🥵 Martynn's Tips: Keep Your (Car) Cool!

From: Haynes - Saturday Jun 24,2023 07:00 am

Can you count on your cooling system?

Years ago it was common to see cars at the side of the road, bonnet up with steam making a break for freedom. Summer temperatures and traffic jams test a vehicle’s cooling system to the limit.

It’s less common for engines to overheat these days but it still happens, and being stuck by the side of the motorway on a hot day waiting for the breakdown service to arrive is no fun at all.

Tips to prevent your car from overheating*

1. Checking the coolant level is a bit obvious, but often overlooked. Modern vehicle cooling systems should not lose coolant – the level in the expansion tank should not drop. If you’re regularly adding coolant, there must be a leak. At any moment, that leak could get a lot worse and empty the system quickly.

2. Remove any dirt or debris from the front of the radiator. Access is normally pretty tight, but using a long, thin brush or a vacuum cleaner with a thin nozzle can help. While you’re there, take a good look at the edges of the radiator cooling fins. If any of the fins have been hit by debris, they may be flattened, which will also restrict air flow. The trick here is to carefully straighten them with a flat screwdriver or thin-nosed pliers. Take care not to damage the coolant channels!

3. Most modern vehicles have at least one electric cooling fan behind or in front of the radiator. The fan activates when the coolant is hot enough and when the engine management system tells it to. This in theory saves a little fuel, emissions, etc. However, it’s not uncommon for the fan motor to corrode and seize. Then, when the engine needs it most, the fan fails to rotate and the system overheats. A quick check now and then takes seconds. With the engine cold and the ignition switched off, check that the fan rotates freely. Don’t use your fingers to do this, just in case the fan starts up – I use a handy twig.

4. Coolant hoses should be checked at least once a year. They deteriorate with age, becoming brittle and perishing. With the engine cold, give each hose a squeeze and check for cracks, particularly around where the clamps are fitted. Any cracks evident will only get worse with time, until that hot day when you’re sitting in a jam, and the cooling system pressure is at its maximum. The weakest link is usually that cracked hose.

*Found an issue? Use code: SP10 and save 10% when you buy a repair manual from Haynes.com/en-gb

Technical Editor, Martynn Randall has been with Haynes for 27 years and has written more than 60 Haynes Manuals.

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