Without a functional cooling system, your car will overheat. Cooling is a crucial part of keeping your car running like the finely-tuned machine that it is. LP & Sons Auto Care warns that an overheating engine, especially one that overheats constantly, can damage crucial parts, including cracking the engine block. Here are four cooling system issues that are sure to make your automobile overheat.
1. Clogged or Leaking Hoses
The hoses that carry coolant through the cooling system, including between the radiator and the heater core, can easily get clogged by sediment. Sediment is a problem in every part of your car, which is why there are so many types of filters throughout every system. If too much sediment builds up, the coolant can’t flow. Also, if your hoses are old, they can become extremely brittle and prone to leaks.
2. Leaks Elsewhere in the Cooling System
It’s not just the hoses that can spring leaks. You can lose coolant from other parts of the cooling system, as well. Your biggest indication of this is going to be puddles of coolant under the car. Where you find the puddle can help you to find the leak. If the puddle is right under the radiator, start there. It can also be near the coolant reserve tank, the heater core, or the water pump.
3. Radiator Problems
The radiator itself can be a source of cooling system trouble. If the radiator gets damaged, say in a small accident, that can leave you without a major star in your cooling system. But it’s not just the damage you can see that you need to worry about. Radiators are prone to rusting due to sediment and oxidation. If the puddles of coolant you’re finding are tinted orange, your problem is rust.
4. Individual Part Malfunction
There are other parts that can fail within the system, too. Your car’s water pump keeps the coolant moving through the system, and failures with this part mean that nothing is moving. Your car’s thermostat helps to control how much coolant moves through the cooling system and when. If any of these individual parts fail, you can have big issues.
Worried about your system? We can help you at LP & Sons Auto Care in DeLand, FL. Give us a call and we can schedule an appointment. We’ll go over your car’s cooling system with a fine-toothed comb and determine exactly what’s going on so we can get you safely back on the road again.