Heat and Cooling - What It Does and How!

When the summer hits, the cooling system in your car works overtime! Ever wondered what it actually does and how it works? Well, take a look at the photo to the right! It looks VERY complicated and complex. Well, that's because it is a very complex system and a critical component for your vehicle to run properly!

Let's start with the basics - what it does! Your engine is in constant friction and movement when it is running. All of this movement creates heat!

The more it works and runs, the hotter it gets! If it doesn't cool down, the eventual overheating will cause your engine to break down and damage other components of the vehicles engine. To cool it down, the cooling system activates as soon as it's told to in order to circulate coolant, a specialized fluid to cool down the engine.

Now for the fun part ... how it works!

The cooling system is made up of MANY parts and works much like the human circulatory system!

The essential brain of the whole system is the thermostat! The thermostat is what measures the temperature of the fluid (coolant) in the engine block.

Once that fluid gets to a predetermined temperature the thermostat opens, allowing the water pump (the heart of the cooling system) to push cooled coolant to the engine block, out of the engine block through a hose, through the radiator (where it passes through little ribs that are cooled down by the forced air that goes through it when you drive) and back to the engine through another hose where it continues to circulate and cool. Once the engine gets back down to a cooled temperature, the thermostat closes and that fluid circulation from the engine to the radiator and back to the engine stops!

With the hot weather here, this is one of the systems you'll want to have checked when you have your vehicle in for summer maintenance! Just like all the other fluids in your vehicle, your coolant needs to be checked for condition as well as level. If it is old fluid, it won't do a proper job of cooling your engine and it should be changed out.

Bell City Motorworks can do this for you! Starting at $149.99, you'll have your old coolant flushed out of the system, all new fluid put in, and a conditioner to help it do it's job easier! In about an hour, your vehicle will have fresh coolant ready to combat the heat! Call today to book your cooling system appointment! (519) 304-8000