Your radiator's job is to maintain your engine's temperature at its most efficient level. Your car's engine runs hot due to the heat from the combustion chamber and numerous constantly moving parts. A sustained high temperature can cause serious damage to your engine. Your radiator and its components can suffer wear and damage, and when you need a radiator repair, your Jacksonville car dealership can fix or replace it. Top Signs Your Car Needs Radiator Repair Engine Temperature Is Too High Your engine normally runs hot, and a hot environment or the stop-start of a city gridlock can temporarily increase the heat. When your engine gets too hot, the thermostat will open and release coolant to reduce the temperature. Coolant flows through the cooling system and absorbs your engine's heat. The hot coolant then enters the radiator where it's cooled and then recycled back to the coolant reservoir to begin the process again. more The temperature gauge on your dash monitors the heat in your engine. If your engine temperature climbs higher than it reasonably should, this is a sign that something is wrong. Possible causes are a faulty thermostat, blocked radiator fins, or a coolant leak. To prevent damage to your engine, if the gauge continues to climb, call our service department immediately. Faulty Radiator Cap The radiator cap sits on top of your radiator, and its purpose is to maintain a high pressure in the cooling system and to prevent coolant from escaping. If the pressure in the cooling system rises too high, the radiator cap will open slightly and expel off the excess pressure. When the system pressure returns to normal, the cap will close again. Like all the parts in the radiator, the cap is designed to work in great heat and under high pressure. Due to the environment, the seals around the radiator cap can fail. If the seal is damaged, coolant can leak out. This leak will reduce the pressure in the system and make it more difficult to control your engine's temperature. Radiator Rust It's easy to check for rust, as you just need to open the hood and look over your radiator. The cooling system is a closed one, and your engine is protected from the elements by the hood. If there is rust on the radiator, it can only come from a leak in the system itself. The high pressure and temperature in the engine can cause wear and tear on the components and this can lead to a leak. Coolant is highly pressurized, and if there is a break in the system the coolant will spray around your engine. The heat in the engine will quickly dry out the liquid, but any metal part it lands on will slowly begin to rust. Schedule Radiator Repair at Our Jacksonville Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM Dealership Steam pouring from the engine is a very vivid sign of an overheated engine. To prevent this, if your radiator seems to be straining, call the Service Department at DARCARS Orange Park Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM or schedule repairs online today.
