Keeping your car’s cooling system the way it should be prevents you from worrying that the vehicle would break down anytime. However, failure to maintain the system will surely force you to face a lot of repairs and this could be considered as your worst enemy.
You should always bear in mind that the function of the cooling system is vital to the health of your car’s engine since the system maintains its proper temperature. Given this information, it is very important for you to determine the most common functions of the cooling system as well as the basic maintenance procedures that you could do to keep this in good condition. To further help you out, the article provides some of the useful information that you could apply in maintaining the cooling system and this includes the following.
Part #1: Pumping
The pumping function is performed by a water pump. This keeps the coolant moving. The pump is driven by gears or a belt, but many cars use an additional electric water pump for better cooling and flow. Maintenance is simply replacing the coolant and the drive-belt and adjusting the tension.
Part #2: Piping
The piping includes all hoses, control valves, radiator core, heater core and the expansion tank. Due to the continuous contact with coolant, these parts wear down more from time than from use. Maintaining the piping system includes replacing the coolant and hoses regularly and replacing plugged up or leaky parts.
Part #3: Controlling Temperature
The temperature control includes all temperature sensors, the thermostat, expansion tank or radiator cap and cooling fans. These components function independently from the engine, but they control the engine by either cooling or sending signals to the electronic system. There is no way to maintain the sensors. Keep them clean inside and out and replace all parts according to factory recommendations and you should have trouble-free driving.
Important Things to Remember
Remember these tips and your cooling system will be just fine:
1. Keep your engine, grill and radiator fins as clean as possible
2. Replace your coolant on or before schedule with the proper mixture, type and volume recommended by the factory. Make sure the cooling system is free of air before putting the cap on.
3. Replace all hoses at least once every two years
4. Replace the thermostat with its equivalent temperature setting. Do not substitute with anything else.
5. The radiator cap should only be replaced with a cap that has the original pressure setting. Some substitutions don’t seal and hold the pressure as well.
6. Check belts and adjust or replace at the recommended intervals
7. Replace the water pump with an OEM/OES pump as soon as you see signs of trouble
8. Replace fan blades or fan clutch blades when needed
9. Replace temperature sensors when a diagnosis indicates trouble
10. Keep all engine components properly maintained. Idle speed, timing, exhaust systems and other systems all have an effect on the temperature of your engine, so it is very important to keep your cooling system in proper working order.
