Just like a human body, when we work we get hot and we produce sweat from our glands to keep us cool.
A car does that exact same process but in place of the glands, the car uses an engine cooling system to stop the car from overheating/under heating and enables the engine to run at an optimum level..
The cooling system circulates cooling liquid through special cooling passages. The liquid usually consists of water mixed with an antifreeze solution.
The Parts in a Cooling System Are…
- Expansion cap and tank.
- Top radiator hose – Radiator hoses connect and allow the coolant solution to travel through different parts. (Top and Lower Radiator hoses).
- Top and bottom tanks
- Radiator core – Contains quite a few tubes and cooling fins. This part decreases the temperature of the cooling liquid.
- Drain tap – Removes excess gas or liquid from the system.
- Coolant filter plug
- Engine driven fan – Also another component that cools and runs the system.
- Water pump – This is at the heart of the cooling system. This is what circulates coolant between the engine and the radiator.
- Water channels in block and head – Stores the coolant.
- Heater and Heater Blower Fan – Responsible of blowing air into the car, and speeds can change to regulate air flow.
How Does It Work?
The coolant system allows the engine to attain its maximum temperature for it to work perfectly, while releasing excess heat through to the air.
The cooling system sends the fluid through the engine. If the fluid that comes back out of the engine isn’t at the right temperature, the thermostat closes and the liquid is sent through the heater core to regain heat. If it comes out the engine at optimum temperature, the thermostat will open and it will be sent back around and will not pass through the heater core. The radiator releases the excess heat to cool the fluid back down. This is where the heat energy comes from.
The engine fan helps this process by enabling the constant flow of air to allow the cooling system to work at its best but it may not need to be used if the engine isn’t working hard.
Anti-Freeze is added to the solution as when water expands, it freezes so using this anti-freeze stops the water from freezing and blocking up the radiator and any passages. This solution only needs to be changed every 2 to 3 years.