One of the simplest things you can do to keep your car running smoothly is making sure you keep up with the cooling system maintenance. This maintenance of having your fluids like the coolant and antifreeze checked regularly and changed as recommended is vital to giving your car a long life. If you do not feel comfortable in checking these fluid levels yourself, our technicians at MMS Automotive will be glad to check them for you.
Cooling System Components
The cooling system in your vehicle consists of different several components. The main parts of the cooling system are:
- Radiator – The main part of your vehicle’s cooling system is the radiator. The radiator is responsible for lowering the temperature of the coolant while it rotates through hoses, the thermostat, and the water pump and back through the engine. So, it is essential that the radiator is functioning properly.
- Radiator Fan – As you can imagine, the radiator fan is in charge of keeping the radiator from overheating.
- Water Pump – This little pump often gets overlooked, but it has a vital job in the cooling system. It takes the coolant from the radiator and passes it through the cooling system to the thermostat.
- Thermostat – The thermostat does exactly what you think it would do. It measures the temperature in the engine. When the engine’s temperature reaches its max, the thermostat allows coolant to come in and cool the engine.
- Radiator Cap – The radiator cap, also known as the pressure cap, has the job of maintaining the cooling system’s pressure and keeping it from exploding. So, never try taking off your radiator cap while the car’s engine is hot.
- Heater Core – The heater core is a part of the cooling system that allows your heater and defrost to operate. Its primary purpose is to heat the car’s interior area. Although you may think that this component is not important besides giving you comfort, it plays an important role during colder weather, especially freezing temps.
Now that you have an overview of the main components of the cooling system and their functions, it is important that you maintain it. At MMS Automotive in the South Bay, our certified technicians have the experience and knowledge to keep the cooling system in your vehicle at optimal performance. Don’t hesitate to bring your car in today!