Engine Cooling System Failure Modes
Your engine’s cooling system is one of the most important yet fragile systems in your car. Why? Your cooling system has many points from which coolant may leak. It contains several rubber hoses that can crack and split or leak near a hose clamp connection. A water pump seal on every water pump in service will eventually leak. The radiator has plastic side tanks which are subject to cracking and leakage after a few thousand heat cycles. The radiator also has several hundred feet of aluminum cooling tubes all subject to leaks from road debris, impact or careless mechanics, etc.
When the engine is running, the water pump maintains pressure in the engine’s cooling jacket so a potential leak will drain the engine of coolant steadily. However, not all the coolant needs to escape before damage can occur. The cylinder heads are at the top of most engines. These are the hottest parts of the engine because this is where fuel is burned to develop engine power. Once the water level has dropped enough to leave the cylinder head without coolant circulation, the head quickly warps, allowing coolant to exit the cooling jacket, past the head gasket, through the cylinders and out the engine exhaust or into the crankcase to mix with the oil.
This type of failure is called a “blown head gasket” and is a common and expensive problem. Most drivers don’t check the coolant recovery tank level or ever look at the engine coolant temperature gauge. Usually, a driver’s first indication of a problem is a check engine light or an engine that stops running.
Don’t wait until you have an expensive head gasket repair problem. ASR offers a service that can give you peace of mind while driving long distances in hot weather. Have a cooling system test done at ASR twice per year. We will check the coolant level and perform a pressure test of the cooling system to find potential leaks before they develop into interrupted business trips, vacations and worse, expensive repairs.
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