What is a Radiator in Cars and What are Its Components?

Most of us might own a car but have zero ideas about how our car functions from the inside. Some might have a vague idea that there's a fuel tank and an engine, but how does the entire vehicle operate?

As easy as it is to buy a car today, it is also easy to hire help for maintaining it; however, exercising good knowledge about your car can help extend its durability. Today, we will discuss a car's radiator and everything about it. Let us start our discussion by learning what is a radiator.

In simple terms, a radiator is a car component that plays a significant role in keeping your car cool and boosts its performance.

Turning on the engine is the first step in starting a vehicle. Your engine-powered vehicle generates excellent energy while you relish the luxurious journeys it provides. This process generates a lot of heat within the vehicle. Additionally, your car could sustain damage from an excessive accumulation of heat. When this happens, a radiator does its magic and dissipates the extra heat before it can do any harm.

As soon as the thermostat at the front of the engine detects excessive heat, the procedure within the radiator begins. When the water and coolant in your automobile get too hot, they make their way back to the radiator, where the air from outside the car is blown over them to reduce their temperature. A radiator is a cooling device for an automobile's engine that uses a fan and thin metal fins to dissipate heat.

Now that you know the fundamentals of an automobile radiator, let's look at its construction and how it functions.

To begin with, the car radiator is placed under your car's hood and in the engine's nose, and its coolant reservoir is just next to it, along with all its components. To understand, what is the use of a radiator, first, understand its different parts and how all of them equally play a major role in cooling down your engine.

The four main parts of a radiator are mentioned as below:

1. Core

The core is the main component of a radiator and fulfils its primary function. It is a metal block with small metal fins that vent coolant heat to the air around the radiator.

Inside the core, the hot liquid from the engine gets cooled before it does its job. Based on the core, you can classify the radiator as one-core, two-core, or three-core.

2. Pressure Cap

The coolant in your car is consistently under a lot of pressure. A pressure cap seals the cooling system or the coolant, ensuring that it remains pressurized and exhibits efficient performance.

A pressure cap is important to prevent the coolant from reaching its boiling point, as the temperature under the hood quite often rises excessively. If the coolant is hot, it gets damaged and spreads the damage to the different parts of the engine. For this reason, ensuring the proper functioning of the pressure cap is very important.

3. Inlet and Outlet Tank

These tanks are located on the head of the radiator. It is in these tanks where the coolant flows in and out of your car’s radiator. In general, the inlet and outlet tanks are either made of metal or durable plastic.

Hot coolant from the engine flows to the inlet tank, and after it gets cooled in the radiator, it exceeds back to the car's engine through the outlet tank. This coolant movement from one tank to the other occurs via radiator hoses. A radiator hose connects the radiator, inlet tank, and outlet tank to ensure smooth functioning.

4. Transmission Cooler

In multiple cars, the transmission cooler is the same as the engine cooler. The fluid passes via a steel pipe to ensure the coolant's smooth circulation in a transmission cooler. The coolant gets cooled within the radiator as heat automatically develops in the transmission system.

Moreover, several cars also feature a separate radiator for their transmission system.

After identifying the different parts of a radiator, we can understand how it works as a whole.

You can simply say that a radiator is a kind of heat exchanger.

Today, most cars use an aluminium radiator. The moment the car's engine starts developing heat, its coolant absorbs this heat and takes it away from the engine block's radius. Then, through a tube, it flows to the inlet tank and reaches the radiator. Then, air is blown through the inbuilt fans until this liquid exchange its heat with the air outside and cools down.

In layman's terms, you can say that a radiator helps in cooling down the coolant, which further cools down your car's engine.

Even though radiators come in various designs, shapes, and sizes, their main function is the same.

In a nutshell, understanding what is a radiator and how it works enables you to understand your car better and maintain it better. By understanding your car's radiator, you can prevent it from getting overheated and extend the longevity of your car.

Engine overheating and elevated temperature readings are symptoms of a faulty or blocked radiator. Other possible issues include damaged radiator fins, leaks, or low coolant levels.

What are the Symbols of Failing Radiator?

1. Engine Overheating: When the radiator becomes too hot, the engine tends to overheat. If the radiator is obstructed, it cannot disperse heat as effectively.
2. Measurements of Higher Temperatures: You know where the temperature gauge usually sits if you're a regular driver. If it begins to read marginally higher than usual, it indicates that the Coolant is becoming excessively heated.
3. Leak in Coolant: A radiator leak might happen when the fluid within the radiator cannot flow properly due to the high pressure.
4. Problems with Radiator Fins: The metal radiator fins are susceptible to damage. Due to their positioning, they are vulnerable to road debris, such as boulders. Going off-road or driving on a dirt driveway increases the likelihood of this issue.
5. Problems with the Heater: Although it may seem unrelated, the radiator is essential in heating and cooling systems. Hot Coolant flows through the heater core to provide warm air for the car's interior heater. The blower fan then forces this heated air into the cabin.
6. Low Level of Coolant: If a leak is detected, the coolant level can go dangerously low. If you don't add the correct amount of Coolant, the engine will overheat. In addition, the fluid can begin to have an odour of contamination. You want vibrant green, orange, pink, yellow, or blue Coolant if it's freely running through the engine. Instead of looking like Coolant, sludge in the system makes it look oily or rusty.

What Should You Do If a Car Radiator Fails?

A car radiator failure must be fixed immediately to avoid huge engine losses. What to do:

1. Turn Off Engine: If the temperature gauge rises or the hood steams, your car overheats. Stop and turn off the engine.
2. Let the Engine Cool: Do not open the radiator cap when the engine is hot. Also, do not open the coolant cap before 30 minutes to avoid burning yourself.
3. Inspect Coolant: Please turn off the engine and let it cool before checking the radiator and overflow tank coolant levels. If the levels are low, put Coolant or water in the tray with the level indicator.
4. Look for Leaks: Check flow by looking for leaks in the radiator, hoses, and connectors. Coolant on the ground or in the engine bay indicates a leak.
5. Seek Professional Help: Basic mechanical abilities can remedy radiator problems, but professional help is usually needed. Call an auto specialist or take the radiator to a shop to avoid further damage.
6. Check Temperature: Drive with an eye on the temperature gauge. Get off the road and cool again if it rises.

To prevent the radiator from failing, make sure you are following the steps below:

1. Regular Inspections
   • Check for any signs of corrosion, seepage or damage, mainly on the metal detectors. 
   • Locate the signs of leakage before you look for the coolant you need. 
2. Coolant Service
   • Checking the coolant level is recommended periodically; therefore, topping it up whenever it is low is recommended.
   • Replace the coolant as directed by the vehicle's manufacturer. 
   • Ensure that the car has the right type and amount of coolant to be in the radiator at any one time. 
3. Clean the Radiator
   • Rinse the radiator frequently after five to ten minutes to ensure no dirt is blocking the passageway. 
   • The user should be able to obtain information from the manufacturer about the nature and recommended interval of radiator flushing. 
4. Examine the Radiator Hoses
   • Check the present state of the derm hoses to find areas with soft spots, signs of leakage, or visible cracks. 
   • If the hose is discovered to be worn or the hose has been operational for some time, it should be changed. 
5. Observe the Temperature Gauge
   • If the environmental conditions allow, monitor the temperature gauge while the car operates. 
   • In the current circumstance, if the engine's temperature is higher than usual, it is wise to find out why.
6. Examine the Radiator Cap
   • Ensure that the radiator cap's handle locks into place correctly and does not look worn out. 
   • The cap design creates conditions for coolant leaks and improper pressure stabilisation. 
7. Upkeep of the Cooling System
   • Ensure that the fan and thermostat are working correctly, and examine the workings of the water pump. 
   • This is particularly the case with fixes that occasionally call for replacing some parts that do not work correctly.