Need a radiator in Henderson? Come see us.

If you’re looking for a radiator in Henderson, then give Brad Ward Motors a call. We can help you with any kind of radiator repair or check-up you need.  If you’re not sure what your vehicle’s radiator actually does, then we’ve put this short article together to explain it.

A Car’s Radiator Explained

When you think of a radiator, then do you think of a radiator in your home? This is very different from your car’s radiator! Whereas radiator in a house is designed to keep a room warm, a radiator in a car actually does the opposite; it cools the engine down.

The engine in your car will heat up to an astonishingly hot degree. And by astonishingly hot we mean somewhere in the region of two and a half thousand degrees Celsius! At this kind of temperature, metal can literally melt. If this happens with your car, catastrophic engine failure isn’t far away, and a costly repair bill is right behind it.

“A quick check every few weeks can save you a lot of stress in the long run.”

This ridiculous temperature comes from the friction between the moving metal parts. We can minimise this friction with motor oil which is pumped through the engine, working as a lubricant, but it’s not enough to stop your car from melting. There’s still plenty of heat there to weld the engine together, and this is when the radiator comes in. A mixture of anti-freeze and water is pumped through the engine, absorbing all the excess heat produced by the moving parts.

Now the radiator kicks in and starts doing its job. This super-heated engine coolant goes through the engine, comes out the other side, and then into the radiator. The radiator is designed to have the largest surface area possible in order to let the heat dissipate. Some radiators have fans that bring cooler air from outside into the car and help the radiator with the process. The car’s grille is also designed for this purpose. With the outside air and the radiator lowering the coolant temperature, the mixture is now cool enough to go back into the engine and start the process again.

If you are running low on coolant, or your radiator isn’t working properly for whatever reason, then this could be a serious problem. The engine will carry on getting hotter and hotter, heating up until it blows a piston or literally melts. This is why you should always check your radiator and oil levels on a regular basis- a quick check every few weeks can save you a lot of stress in the long run.

Radiators don’t have to particularly cool to work, but if they leak or crack, then it can only be a matter of minutes before the engine reaches critical levels. Always allow the engine too cool down before trying to bring it to a mechanic. Remember, if you’re searching for a radiator in Henderson, Brad Ward motors are here for you.