Taking care of your truck needs to be a priority, especially when you spend a lot of time on the road. Regular maintenance, including checking your fluids and taking your truck in for a tuneup, helps to prolong the lifespan of your vehicle. You should also be aware of warning signs that your engine is having trouble, particularly with the radiator. Here are three signs that your truck's radiator is going out.
Rust on the radiator is a sign of a leak somewhere.
Corrosion is a bad sign in any part of your car's engine. Rust on your radiator can greatly inhibit its performance. Corrosion is a sign that you have a coolant leak somewhere; at this point, it would be a good to check the hoses that run from the radiator throughout the engine, as there could be a crack in one of them. As the coolant leaks out and heats up, it forms rust. The rust can also invade other neighboring parts of the engine, causing further damage.
Your engine running hotter than normal and overheating is a sign of trouble.
Keep an eye on your dashboard. If your engine is running hotter than it should based on how often you are running your truck, then you should take your vehicle into a mechanic. Left unchecked, heat problems can lead to your engine overheating. At that point, the engine is under too much stress to function correctly. You cannot drive your truck safely when it is overheating. The best thing to do in this case is to pull over and let it cool down, making multiple stops if necessary.
A slimy puddle underneath your truck could be a coolant leak.
Coolant, otherwise known as freon, is used in heat exchange to keep your truck's motor cool. Your radiator is not working right if you have a coolant leak. You can differentiate coolant from other liquids related to your engine based on its scent, texture, and color. Coolant has a very sweet scent and could smell like syrup. The scent is very distinct. Coolant is also slimy, creating a slight film within its puddle. Further, it is characteristically red or green. You want to address a coolant leak as soon as possible. Not only is it bad for your engine to be losing coolant, but coolant is also toxic and can be dangerous for animals.
For more information, contact a truck repair company in your area.
Share18 March 2015
About six months ago, I could tell that our car was really starting to have some problems. It was always acting up, it never seemed to run well, and I was always worried about it not starting up when it needed to. One day, I got stranded on the side of the road when I was on my way to work, and I realized that I needed to find a new car immediately. I took the day off to look for a new car, and I learned a lot about automotive shopping during the process. Check out this blog for more information about finding a great car.