The engine in your car, truck, or utility vehicle will overheat if your cooling system malfunctions. In order to prevent this from happening, have your cooling system serviced every 30,000 miles. This allows us to inspect for leaks and flush the system to remove clogs. It also allows us to replace the coolant with fresh coolant that will do an excellent job of keeping your engine’s temperature normal.
Clogs
This service is important because clogs can cause your cooling system to malfunction. Basically, the thermostat releases the coolant into the engine and the water pump circulates it. The coolant is routed through the engine using a series of hoses. The coolant is stored in the radiator to cool off after it has circulated through the engine. Dirt and sediment can clog the radiator hoses and radiator. The coolant can get stuck behind the clog and fail to circulate throughout the entire engine.
Leaks
When this happens, the engine will overheat. It will also overheat if the cooling system is leaking. Unfortunately, there are numerous parts in the cooling system that can develop leaks when they get older. These parts include the radiator and the radiator hoses. They also include the water pump and the thermostat. If your cooling system is leaking, it will be unable to circulate enough coolant through the engine to keep the engine’s temperature below 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
Faulty Parts
The system will also malfunction if any of the parts in the system have gone bad. The three primary parts that need to be replaced once the cooling system gets too old are the radiator, thermostat, and water pump. In the case of the radiator, corrosion can build up and eat out the bottom of it. Its air inlets or fins can also get clogged. Both of these things will overheat the engine.
If the thermostat goes bad, it may be unable to read the engine’s temperature. Consequently, it may not open the coolant valve to release the coolant into the engine when the engine needs it. As such, your engine will overheat rapidly after you start your automobile.
Finally, the water pump can go bad after approximately 100,000 miles. This directly affects the circulation of coolant through the engine. As you can imagine, the engine will overheat without coolant circulation. This will cause the cooling system to malfunction.
Give us a call today if you believe that your cooling system is malfunctioning. We would be happy to inspect the system and perform any necessary repairs.