Your car’s engine is in a very hot environment. Hundreds of constantly moving parts and the heat from combustion all help to raise the temperature. If your, engine’s temperature gets too hot, it can suffer serious damage. Your radiator is designed to control the temperature by removing heat from the engine. Any mechanical part can get damaged, and start to fail. When you need a radiator repair, your Kia dealer in Fort Smith, AR can fix it for you.
Time for a Radiator Repair? Visit Your Fort Smith Kia Dealer
Blocked Radiator
As the coolant circulates through the cooling system, it absorbs heat from your engine. The coolant can also absorb small metal particles, mineral deposits, and other minute particles of debris. When the coolant flows into the radiator, it’s cooled by airflow through the radiator grille and the liquid is recycled. The debris brought into the radiator, however, is left behind in your radiator and it will accumulate in time and form a sludge.
This sludge can block your radiator and its hoses, preventing hot coolant from entering the radiator and being cooled. Our technicians will examine your radiator, and if there is no sign of rust we can flush the radiator to remove the debris. If your radiator shows signs of rust, we will have to replace it as the rust will cause damage to the radiator and the cooling system.
Damaged Head Gasket
The head gasket is a seal between the engine block and the cylinder heads. This seal does its job quietly and efficiently, preventing oil and radiator coolant from mixing. If your radiator is failing, and your engine temperature stays too high for too long, this seal can be damaged and the oil and coolant will mix, Your engine will immediately lose compression and start malfunctioning.
A broken head gasket is a very serious and expensive repair, as your engine itself has to be opened to replace the seal. The good news is this nightmare scenario is unlikely as long as you have your engine checked if it’s continually running too hot.
Broken Thermostat
The thermostat is responsible for releasing coolant when your engine temperature rises too high. When the engine temperature reaches a preset level, the thermostat opens and releases coolant. Coolant is recycled through eh cooling system at speed to reduce the heat in the engine to a moderate and sustainable level. This very simple component can unfortunately fail, and its failure has serious consequences.
A broken thermostat will jam open or closed. An open thermostat will flood your engine with coolant, reducing the engine temperature below its normal operating level. Your engine will be colder, and the main side effect is decreased engine performance and extra fuel wastage. A thermostat that is stuck in the closed position won’t release any coolant and the engine temperature will rise uncontrollably.
If your engine is continually running hotter than it should contact us at Crain Kia of Ft Smith, and we’ll find the cause of the problem.
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Warranties include 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and 5-year/60,000-mile basic. All warranties and roadside assistance are limited. See retailer for warranty details.