How does my radiator affect my safety on the road?
You car’s radiator is an important component of your vehicle that keeps your cooling system functioning normally and failure to maintain it properly can leave you unexpectedly stranded on the side of the road.
A radiator is also a part of your car that deteriorates with age and a component that doesn’t always receive the attention it deserves, says Arrive Alive.
Take a look at Arrive Alive’s helpful guide to understanding and maintaining your car’s radiator and staying safe on the road…
Failure of the Cooling System is NOT safe!
In today’s day and age, can you really afford to be stranded on the side of the road? Or even worse, can you afford to have your wife and kids stranded on the side of the road? We live in a country where crime is rampant and anything can happen while you are waiting for roadside assistance.
Also, imagine having your vehicle overheat on a busy highway, with cars whizzing by at speeds in excess of 120km/h, trying to get out of the car, and once you are out of the car finding a safe place for you and your family.
A radiator should last a lifetime, provided that the cooling system of your car, as well as the engine itself, has been maintained. There are no moving parts in a radiator. Once again I hear you ask, can you maintain a cooling system? Surely if I make sure that the water level is full there is nothing else that can be done?
There is no quick answer to this but in this context, you are right, to an extent. The first step is to ensure that the water level is correct at all times and ideally you should check it at least once a week.
It is recommended that the engine coolant is replaced every 3 to 5 years. Engine coolant and antifreeze as we know it are essentially the same, however, engine coolant is the most up to date version, containing additives that not only protect the cooling system from freezing or lowering the boiling point but also assist with lining and protecting the insides of the cooling system. One of these important additives is the lubricating additive that assists the moving parts such as the thermostat to do its job. The lack of this additive will at some time result in the thermostat sticking or prevent a radiator pressure cap from opening, causing the engine to overheat and leaving you stranded on the side of the road.
Tip: always ensure that the cooling system is properly flushed and cleaned out when replacing an old radiator. Never mix different types of engine coolant, always follow the dilution ratio recommended by the manufacturer, and always ensure that a good quality coolant is used.
“Goedkoop koop is duur koop.”
Never top up with cold water if the car is at operating temperature. Wait for it to cool down and then add water if necessary. The cold water can have resounding effects on vehicles that have aluminium cylinder heads.
The electric fans are equally as important. Once a week start your car and let it idle (making sure that the A/C is not engaged), carefully watching the heat gauge until you hear the electric fan engaging. This will also give you a fairly accurate idea of where the heat gauge needle should be in traffic, and if it rises to above that mark you will be warned of a pending problem. If the fans fail while in traffic, your car will most definitely overheat and leave you stranded on the side of the road.
Tip: if you think that your vehicle is running a little hotter than usual, turn on the heater and put the interior fan on at maximum speed. This will help to remove heat from the cooling system, although it could get a little uncomfortable at 35 degrees sitting in traffic.
You could also turn on the AC as the AC fan will engage before the engine fan engages. However, the extra strain on the engine that is now being inflicted by the AC compressor may have an adverse effect. The harder the engine works, the more heat needs to be removed.
The heavier your load, the more cooling there is to be done by the radiator. Overloading can be a major cause of overheating as the load on the engine is increased. Keep to the manufacturer’s recommendations of how many kgs’s your vehicle can safely handle. Imagine trying to control a heavily overloaded vehicle at high speed, especially if the engine has failed due to overheating and has disengaged the belt that runs the power steering pump. Once the engine dies, so do most vehicles braking systems as they rely on engine vacuum to assist with the effective braking solution. Try putting your car in neutral, releasing the handbrake on a slight decline, and then try stopping the car with the foot brake. Not an easy task.
So, how safe do you feel now, travelling at high speed, with friends or family in the car, with no real effective brakes and no power steering to assist with evasive manoeuvres? All because the engine has overheated and failed due to not taking care of the cooling system and radiator. Once again leaving you stranded on the side of the road.
To learn more about your car’s radiator click here.
Source: Arrive Alive