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The radiator is an essential part of your Chrysler’s cooling system. An engine is an extremely hot environment due to the heat of combustion and the thousands of moving parts. Without a cooling system, your engine would quickly overheat and suffer serious, potentially permanent damage. Like all mechanical parts, your radiator can suffer damage. As your Chrysler dealer, we’re here to help you when you need a radiator repair.
Damaged Thermostat
Your engine works most efficiently at a temperature of between 185 F and 220 F. This temperature, however, has to be carefully controlled to prevent your engine from overheating. When the temperature in the engine rises over 180 F, liquid coolant is released into the engine. This coolant absorbs the heat and transports it to the radiator, where the heat is exchanged for cool external air.
The thermostat governs the release of coolant. This small device registers the increasing temperature and opens to release coolant into the system. In time, this thermostat can get damaged and jam open or closed. A thermostat that jams closed will not release coolant regardless of the engine temperature. Without coolant, your engine can rapidly overheat. Our technicians can easily replace a damaged thermostat and fix the problem.
Broken Water Pump
An increase in engine temperature prompts a release of coolant into the cooling system, which is pumped through the system by the water pump. This pump runs continuously while the engine temperature is high to maintain coolant flow. The coolant absorbs the heat from the engine as it travels to the radiator. It will enter rows of thin aluminum tubes where it’s cooled and then recirculated back through the system.
This cooling system depends on the pump to maintain a steady flow of fast-moving, pressurized coolant. If the pump fails, coolant will be released, but it won’t be able to circulate. A lack of circulating coolant will lead to a rapid rise in your engine temperature. Our technicians will check the pump, and we can quickly replace it with a new one to fix the problem.
Worn Hoses
The radiator is attached to the rest of the cooling system by two thick, reinforced rubber hoses. One of the hoses is attached to the top of the radiator for hot coolant to flow in, and the other is attached to the bottom of the radiator for cooled coolant to flow out. These hoses are specially designed to withstand the flow of hot coolant that can reach temperatures of over 200 F.
As part of your service schedule, we regularly check these hoses for signs of wear or damage. The heat and high pressure can damage the hoses over time. They may become less elastic, which leads to cracks forming in the rubber. These cracks can easily lead to a coolant leak, and your engine temperature will go up.
If your engine shows signs of running hotter than it should, call us right away at Price Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.
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