When it comes to your car one of the worst experiences you can have is engine overheating, so when your engine’s temperature rises above the normal it points to a potential problem in its cooling system.
Engine Heat and Cooling System Fundamentals
The first thing you want to know is to get an understanding of the vehicle’s default engine temperature, which you read from the gauge. If you have identified the normal temperature range for your engine then it will be easier to identify a spike in temperature levels. This assists in early detection of a fault.
Engine Coolant System
It is necessary to understand how engine cooling works so that you can grasp some of the factors that contribute to overheating of the car engine. Normally, a huge percentage of modern cars adopt a liquid cooling system to minimize heat when the engine is running and consequently heating up. In this system, the coolant which is a mix of anti-freeze and water is distributed throughout the engine to soak up the heat, then it is directed into the radiator to discharge the heat.
Leaking Cooling System
Leakage within the coolant system and its components can happen at any point. The leak can be in the water pump, radiator, the hoses, thermostat housing or head gasket. If a leak occurs in your engine’s cooling system air is drawn into the system. A regular fallacy told is that the cooling system’s leak leads to overheating of your car due to the loss of large amounts of coolant. Instead, the actual cause is the entry of air into the cooling mechanism, eventually, it creates an airlock – a bubble of air.
If an airlock results, the cooling mechanism is incapable of circulating the water and anti-freeze coolant, trapping any coolant in the engine. Consequently, the coolant rapidly gains heat and the engine can also overheat quickly.
Contaminated Coolant and Blocked Coolant Hoses
Coolant hoses can get clogged by dirt and sediment arising from the erosion and disintegration of coolant mechanism parts or coolant. When this occurs, it hinders the movement of coolant, which minimizes the overall effectiveness of your car cooling system. If there is an excessive build-up of dirt and dust it can cause the engine to overheat since the coolant is not flowing through the tubes.
Radiator Problems
The radiator functions by discharging engine heat into the air through the system’s coolant. It should be leakage-free, have no clogging and its fan must maintain a stable flow of air over it. Also, the thermostat has to work as expected. A dirty fan can hinder the proper performance of the thermostat.
A Defective Water Pump
The water pump propels the coolant through the whole cooling system. Anything that inhibits the working of the water pump will reduce the circulation of the coolant which will then cause engine overheating.
The quicker you address the defects by stopping by your local Leahy’s Auto, the lower the possibility of being stuck on a busy highway with an overheated car, worried about an expensive repair. Call us today!