3 Signs Your Chevy Could Use a Radiator Repair

Your Chevy’s radiator is essential for controlling your engine temperature. The heat from the engine is transported to the radiator, where it’s removed. If your radiator shows signs of wear, your cooling system won’t work correctly, and your engine can overheat. As your Chevy dealer, we’d like you to know some of the signs that you need a radiator repair.

Broken Thermostat

When the engine temperature rises above 180 F, liquid coolant is released into your engine to control the temperature. The thermostat is a small component that registers the increasing temperature and opens to release coolant. When the engine temperature is reduced below 180 F, the thermostat will close. This vital component can fail, and if it does, it will jam in an open or closed position.

A thermostat that jams closed will register the increased temperature, but won’t release any coolant. Without the high-speed movement of coolant, your engine will rapidly start to overheat. A thermostat that jams open will continue to release coolant even when the temperature drops. Your engine will become colder, and you’ll use more fuel due to engine inefficiency.

Damaged Fan

Hot coolant flows into the radiator, where it’s cooled by air movement over the radiator tubes. The faster your Chevy is moving, the faster the coolant will cool. This system works perfectly when your car is moving, but it doesn’t help if your engine is idling and your car isn’t moving. To control the engine temperature under these circumstances, your radiator has a fan attached.

The radiator fan activates when your engine temperature rises and your car isn’t moving. This fan blows across the radiator tubes from behind and blows the heat from the coolant out through the radiator grille. If the fan fails, your engine temperature will rise anytime your car is stationary and the engine is running. The fan is part of the radiator, so we would have to replace the radiator if the fan fails.

Worn Radiator Hoses

The two radiator hoses carry hot coolant into the radiator and remove the cooled coolant. These hoses regularly carry fast-moving coolant at temperatures of over 275 F. To ensure the hoses can work under these conditions they are made from reinforced rubber. This rubber is strong and heat-resistant but also flexible to handle the continual flow of coolant.

In time, however, these hoses will age, and they can start to crack when they become less flexible. The cracks can widen and form holes in the rubber, and this will cause pressurized coolant to spray out. Your engine will lose coolant, which increases the engine temperature. Coolant will also not be able to reach the radiator, and your cooling system will fail.

Most radiator problems can be easily and inexpensively repaired if the repairs are timeously made. The Chevy service schedule for your car will also help to prevent most radiator problems. If you’re worried about your radiator, call our service department ASAP at Champion Chevrolet.