Major Symptoms of a Failing Radiator!

A car radiator is the most misunderstood component of the vehicle. This is mostly because of the fact that the function of a car radiator is variedly differently from that of a home radiator. Your home radiator works mostly to warm up your immediate surroundings, while the one in your car does an entirely different job.

The job of a radiator is to prevent the engine from overheating. The engine in your car produces heat when it is running. The coolant in the same absorbs this heat, and passes it through the radiator, wherein it gets cooled. The coolant is then again circulated back towards the engine. The radiator thus becomes the main component of your car’s cooling system. So, it is important for it to be in good working condition.

Watch these symptoms to know about a failing radiator!

A car may show various issues if the radiator is faulty or giving away. These signs are easy to recognise, and that is why most of the times a failing radiator is curable at the earliest, and with ease. But still, if you see the following signs, make sure you are not ignoring them, and going for Radiator Repairs in Perth at The Car Doctor, who provides immediate repair for your faulty or leaking radiator and helps you overcome the issue completely.

o Visibly leaking coolant — As the coolant flows from the radiator, so when the radiator leaks, the coolant will also leak onto the floor under the vehicle. It can be when you are driving or when your vehicle is parked somewhere. To confirm that you have a leak or crack in your radiator, there is mostly a test done on your car for the radiator. In this test, the pressure is exerted on the radiator and coloured dye is added to the cooling system, and if there are leaks, then you need to have the radiator replaced.

o Vehicle is overheating — If your vehicle overheats a lot, the radiator shows problems. It is a common failure that happens in a vehicle, and as it is the only way engine coolant is cooled, if this issue is unattended, then the engine continues to overheat and this causes the vehicle to break down. Better check the radiator immediately before your failing radiator damages your car badly.

o Sludge formation in the radiator— The normal colour of the coolant should be yellow, green or red. But as the radiator turns faulty, contaminants make the colour of the fluid change into a rusty or oil colour. This is what turns into sludge, and thus the fluid doesn’t cool the engine efficiently. This liquid has an issue in getting drained too. This issue arises because of a failing radiator. This sludge becomes the barrier between the coolant and transmission fluid, and thus fluids don’t mix well. If you notice sludge in your radiator, get it replaced, as it can cause huge damage to the engine and transmission also.

o Low coolant even after refilling regularly — If you find the low coolant light warning turning on constantly even after refilling your coolant tank, then it’s mostly because of a leak in the radiator. You keep on refilling the coolant, and it gets wasted from the engine. This is the time when you should act fast and get your radiator checked and fixed immediately.

o Radiator fins blocked — To cool the engine well, thin fin tubes stay on the front of the radiator. The function of these tubes is to carry hot coolant. While driving, the radiator fan pushes the air on and around these fins. This lowers the temperature of the coolant before it flows into the engine. These tubes get prone to debris, dust, leaves, bugs, etc. which blocks the airflow. This doesn’t allow the coolant to circulate properly, and the engine doesn’t get cooled as it should be. This should be checked and cleaned occasionally to avoid the issue.

o Damaged fins — Along with the clogging because of any foreign material stuck to the front of the radiator, airflow also gets blocked because of the fins getting bent or damaged. These fins are very delicate, and even a piece of small gravel hitting them while driving can cause a lot of damage. This can happen when you are installing a new radiator or even when you are spraying water to clean the fins. If you use heavy water pressure, the fins get easily bent and thus block the flow of air. When lots of fins get damaged, it clogs the radiator, which leads to the engine getting overheated.

The important role of a radiator in a vehicle can’t be ignored, and the symptoms that show its failure require immediate attention too. After all, you want your car to run without any issues for miles, and a properly running radiator makes that happen!