine cooling system is made up of several components including the engine block, a thermostat, water pump, radiator and radiator cap. The cooling system essentially cools your engine while it runs to prevent overheating and in cold climate, prevents your engine from freezing. 

The cooling system water pump moves the coolant through the passageways in the engine block and absorbs the heat from the engine. The hot coolant escapes through a rubber hose to the radiator that rests in the front of the car. 

As the hot coolant travels through the hose, the air stream entering the engine from the car grill cools off the coolant. Once the coolant is cool once more, it is cycled back into the engine to absorb more heat. 

The radiator cap maintains the pressure in the cooling system that prevents the coolant from boiling. When the coolant is under pressure, the boiling point is higher. The radiator cap releases pressure if the coolant reaches a higher temperature to prevent overheating. 

In addition to sustaining high temperatures, coolant must also be able to withstand freezing temperatures without freezing. Modern day coolant is a mixture of water and antifreeze usually equal parts in ratio. Antifreeze helps prevent the coolant from freezing in cold temperatures but also maintaining the proper boiling point. Too much or too little antifreeze can lead to severe issues for your engine.

If you find that your cooling system is low on coolant or leaking coolant, don’t hesitate to bring your car into a trusted AAMCO location. We will properly diagnose and assess any issues with your vehicle cooling system.

3 Signs Your Cooling System Is Failing

Car Overheating

Your car dashboard has a temperature gauge indicating the current temperature of your engine. If your temperature gauge alerts you that the engine is running hot, you want to immediately pull over and turn off your car. Sometimes running the heat through the air vents can help release heat from the engine. Wait until the engine cools to drive the car again and make an appointment with your mechanic to get it looked at as soon as possible.

Your engine overheating can be an indicator of a variety of issues with your cooling system such as a coolant leak or cracked hose. It’s best not wait on it especially if your car is overheating more often than not when you drive it.

A faulty cooling system can spell disaster for your car’s engine and transmission. Don’t hesitate, AAMCO Minnesota will perform a multi point inspection that includes an under the hood inspection to assess any cooling system issues.

Coolant Leak

Coolant leaks can occur because the coolant is burnt off by a hot engine due to a bad antifreeze to water ratio or due to a cracked hose or tube. If you notice fluid puddling under your car that is green, pink or orange in color and has a slightly sweet scent (antifreeze) then your car is leaking coolant somewhere. If you see coolant on the ground, it’s best to clean it up as it can be poisonous to humans and animals if ingested. 

If you suspect you’re losing coolant but there is no external leak, it’s possible that there is a failure internally in the engine causing the coolant to burn off. If your engine is burning off the coolant, it can affect your vehicle emissions and should be repaired as soon as possible. 

If you discover your car is losing coolant, don’t wait for the worst scenario to happen. Bring your car into a trusted mechanic and have it fixed immediately. AAMCO Minnesota can assist assessing your cooling system and checking for coolant leaks in your vehicle.