What happens when the engine cooling system fails?

Exercise is a quick way to warm up.You start slowly, but as the intensity of the exercise increases, your body starts to heat up.Your heart is drawing blood rapidly, your face is turning red and you are beginning to sweat.You can fight the heat by drinking water to help you stay cool and prevent yourself from overheating.Just like you, your engine starts out cool, but as it starts moving, it starts to generate a lot of heat and, like you, needs water to keep it cool.But the water on metal engine parts is rough and can cause rust and other damage.As a result, coolant (also known as antifreeze) was introduced to help prevent freezing of engine water during the winter months, and lubricants were used to protect it.When the cooling system fails, the engine can be seriously damaged.

How does the engine cooling system work?

The cooling system has multiple components and channels throughout the engine block and cylinder head, designed to keep the engine cool.These components include:

Water pump - circulating coolant
Thermostat - Regulates coolant temperature
Radiator - Helps cool the coolant
Radiator cap - controls the system pressure and increases the boiling point of water due to increased pressure
Hoses - Move coolant from the engine to the radiator as necessary and back to the heating system to heat the car interior.

The cooling system is a pressurized system controlled by the radiator cap, which can release pressure as required.As the coolant flows through the engine, it absorbs heat from the engine.The warm fluid then flows through the rubber hose to a radiator near the front of the vehicle.As it flows through the radiators, the hot fluid is cooled by the flow of air from the car's grille and cooling fans into the engine.After cooling, the process will return to the engine to absorb heat and begin again.A thermostat located between the radiator and the engine ensures that the coolant remains below a specified temperature.If the coolant drops below a certain temperature, the thermostat closes the channel, preventing the coolant from flowing to the radiator and sending it back to the engine.

What causes cars to overheat?
Most overheating problems are related to some kind of barrier or fault that prevents coolant from flowing to the radiator to release heat.The problem may be due to a failure of the thermostat, radiator, fan, or pump, resulting in a loss of coolant flow and heat dissipation.

How do I know if my car's cooling system is broken?
When something is wrong with the cooling system, your first clue will be under your nose.The needle on the thermometer will begin to rise with momentum.The check engine light may go on, and if you haven't stopped and shut down the engine at this point, smoke will start escaping from under the hood.

How can overheating damage an engine?

Overheating is one of the most serious things that can happen to an engine.When the needle is up and the thermometer is running, you can take some simple steps to prevent your car from overheating.Failure to prevent overheating can permanently damage the engine.The most common engine damage includes:

Cylinder head gasket damage - Overheating can damage the seal between the cylinder head and the engine.
Broken engine block - Overheating may cause the engine block to break beyond repair or, if repairable, lead to expensive repairs.
Burning pistons - Overheating will burn and melt the holes in the top of the piston.The pistons are difficult to reach and require disassembly of the engine to find them.
Engine jammed - Engine is loud when the engine shuts down and exits all synergies.When this happens, replacement is usually the only solution.

How do you prevent an engine from overheating?

Coolant is the hero when it comes to preventing the engine from overheating.An engine without coolant is likely to trigger an inspection of the engine light or thermometer to shut down the engine to prevent damage, or to continue driving while overheating could cause serious damage to the engine.You can prevent the engine from overheating by checking the coolant level frequently (especially during summer) and flushing the coolant every 30,000 miles.

If you suspect other problems with the cooling system, ask a trusted technician to do the following: