How To Prevent Radiator Leaks

How can you prevent radiator leaks?

1. Regularly maintain and replace your radiator coolant
2. Invest in a high-quality coolant
3. Flush the radiator to prevent sediment and rust buildup

Radiator leaks can happen anytime and that’s why it’s essential to know how to prevent radiator leaks in your car. Car engines tend to get very hot. This is because an automobile’s engine is powered by explosions. Thousands of explosions occur even in a span of one minute just to keep your engine running and the wheels turning. Because of this, heat is generated as long as the engine is running and it is vital for every automobile engine to be kept at the right temperature. It should not be too cold that the engine has a hard time running efficiently, but most importantly, not too hot that it destroys the engine.

What Is The Function Of The Radiator?

The radiator is your car’s cooling system. Its main purpose is to keep your automobile’s engine from reaching an extremely high temperature. This is done by moving the heat away from the engine and into the radiator which spreads the heat into the air. 

Using hoses and tubes, the radiator pumps and circulates the coolant throughout the engine. This allows the coolant to be heated. The coolant then goes back to the radiator which lets out the heat and cools the radiator fluid in order to be heated once more. 

This is the function of the radiator: to take fluid that is heated from the engine, cool it by releasing the heat into the air, and in doing so cool the engine, rinse and repeat. It’s utterly vital for the radiator to continue with its functions as long as the engine is running. That’s why ensuring that your radiator is in tip-top shape should be one of your top priorities.

What Causes Radiator Leaks?

As said earlier, the radiator is fluid-related as much as it is metal. It’s more reminiscent of a plumbing system on the inside than a solid cooling unit. From here you can see why leaks can potentially do so much damage and spell the end for your radiator. 

But as to the cause of your radiator leaks, it can be one of a few reasons, and at times it can even be more than one cause at the same time. The most common cause is corrosion – rust. The cooling fluid is not like water, which is corrosion-causing. Most coolants are even designed to prevent or at least slowdown corrosion. But when the coolant degrades due to wear and tear in a chemical sense, specifically the glycol breaks down and the pH level goes down, it begins to cause corrosion in the system. 

That’s why having a low-quality coolant is also one of the causes of radiator leaks. The other cause is related to rust as well as other sediments which accumulate over time. This punches holes in the hoses and causes the coolant to leak out.

To prevent radiator leaks, follow these expert tips:

Regularly maintain and replace your radiator coolant

In order to prevent radiator leakage, it’s important to properly schedule and regularly follow through with maintaining and changing the radiator coolant. 

As mentioned earlier, the radiator coolant will give out to wear and tear. So, the radiator coolant needs to be replaced every 24 to 36 months of regular usage. This will make sure that the fluid running through your automobile’s radiator system will be efficiently carrying out the task of cooling your engine and preventing overheating.

Invest in a high-quality coolant

It’s also imperative that once you replace your radiator coolant, you don’t just throw the first thing labeled “coolant” in there with no consideration. 

Not all coolants are created equally. Investing in a stronger, high-quality coolant will perform better, last longer, prevent rust, and ensure a longer lifespan for your radiator. As a result, the lifespan of your car engine and automobile can be improved as well.

Flush the radiator to prevent sediment and rust buildup

When you replace the radiator coolant, it’s important to flush out any sediment, dirt, or particles of rust that may have gotten into the system. Flushing it out with distilled water (so that no minerals will add to the buildup) is important to make sure that the hoses and tubes of the system are filled with only things that are supposed to belong there – the coolant.

Key Takeaway

In this article, we’ve rounded up some of the best tips on how to prevent radiator leaks. Whatever your radiator needs are, it’s good to know that there are experts out there who know what they’re doing in order to satisfy those needs. At Roberts, your automobile’s problems can be taken care of all thanks to our complete catalog of automobile parts that are necessary to keep your car functioning properly. Roberts offers high-quality radiators in the Philippines as well. Click here to contact us for more inquiries!