Keep Your Car Cool
| Driving in Saudi Arab often hot and harsh climates means you car’s performance is continually put to the test, and with an unusually hot summer-predicted for the Middle East in 2009, it is essential to understand and maintain you car in order to avoid bigger and more costly problem down the road. One of the important factors to consider when driving in such conditions is the car’s cooling system. Without a proper cooling system in place, your car is bound to suffer from overheating and stalling. What is a cooling system?
As fuel is burned, energy is released into your car’s system. Without a proper cooling system, the heat from the fuel would melt the parts, causing the pistons to expand, which stops them from moving inside the cylinders,. The cooling system in a car removes excess heading from the engine to keep it operating at its most efficient temperature settings and allows the engine to reach its optimal operating temperature in the shortest amount of time. The cooling system should be able to maintain optimal engine performance even during harsh conditions. |  | | The cooling system of a water-cooled engine consists of the following. - Engine’s water jacket
- Thermostat
- Water pump
- Radiator and radiator cap
- Cooling fan (electric or belt-driven)
- Hoses
- Heater core
- Expansion (overflow) tank
How it works:
Burning the fuel produces a large amount of heat , temperatures can reach up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit if the right fuel//air ratio is reached the cooling system removes as much as 1/3 of the heating generated by the fuel combustion. Liquid cooled engines have passages for the liquid, or coolant, thought the cylinder block and head. Which cools the car’s engine. The coolant has to have indirect contact with such engine parts as the combustion chamber, the cylinder walls. The valve seats and guides. The coolant absorbs the heat from the engine parts and is heated as it is cooled in the radiator; the coolant goes back through the engine. As along as the engine is running, the same pattern is repeated, with the coolant absorbing and removing the engine’s heat and then going thought the radiator to be cooled once again. A cooling system pressure tester is used to check the pressure in the cooling system, which allows the mechanic to determine it the system has many slow leaks. The leak can then be found and fixed before it causes a major problem. Common Cooling system problems
Drivers should be aware of the following problems that may cause their car to overheat and/or stall. - Broken tubing, hoses and tubing ware out and leak coolant fluid. Once the coolant has left the system it can no longer cool the engine and therefore cause the engine to overheat.
- Broken fan belt: the water pump is driven by the engine through a fan belt. If this belt breaks the water pumps cannot turn and the coolant will be not be pushed through the car engine. This will also cause the engine to overheat
- Damaged radiator cap: the radiator cap is designed to hold a certain pressure in the coolant system. Most caps hold 8-12 PSI. this pressure raises the point in which the coolant will boil and maintains a good, stable system if your cap does not hold enough pressure. The car engine could overheat on hot days since the system is not pressurized
- Water pump failure: the most common indication of this problem is a loud screeching noise and visible leaking of the engine coolant from the front pump or underneath the car often there are early sings of trouble with small sports of coolant under the car after being parked overnight and a strong coolant odor whilst driving
- Head gasket: if a large amount of white smoke flowing out of the car’s exhaust visible, the problem could be from the head gasket. The head gasket seals the cylinder head to the engine block and also seals the coolant passages. When this gasket fails, coolant can enter the cylinder and it will turn into vapor as the engine fires. The head gaskets most often fail after the engine has overheated in the past. When very host, the cylinder head can warp and prevent the engine bead gasket from sealing properly.
Preventative Maintenance on engine cooling system By following the simple maintenance steps below, drivers can avoid facing the common problem listed above and ensure that their care done stall on the road at mid-day on the sweltering day! - Check all belts and hoses regularly. This can be done when you take your car for an oil change.
- Look out for coolant leaks underneath the car-this could be signs of trouble to come!
- Change your coolant every 2-3 year depending on the manufacture’s recommendations.
- Inspect your radiator cap for determine of the rubber seal. Replace it if you think it is worn, this should run about and can save your money in the long run by decreasing chances of major damage.
- Have your coolant system flushed every year. This will get all the corrosion out, which has built up in the system
ass the old adages goes, prevention is better then better then cure so make sure you get your car ready for the hot summer days to come. | |
