Singapore Car Guide: Keep it cool under the hood

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Keep it cool under the hood
By: Goh Mei Yi
Published: September 02, 2006
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If the temperature gauge on your car’s instrument panel shows a higher reading than usual, or if you see, hear or smell anything indicating excessive heat, it means that something has gone seriously wrong with the engine or cooling system:

An overheated engine is a severe problem. If the temperature indicator is constantly stuck in the red parameter of the gauge while you’re driving, pull over immediately and arrange for a towing service.

In a nutshell, the components of the car’s cooling system comprises a radiator, fan, water pump, thermostat, overflow tank, water, coolant and a series of connecting pipes and passageways.

Here are some common problems related to the cooling system:

Broken tubing

Hoses and tubes can wear out and spring a leak. Once coolant starts leaking out of the system, the engine can no longer be cooled properly.

Damaged radiator cap

The radiator cap is designed to maintain a certain pressure, in order to raise the boiling point of the coolant. If your cap is damaged or doesn’t fit properly, the car engine could overheat, especially on hot days.

Broken fan belt

The water pump is driven by a fan belt. If this belt is broken, the pump cannot turn and coolant won’t get pushed through the car engine, thus resulting in the engine being overheated.

Water pump failure

These are the first signs of trouble: Finding small puddles of coolant under your car after it has been parked overnight and detecting the strong odour of coolant odour while driving. Next, you may hear a distinctive whistling sound, like that of a boiling kettle, or even see the coolant leaking out.

Head gasket

Large amounts of white smoke ejecting from the exhaust may indicate a problem with the head gasket. The head gasket seals the cylinder head to the engine block and also closes up the coolant passages. If this gasket fails, coolant can enter the cylinder and vapourise while the engine is running.

Make it a habit to check the coolant level periodically. It should lie above the minimum mark as indicated on the coolant reservoir. Remember that you should not open the radiator or the overflow reservoir when the engine is hot, or even when it’s warm.

If you are topping up the coolant, it should be mixed with the correct proportion of water to maintain the required concentration. Ensure that this coolant is compatible with that being used in your car.

You should also check the hoses located at the top and bottom of the radiator, as well as the clamps holding these hoses. Make sure they are securely clamped to the radiator and not leaking.

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