Car Engine Overheating And Coolant Leak

Car Engine Overheating and Coolant Leak, whether your radiator is leaking, Car overheating, or running low on coolant, we have just the tools and expertise to help you put those worries at ease and get you back on the road.

With a Cooling System Diagnostic, one of our professional tire and automotive service technicians will:

• Look at the thermostat and cooling fan
• Visually check for coolant leaks
• Check for leaks
• Perform an engine block test
• Inspect the radiator hoses
• Examine the water pump and belts Radiator Overheating

The usual causes of your radiator overheating include fan failure, a broken water pump, fan belt needs replaced, thermostat is stuck, leaking coolant, or a blocked up radiator.

Radiator A radiator is a heat exchanger. Its design is to transfer heat from the coolant flowing through the engine to the cooler air blown by the radiator fan.

Most modern vehicles have aluminum and plastic radiators, the aluminum is pressure fitted into the upper and lower hi temp plastic. The antifreeze circulates through many fins (tubes) mounted in a parallel arrangement. The fins transfer the latent heat from the tubes into the airflow caused by the fan.

The radiator is made up of a tank, tubes, fins, cap and overflow. The fins have tubes pressed into them so that the heat from the antifreeze circulating through the tubes can be extracted into the exterior air. The fan pulls this air through either by a electric motor or connected to the motor via a fan clutch.

Radiators have a tank on one side that catch’s any water that bleeds off when it over heats or when you shut it off. The late model vehicles this overflow tank is built into the system and is often under pressure that is created by the cooling system.

Pressure Cap

Your radiator works under pressure and that keeps the coolant from changing states between steam and liquid. Under pressure the cool and will stay a liquid and when that pressure is released is when you see the steam. The pressure cap allows the water temp to rise about45 F (25 C). How does this happen? When the pressure inside the radiator reaches the manufacturers design it will release the coolant into the overflow tanks and when the system cools it will cause a vacuum and pull the coolant back into the tank.

When fluid heats up, it expands, creating pressure, the system was designed so that the pressure in the radiator can only pass by the cap. The spring inside the cap is designed to release the coolant at a certain pressure (about 15 PSI). When the radiator cools down again, a vacuum is made that pulls open another valve, drawing water in from the bottom of the overflow tank to replace the water that was lost. A bad pressure cap can cause a coolant leak from the inlet of the radiator and cause of car engine overheating.

More information on Automotive Diagnostics:

• Smart Sensors in Late Model Cars
• Engine Diagnostic Service
• Engine Knocking
• Engine Sensors
• Check Engine Light On
• Smog Check Engine Repair
• Emissions Repair Service
• Transmission Repair and Service
• What Engine Components are Evaluated

More Services we offer:

• Air Conditioning Recharge Service
• Filter Service
• Battery Service and Replacement
• Air Conditioning repair service