There are some components of our vehicles that most everyday drivers take for granted, and only really think about them when there is an issue. The radiator is usually on that list. We are going to review why your vehicle’s radiator is important, so you can ensure you don’t find yourself with a problem. Trust us, during our Phoenix summers, the radiator is one of the last parts of your car, truck, or SUV you want to find not working properly or at all.
What is Your Vehicle’s Radiator?
When it comes to your engine’s cooling system, the radiator is basically Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The radiator is the central component of a vehicle’s cooling system and is what connects all cooling components to one another and ensures cooling fluids successfully get to their intended destinations, as needed. The primary function of the radiator is to monitor and regulate a vehicle’s engine’s temperature and prevent it from overheating.
Why Your Vehicle’s Radiator is Important
As stated above, your vehicle’s radiator is the main component in your vehicle’s cooling system. If there are issues with the cooling system, your vehicle can overheat and not only could you end up on the side of the road, overheating can cause a lot of damage to other parts of your car, truck, or SUV. When there’s a problem within the cooling system and it can’t properly control the heat, engine components can melt or bond together and lead to total engine failure.
Your vehicle’s radiator is critical to keeping you on the road safely. Radiators can develop a number of problems. If your radiator is leaky, clogged, bent/damaged, or if the radiator fan is not operating properly, heat won’t be able to escape your vehicle correctly, causing overheating. As we have reviewed before, vehicles most often overheat in the summer, making being aware of your radiator and any issues, critical, especially at this time of the year.
Tips to Keep Your Radiator in Good Condition
Now that you understand how and why your vehicle’s radiator is important, you are likely looking for ways to keep this central cooling system component in good condition. We have provided some tips below.
- Maintain Proper Coolant Levels: The cooling system uses coolant (antifreeze) to keep the engine cool in the warmer months and to prevent it from freezing in the colder months. If the coolant in your vehicle gets low, the car may overheat, so it’s important to check the coolant levels and ensure the fluid is where it should be. The engine should always have the proper level of coolant in it before you drive. Check your owner’s manual for the specific levels recommended and how to top off the fluid if needed.
- Repair Leaks Immediately: If you notice wet or dried coolant around the radiator, there could be corrosion that can eventually lead to a hole in your radiator. Coolant is generally a bright green, orange, pink, or blue-green color and very sweet smelling. A leaking radiator core can lead to insufficient coolant levels, which can lead to overheating, and could cause damage to your radiator and other engine components.
- Preventative Maintenance: As with all parts of your vehicle, your radiator and its components can wear with time and use. It’s important to take your vehicle to a local Phoenix automotive shop, especially before long drives, to ensure everything is in good condition. Radiator hoses can dry out and break over time, the coolant may need flushed, there could be a slow leak, or some other issue. Leave it up to the professionals.
Your vehicle’s radiator is important to not only getting you safely to your final destination, but also in preventing total engine failure.
Advanced Transmissions & Emissions aims to make radiator and cooling system services more accessible and cheaper for our customers. Having cooling system issues is never a good thing. At Advanced Transmissions & Emissions we have years of experience fixing these issues at cheaper rates than you will find elsewhere. Our expertise and diagnostic tools allow us to locate the source of the problem to make only the needed repairs. That’s how we save our customers so much money.
Visit our Phoenix, AZ auto repair shop for vehicle cooling repair.