Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [cooling-system]

System which removes excess heat from liquid cooled internal combustion engine. It also helps maintain the engine temperature at a consistent level. The cooling system encompasses the radiator, water pump, thermostat, hoses, heater core, overflow reservoir, and anti-freeze (or coolant).

Cooling System Diagram

enter image description here

438 questions
37
votes
3 answers

Why are the blades of car radiator fans unevenly spaced?

Fans that look like this: Is it to somehow help the balance of the engine?
Sam
  • 1,708
  • 2
  • 14
  • 22
34
votes
8 answers

Running with straight water as coolant in the summer. Is it fine?

I grew up flushing the coolant twice yearly. In the Spring, you drain the antifreeze and fill with straight water for the summer. In the Fall, you drain the water and put in a 50/50 antifreeze/water mixture. I have heard (from an auto store clerk)…
Wulfhart
  • 705
  • 2
  • 6
  • 11
19
votes
6 answers

Is it Safe to Drive With Low Engine Coolant?

I have a 2001 Chevy Malibu and have replaced the engine coolant in it twice in the last six months after the low coolant warning light came on, and the light has recently come on again. The climate is mild here so there's no risk of freezing, and I…
MooseBoys
  • 343
  • 1
  • 3
  • 9
18
votes
12 answers

Do mobile air conditioners exist for cars?

Even if my home has no integrated air conditioner, I can add one in my room by buying a mobile air conditioner. But if my car does not have any air conditioner, can I create cool air with an equivalent device, like in a cigarette lighter?
user55307
  • 189
  • 1
  • 1
  • 3
18
votes
9 answers

Can I drive a car with only water and no coolant if it has a leak?

Recently, I was informed that a car I share ('02 Nissan Sentra) was close to overheating. I was told it gets close to the upper limit very quickly upon running the car. When I inspected the vehicle, I realized that the coolant overflow was empty and…
Travis J
  • 294
  • 1
  • 4
  • 11
17
votes
9 answers

Can salt water be used in place of antifreeze?

The key feature of antifreeze--as the name implies--is that it doesn't freeze. When I was a kid, my Dad used to use just plain water in the radiator of his 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass during the summer. It worked ok. He'd only use antifreeze in…
kmiklas
  • 281
  • 1
  • 2
  • 6
15
votes
9 answers

Can radiator cool down a car too much?

Recently they replaced my stock radiator with aftermarket one (at dealership, so I hope they knew what they were doing), and since then I feel that a car is not warming up enough. Even if I warm it up completely at garage - as soon as I start…
serg
  • 253
  • 1
  • 2
  • 7
15
votes
9 answers

My car's coolant temperature reaches almost 100 C / 212 F in a fast pace

Today, after a very hot day, I saw that my coolant was almost reaching 100C/212, I pulled over, stopped and took a look over the hood. The very little water that remained in the coolant tank was all boiling. So, I went to a gas station, bought some…
Rad'Val
  • 369
  • 2
  • 3
  • 9
14
votes
2 answers

How do I troubleshoot the source of oil in my coolant?

I would like to know the step by step troubleshooting procedure for discovering the source of oil appearing in coolant. There are several different points of failure that can be the root cause for oil in coolant. What are the various points in an…
DucatiKiller
  • 32,976
  • 22
  • 150
  • 267
14
votes
7 answers

Pros and cons of using straight antifreeze?

I've heard from some people that they use straight antifreeze in their cooling systems, not 50/50. What are the pros and cons of doing that? E.g., does it reduce exposure to corrosion?
amphibient
  • 6,777
  • 42
  • 102
  • 139
12
votes
5 answers

Should Multiple Coolant Hose Leaks in a Short Time Worry Me?

Right after fixing another problem with one of my cars ( 98 Mazda 626 GF 2L ), I revved the engine and all of a sudden heard the tell tale hiss of a coolant leak: As you can see, this hose just sprang a leak. Not a big deal, it's probably the…
Robert S. Barnes
  • 15,780
  • 72
  • 157
  • 249
11
votes
5 answers

Why would there be transmission fluid in the water overflow reservoir?

The car is a '98 Buick Lesabre with the 3800 engine and about 170k miles. It appears as though some oil was in the radiator, but I haven't seen any signs of coolant in the oil. The water pump recently went bad, so I'm not sure how much oil was in…
wickedpissah
  • 111
  • 1
  • 1
  • 3
11
votes
4 answers

50/50 Coolant Dilution after distilled water flush?

I have a new (to me) car that it appears hasn't had a coolant fluid change ever, now with 120k miles. It is an 04 Corolla. I am planning on flushing the system with distilled water a few times. But it seems to me that if I add a 50/50 mix of fluid…
Nertskull
  • 253
  • 1
  • 2
  • 5
11
votes
5 answers

Car won't reach operating temperature

Here's a seemingly simple problem - I noticed that the temperature gauge of my mother's 2004 Opel Meriva 1.7CDTI won't ever climb above minimum. I checked the OBD readings to see if it was a defective coolant temperature sensor but it showed that…
I have no idea what I'm doing
  • 4,741
  • 14
  • 42
  • 69
10
votes
4 answers

How long should I wait for engine to cool down before I can check coolant?

I know engine temperature should go down to "C" mark before opening radiator cap. However I'm finding that the temp just stays on normal for a long time. I think I've read people say you need to give an engine 30 minutes or so to cool down before…
James Wilson
  • 2,992
  • 26
  • 81
  • 119
1
2 3
…
29 30