Cooling System Repair/Maintenance

The cooling system is made up of the passages inside the engine block and heads, a  water pump to circulate the coolant, a thermostat to control the temperature of the coolant, a radiator to cool the coolant, a radiator cap to control the pressure in the system, and some plumbing consisting of interconnecting hoses to transfer the coolant from the engine to radiator and also to the car's heater system where hot coolant is used to warm up the vehicle's interior on a cold day.

A cooling system works by sending a liquid coolant through passages in the engine block and heads.  As the coolant flows through these passages, it picks up heat from the engine.  The heated fluid then makes its way through a rubber hose to the radiator in the front of the car.  As it flows through the thin tubes in the radiator, the hot liquid is cooled by the air stream entering the engine compartment from the grill in front of the car.  Once the fluid is cooled, it returns to the engine to absorb more heat.  The water pump has the job of keeping the fluid moving through this system of plumbing and hidden passages.

These system require routine maintenance as well repair work. Just because your system isn't leaking doesn't mean it shouldn't be serviced!