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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

How to Maintain Your Own Car's Cooling System



The cooling system of most new car models are composed of the radiator and its fan, the water pump, thermostat and sensors, as well as the fluids. These components work as a team to reduce and maintain the engine’s heat level at tolerable rates.

Steps

  1. Observe the rise and fall of the car’s engine temperature.The first thing you should do before checking the components of the car’s cooling system is to observe the constant rise and fall of the engine’s temperature. You can do this by observing the rate of temperature increase while taking the car on a long drive. In case the engine generates heat faster compared to the previous drives, you can be sure that there must be something wrong with its cooling mechanism and this needs a careful trouble shooting.


  2. Observe the sound of the engine while driving. If there is a whistling noise similar to that of a teakettle, you can also conclude that there is something wrong with your car’s cooling system. This could mean possible leaks and the noise originates from the spot where the pressure escapes.
  3. Check for possible leaks. As most car advice would recommend, try to check if there are leaks on the car’s engine. You can do this by parking the car in a flat area, check the surface right below it and examine if there are fluids marks on the ground. In case there is a greenish fluid on the ground, you can be sure that there are leaks. Try to open the car’s hood and survey the engine if there are visible fluid deposits in it. If there is, don’t try to open any cover because the pressure is still high. In addition to this, the engine is still hot and this could burn your skin. The best thing that you should do is allow the engine to cool down before checking its components again.
  4. Check the cooling system’s sensors. You also need to check the temperature sensor installed on your car to determine if this functions well. You can do this by parking your car and leave its engine running. Try to observe the rise on the temperature and examine how the sensor reacts to this. In case the gauge shows that the temperature reaches the alarming rate and the radiator fan does not function, this simply means that the sensor malfunctions and this needs to be replaced.
  5. Before disconnecting the sensor, allow the engine to cool down. Disconnect the wires that are attached to the battery to avoid electrocution. Detach the wire that connects the fan to the engine and remove the sensor. Proceed to the nearest auto shop and buy a new one. A sensor usually costs around 15 bucks or less, so try to buy an extra one as a reserve. Install the new sensor as well as all the wires that you have detached. Start the car’s engine and observe whether the changes on the temperature have improved. If the fan kicks-in when the engine needs extra amount of air, you can be sure that you have fixed the problem.
  6. Check the thermostat. If the sensor replacement was unable to solve the problem, try to focus your attention on the thermostat. There is a possibility that the thermostat malfunctions and this was the reason behind the car’s sudden temperature problem. Try to fix this by replacing the old thermostat with a new one. Search for its position and remove it carefully. Most of the time, the thermostat is located just below the hose that extends from the engine towards the radiator.
  7. After installing the new one, check if what you have just did helped in fixing the problem. Start the car’s engine and allow it to run in an idle mode. If there are no improvements, try to check the other components. In case all you did were not able to solve the problem, do not hesitate to take the car to a professional mechanic to have it fixed.
  8. Given all of these, it is very important to maintain your car in good running condition. Proper maintenance could allow you to sell the car in good price and enjoy the profits from it. In case you are having a bad credit record, you can use the amount earned to pay some of your outstanding financial obligations, improve your credit score, and avoid the burden of getting a bad credit vehicle financing that involves higher monthly premiums.
  9. Article provided by wikihow the wikihow manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Maintain Your Own Car's Cooling System All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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