From the engine all the way to the wheels, there are various parts of a vehicle that individually play key roles in ensuring your safety while driving. Although it should go without saying that even the smallest parts of your car play important roles in ensuring functionality, there’s one component that is especially vital if you’re keen on driving smoothly and safely: the radiator.
As one of the most essential parts of your car’s cooling system, the radiator is responsible for various crucial functions that ensure a safe and convenient experience, such as:
- Engine cooling
- Air conditioning functionality
- Smoothness in the transition of gears
- Seat heater temperatures
Based on the wide range of functions and features that a radiator is responsible for, having it break down would make for an especially inconvenient and troublesome experience. Fortunately, knowing when to get your radiator and its components fixed will help you avoid the inconvenient experience of having the entire system completely bog down while you’re in the middle of the road. This is possible even if you’re not necessarily a professional mechanic or radiator technician.
Signs of potential failure
If you’re looking to keep your drives long, comfortable, and non-destructive, here are three signs to watch out for that your radiator is on the verge of failure:
1. An overheating engine
The first and foremost sign of a radiator problem is an overheating engine. In no case should your engine ever experience any form of overheating—which means that you should check your radiator once this problem arises.
Generally speaking, overheating engines are caused by a faulty thermostat that a radiator also depends on to gauge when exactly you should supply it with coolant or whether or not it’s doing its job of cooling the engine properly. In most cases, it is recommended that you stop driving right away and have a roadside service or tow truck bring your car to the nearest shop or mechanic to have the entire problem sorted out.
2. Leaks after parking
Another obvious warning sign that’s something wrong with your radiator is if you have a pool of red, green, or yellow fluid under your car when you park. Leakage is mainly caused when any of the radiator’s plastic or metal components experience increasing degrees of cracking and start to release varying amounts of liquid.
During instances of leakage, it is important to act fast and have the problem sorted out right away as coolant levels can become excessively low in a short amount of time. Such a circumstance can lead to failure in the radiator, engine, and other components in the overall system.
3. Discolored fluid
As discussed in the previous part, the radiator coolant should only be red (or pink), yellow, or green. If your coolant or fluid is of any other color, then it’s safe to say that you’re experiencing a case of radiator fluid discoloration.
In cases of radiator fluid discoloration, the main culprit can be a radiator that’s filled with sludge and deposits as a result of fluid build-up that had occurred over time. Once you spot that your fluid is discolored (another telltale sign is that it’s much thicker than it should be), give your local mechanic or shop a call right away to schedule a radiator flush that will have everything like new.
Final words
Any sign of your radiator experiencing problems to proper function should always be taken seriously to avoid costly and inconvenient problems in the future when using your car.
If you’re in need of a reputable aftermarket auto body parts provider in Los Angeles that can handle all your radiator-related needs with high-quality parts and components for a variety of makes and models, get in touch with Kar Parts today! We’re happy to help.
