![]() Please note: since the cooling system is hot and under pressure when the vehicle has been running, it is very important that you never open the radiator cap until the vehicle has cooled completely. Under lower pressure, the cap draws the coolant back into the cooling system. To avoid overpressurizing, which can damage components of the system, a spring-loaded valve on the radiator cap vents excess coolant into the expansion tank (also known as reservoir). The water absorbs the heat from the engine and the antifreeze further raises the boiling point of the coolant.Įvaporation of coolant is undesirable because gaseous coolant will either leave the system entirely through a leak or will take up more space than it should which causes overpressurization. If the coolant in the engine were to boil, it would not effectively cool the engine since a gas will not remove heat from the system nearly as well as a liquid will.Ī cooling system at optimal pressure enables the engine to run more efficiently and protects it from damage.Ĭoolant is usually made up of water and antifreeze in a one-to-one ratio. Most engines have a normal operating temperature right around the boiling point of water (212° F). This enables the liquid to hold more heat before evaporating. ![]() Pressurizing the cooling system is necessary to increase the boiling point of the coolant. It is important to buy a radiator cap that matches the factory specification. Different cooling systems call for different pressures. ![]() Having a functional radiator cap is critical to this process, as it maintains the proper amount of pressure.Įach radiator cap is rated for a certain amount of pressure it can hold (e.g. The cooling system uses pressurized coolant (also known as antifreeze) to take accumulated heat away from the engine. The radiator cap is the gatekeeper of the cooling system.
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