A car radiator is an essential component of every car. It ultimately protects your cars engine from overheating damage. As your engine creates energy to power the vehicle it also creates excessive heat that must be regulated. This is even more prominent in today's cars that demand more power for better acceleration and overall speed. Your radiator controls the heat generated by the engine to ensure that it does not harm the engine components. This fact alone makes the proper and efficient operation of your radiator of great importance.
If your vehicle is more than five or six years old, you may notice your engine running a little hotter that it used to, you may have radiator problems and should consider a radiator replacement. I say replacement as opposed to repair because like many auto parts these days the cost of fixing it may exceed the value of replacement. That fact is true of today's radiators. You could potentially start experiencing radiator problems by the time your car enters its sixth year of life. The reality is that over time, environmental factors such as humidity, road salt, debris, hard water and chemical reactions will take a toll on the metal from which your radiator is constructed leaving you with radiator problems. Eventually, corrosion and rust sets in and a radiator leak occurs or mineral deposits build up inside the narrow tubing in the core, restricting the flow of coolant and your engine runs hotter. The epoxy that is used to join many radiator seams also typically wears out after five or six years and the likelihood of a radiator leak is greatly enhanced. These are all typical radiator problems that will ultimately contribute to a radiator replacement. You can prevent/delay radiator problems by doing a Radiator Flush of the cooling system at regular intervals.
Your car overheating is not necessarily a radiator problem or does it mean you need a replacement radiator. A faulty thermostat may be causing some of the trouble, or a worn water pump. Both of these parts will generally need to be replaced sometime around 80 - 160,000 kilometers. Other common radiator problems are hoses. These tend to become brittle with age, and eventually crack and leak. Unlike older cooling systems, most cars built since the 1950's utilize a pressurized cooling system. While this makes for more efficient and better cooling of the engine, it also increases stress on the entire cooling system increasing the likelihood of radiator problems.
Some common radiator problems that result in radiator replacement occur with age like tube to header leaks, blown seams and leaky fittings. Since the radiator is made of several welded, soldered or glued parts, these joints are more likely to experience radiator problems over time. Another contributing factor to radiator problem is the eventual deterioration of the solder that holds the hundreds of cooling fins to the core tubes. This causes them to become loose and create radiator problems. In fact, because these cooling fins are so thin and delicate, the environment can affect the fins more than any other radiator component and create the need for a radiator replacement. Other radiator problems occur because of low-quality ignition wires. Since these can give off electromagnetic energy, stray current can lead to an electrochemical reaction in the radiator tubes, creating a void and preventing coolant circulation.
Typically, radiator problems can be slowed, but not completely stopped. Fortunately, you have Gary's Automotive to provide you with a Radiator Replacement at a great price - so call or visit today.
Gary's Automotive - Over 30 years Ottawa Auto Repair and Service Excellence. Certified Mechanics and the Best Car Repair rates in Ottawa! Quality Car Repair Service - Quality Car Parts. five locations to serve you better - proudly servicing Ottawa, Kanata, Orleans and Bells Corners.
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