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Does Your Car Need a New Radiator?

by Aubree Richardson

A functioning radiator for your car is very important, as the radiator and entire coolant system keep the engine cool while it operates. Without a good radiator and coolant system, your engine can simply lock up from overheating and, in turn, need replacing. It's good to know the signs of problems with your car's coolant system so you can know if you'll need a new radiator or if there are other parts that may need replacing or repair under the hood. Note a few signs of trouble with a vehicle's coolant system and what they might mean.

Smell of coolant

Very often you can smell coolant when it leaks from a radiator or any of the lines under the hood because of its distinct, sweet odor. However, you're not supposed to smell this fluid as it's meant to stay in the radiator or hoses as it circulates.

If you can smell something sweet from under the hood of your car, check the radiator cap and then the hoses coming from the radiator, and you might be able to detect the leak. If it's a split or cracked hose, the hose needs replacing; if it's a leak around the radiator cap, this might need replacing. If there is a crack in the block of the radiator, a mechanic may be able to patch it or you might need a new radiator altogether.

Intermittent overheating

If your car gets too warm during city traffic but the temperature cools down when on the freeway, this is probably because of a broken fan. When you drive fast and uninterrupted on the freeway, the rush of air makes the fan blades spin. During stop-and-go traffic, there is nothing to make a broken fan spin. It typically needs replacing when you notice this type of intermittent overheating.

Overheating without warning

Your dashboard temperature warning light should come on when the engine is too hot, but if you notice that there is smoke coming from under the hood or you can smell the engine burning, and you have no warning from any light on the dashboard, it may be that the thermostat is broken. The thermostat to your engine tells the radiator and cooling system how warm the engine is so it can circulate proper coolant amounts. The thermostat also alerts the dashboard light to come on when the engine is overheating. If the thermostat to your engine is broken, the cooling system won't be triggered and you'll get no warning of a hot engine.

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