By Engr. Gozie Atueyi.
(C). Google.
In the next couple of days from now, many Nigerian Christians will be on the road,many with their cars, traveling home to mark Christmas and New year festivities.
As they warm for the journey, an engineer says he has some pieces of advice for them on how to put their car in good mechanical fitness to ensure safety and comfort of their planned journey.
Happy reading.
>>> MOST OF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATING IS CAUSED BY YOUR RADIATOR COVER? <<<
Do you know these tiny radiator covers have sent so many vehicles and engines to early graves.
They look so small but very vital in your cooling system and when used wrongly you stand a chance of loosing your engine.
Now, that small spring you see under your radiator covers have you ever asked yourself why its there and its function or you think its for fancy?
Radiator covers work like a kind of supply and recovery system through the help of valves.
There are two major valves that do these jobs. They are the RADIATOR CAP PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE and VACCUM VENT VALVE. Their job in a lay man's voice is for to and fro of pressurized vapour.
As engine is running, coolant boils and become vapour, its temperature rises. As the temperature and pressure rise further and above atmospheric pressure more pressure builds against the spring of the pressure relief valve of the radiator cap untill at a certain pressure the valve opens.
When the valve opens the hot coolant flows out into an overflow container (the white container that sits beside the radiator with tiny hose and cover on top).
As the engine cools, the coolant contracts, pressure in the radiator drops, atmospheric pressure in the overflow container will then open the second valve of the radiator cover (THE VACCUM VENT VALVE) and overflow coolant flows back into the radiator.
You experience this more when your car overheats. This is why its very dangerous to open your radiator cap at this point because thats the point the atmospheric pressure and pressure of the hot radiator are battling and trying to balance each other.
If you dare open either the radiator cover or the overflow cap at this point you will get a massive explosion of your life, so stay safe.
NOW, HOW DO THIS RADIATOR COVER DAMAGE ENGINE?
When the pressure relief valve is faulty and refuse to open, hot vapour cannot be released from the engine so it will find a weak point like top gasket, radiator plastic or any weak part of the radiator, hose or engine block and burst it open and discharge from there.
▪︎ If it opens and didn't close back or the return valve didn't open you may loose all the coolant in your radiator inform of vapour, your engine will dry, crack and burn.
Now you've got the point, can you now see that little things matters.
If you like change your radiator fan or wash your radiator 100 times and still fails to replace your faulty radiator cover, your engine will continue to overheat.
