4 Common Signs You Need Radiator Repair From Your Cottonwood Dealership

Driving in Arizona, you know it can get hot. Your car’s engine runs hot too as it operates, and with high outdoor temperatures, it is under more pressure. To keep your car working safely and efficiently, you need a good cooling system and the radiator is the key element in keeping your engine temperature low. We would like you to know the signs that you may need a radiator repair, and how your Chrysler dealership can help you.

A Broken Thermostat

The thermostat is set to a predetermined temperature and releases coolant into your engine when that point is reached. The coolant circulates throughout your cooling system, absorbs the heat, and vents it to the outside air through the radiator. A correctly-working thermostat will keep your engine at a safe operating temperature.

Sometimes the thermostat can fail and stick in the closed position, so no coolant is released and the engine temperature will soar. The thermostat is one of the parts we will automatically check if your car shows signs of overheating.

Worn Radiator Hoses

Hoses connect your radiator to the rest of the cooling system, and hot coolant flows through them to be cooled and is then recycled through other hoses back into the system. Since the hoses are constantly exposed to high pressure and heat, they can start to wear and may even spring a leak. Coolant will then leak out, and as the system is under pressure, the leak will grow in size.

Worn hoses are easy and cheap to replace, but if they are left to continue leaking this can spell trouble for other parts of your engine.

Engine Temperature Is Too High

Under the hot Arizona sun, you would expect your engine to run hot, but the cooling system should compensate for this. If your dash shows the engine temperature is consistently rising higher than it should, there is most likely a problem with your radiator. The hot coolant is cooled by air flowing through the radiator, but damage to the radiator can mean hot coolant being pumped through the system, further increasing your engine temperature.

if your engine temperature rises into the red zone when you’re driving, pull over and call us right away. Driving with a failing radiator will certainly cause more damage to your engine.

Damaged Radiator Cap

This cap maintains a constant pressure in the system and keeps the pressurized coolant from escaping. A worn radiator cap can cause either a lower pressure which results in coolant burning off or a higher pressure which can damage your cooling system. If the cap is the only part causing overheating, we can quickly replace it.

These are just some of the signs that your radiator may be failing. If your engine shows signs of overheating, call us immediately at Oxendale Chrysler Dodge Jeep. Our certified technicians will repair any problem with your vehicle with original OEM parts and at reasonable prices.

Posted in Cottonwood car repair | No Comments »