News

There’s not really a whole lot to the cooling system for your car’s engine.

There’s a water pump which keeps coolant circulating through the engine’s water jackets to disperse heat. There’s a radiator, which circulates water through a system of aluminum tubes and fins, acting as a heat sink. There’s a cooling fan that forces air on the radiator to enhance cooling. There’s a mini-radiator under the passenger side floorboard called a heater core, which diverts heat to the passenger compartment in cold weather.

Really, along with your thermostat, that’s about it.

While it’s simple in principle, the cooling system still needs maintenance. Coolant is a 50/50 mix of distilled water and antifreeze and contains anti-corrosion agents to prevent the buildup of scale in your radiator’s internal passages. Like other fluids, coolant has a service life past which it’s not really effective anymore. Service intervals for cooling system service can vary from one make/model to another, but regardless of what the manufacturer recommends, it’s important to perform a flush and refill from time to time.

If you aren’t sure when your last flush/fill was, a technician can easily use a hygrometer to measure specific gravity and tell you what kind of shape your coolant is in.

Along with a flush, a cooling system service should include a thorough inspection of your hoses and clamps, water pump inspection and a pressure test to determine any weak spots that might be developing in the radiator or hoses.

So how long has it been since your last cooling system service? Make an appointment with us at Pueblo Tires & Service and let us have a look!