The Cooling System of Your Engine

Let’s learn about how important it is to keep an eye on your vehicle’s cooling system, what your vehicle’s cooling system actually does and things that you can do to make it last for a while! 

Why Regular Maintenance is Important

As a vehicle owner, you should know that a huge factor that affects your cooling system’s reliability is the regular maintenance (or lack of) it gets -such as coolant changes and checks of hoses and belts. Drivers should consult their owner’s manual for recommendations on how often to flush the coolant system and change their coolant.  

The coolant systems in modern day cars are reliable and only need periodic maintenance.  If you follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule and do a visual inspection once in a while, the coolant system should last as long as your car does. 

A Cooling System’s Job

A car cooling system’s job is to remove the additional heat that is created as you run the engine. As a result of combustion, the engine makes tremendous heat and that energy has to escape! That’s when the engine coolant gets involved. The coolant absorbs engine heat and transports it to the radiator where travels into the outside air.

See, the thing is that your vehicle’s engine runs best at a high temperature, at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If the engine is cold then its metal parts wear out quicker, making for an engine and vehicle that create a good deal of pollution. It also results in less efficiency from your vehicle. A car’s engine at its ideal temperature—not too hot and not too cold–will make it easy for its parts to move around. The actual coolant running around your engine is typically a mix of water and ethylene glycol.

If you are more of a visual person you should Google “car cooling system,” and from there you are bound to find several diagrams to check out!

Checking Your Vehicle’s Coolant Level

Your vehicle’s coolant level needs to be regularly checked at the coolant reservoir, and indicator lines exist to show you what level it should be at.  If you do not know what car’s coolant reservoir looks like, and how indicator level lines work, see what the owner’s manual says. If the coolant level is low in the reservoir it is recommend that a 50/50 mix of approved water and antifreeze should be added. When the coolant level is checked, do a visual inspection of hoses and belts for age cracks, and the radiator for leaks of any sort. 

Vehicle owners should be aware of signs of trouble, especially with older cars. Signs of cooling system problems include the vehicle temperature gauge on the dash rising close to the danger  zone.  If the gauge does rise into the red zone, you can be just about certain that you have a cooling system issue.  If you see leakage anywhere, you probably have a coolant leak and should consult a car repair person.  We recommend checking with the Service team at Patrick BMW, a full-service car dealership in Schaumburg, IL, to learn about their coolant leak repair services!

As the miles pile onto a vehicle things may begin to happen with its cooling system. As a result, we hope that this article has served as a good resource for any cooling system problems you may possibly encounter.