WHIEN [T comes to cooling sys-
tems, what you don’t know can hurt
you.

By Bob Markovich

Contributing Writer

That's because most of what
goes wrong happens inside, where
you can't see it. A case in point is a
phenomenon called electrochemical
degradation — a strange synergy
that destroys radiator and heater
hoses from the inside out.

A tiny amount of current, which
is generated by coolant flow, etches
Jengthwise grooves into the rubber.
The grooves eventually widen into
cracks that penetrate the inside tube
and reinforcement material, causing
pinhole leaks or bursting often after
only 54,000 km.

While you can't prevent electro-
chemical degradation, you can keep
it from stranding you. What's more,
a litte detective work now will
-uncover other hidden problems that
can prevent proper engine cooling.

Hoses

Leaky hoses head the list of
cooling-system failures. Constant
flexing and today’s higher engine
temperatures dramatically acceler-
ate electrochemical degradation in
hoses after four years.

if it has been that long since
your car’s radiator and heater hoses
were replaced, buy new ones now.

Before installing them, check
old hoses for burns and oil-soften-
ing. Fix any nearby oil leaks if pos-
sible, or use wire-reinforced
replacement hose that can be bent
to avoid oil leaks and hot parts.

Radiator

Many of today’s smaller. lighter
radiators have aluminum cores
crimped onto plastic tanks. While

_ plastic tanks don’t corrode like tra-
ditional copper and brass, they can
crack if low coolant creates steam
in the radiator.

Whichever radiator you have,

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

ANY VEHICLE'S cooling system is vital to its operation. it
should be checked regularly as Wetmore Motors mechanic Jon

Fjortoft does here.

check connection points between
the tanks and the core for stress
cracks or foose crimps — both of
which can easily be repaired by a
shop.

Also, check for loose mounting
points, which can allow road vibra-
tion to cause further damage. Then
check the core for drips and caglant
stains.

if needed, straighten bent core
fins to maximize airflow by using a
comb or pocket knife.

Heater core

This is actually a small radiator
that gives off warmth from coolant
flowing inside. Wetness on the car-
pet and coolant mist on the wind-
shield are telltale signs of heater-
core leaks.

You can also check the heater
core for blockage by making sure
both its hoses get hot with the
heater on the highest setting.

- Exterior hand wash
- Exterior hand wax

- Interior shampoo
- Engine shampoo

Water pump and fan

Remote-mounted etectric fans
have taken much of the foad off
water pumps and their bearings.
Internal seals still tend to abrade.
however, eventually allowing
coolant into the bearing area.

Trouble signs include wobbling
and knocking at the pump when the
engine is idling, as well as coolant
leaks from the pump’s weep hole.

If your car has an electric fan, it
should come on when you turn the
air conditioner on, or the engine olf
after a long trip.

On cars with a clutch-driven fan,
be sure the fan blades offer resis-
tance when you spin them with the
engine off. Free-spinning blades or
black fluid spots mean the fan
clutch is Jeaking and must be
replaced.

See Fluids page 27

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