An engine generates large quantities of heat, and this heat must be removed to prevent damage to sensitive engine components. It acts as a heat exchange, receiving engine heat and removing the heat by cool air flowing over the radiator at speed as you drive. A radiator can become worn or damaged, and you’ll need to visit your Chevy dealership for a radiator repair. These are some of the signs that your radiator is in trouble.
Signs You Need a Radiator Repair at Your Chevy Dealership
Coolant Leak
Coolant is a vital part of your engine’s cooling system. It’s pumped through the engine at high speed and absorbs engine heat as it moves. The trapped heat is transported to the radiator, where it’s diverted into rows of thin aluminum tubes. Air flows through the radiator grille as you drive, and it’s diverted across the tubes to cool the hot coolant.
A coolant leak can damage your engine very quickly. As coolant leaks out, pressure in the cooling system drops, and the remaining coolant slows down. The reduced coolant speed prevents heat from being removed quickly enough to stop your engine from overheating. We’ll examine your cooling system, fix the leak, and refill it with fresh coolant.
Jammed Thermostat
The thermostat is a small valve that controls the release of coolant. The engine operates most effectively at a temperature between 185 F and 210 F, and this is also the level at which the increased engine heat can damage components like gaskets and seals.
The thermostat opens to release coolant and closes again once the engine temperature drops below its pre-determined level. If the thermostat fails, it will either release no coolant or continuously release coolant, depending on what position it’s jammed in. Too much coolant will lower your engine temperature, and you’ll use too much fuel, while no coolant will cause the engine to overheat. We will fix this problem by removing and replacing the thermostat.
Broken Water Pump
The water pump activates when coolant is released by the thermostat, and pumps the coolant through the system. The pump will speed up or slow down depending on the level of heat in your engine. The pump is a relatively simple component, but it can fail in time, and this will cause engine problems.
If the pump fails, the coolant will still be released but won’t move. The lack of coolant will cause your engine to overheat very quickly. You’ll immediately see something is wrong as your temperature gauge will show a steadily increasing engine temperature. Our technicians will replace the broken pump with a new one to solve this problem.
Radiator problems are usually quick and relatively inexpensive to repair and prevent serious engine damage. Call our service department today at Pioneer Chevrolet in Abingdon, VA.
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