Your Honda radiator works hard to control your engine temperature. Combustion raises the temperature, and your engine performs best at between 185 F and 230 F. This temperature, however, must be kept in check. If the temperature rises too high, it can damage your engine. Your radiator can get damaged, and you’ll need a radiator repair ASAP. These are some signs from your Honda dealer that you need to see us for that repair.
Signs Your Honda Needs a Radiator Repair at Your Honda Dealer
Blocked Radiator Fins
The front of your radiator is comprised of ranks of thin aluminum tubes that are shaped like fins. When hot coolant from the engine enters the radiator, it flows into these fins. The design of the fins provides the largest possible surface area for cooling. As your car moves, cool air blows over these fins. Their aluminum construction allows them to cool rapidly, and this cools the fluid inside them.
Coolant that enters the radiator can also contain dirt, rust particles, and other debris. Some of this debris can be left behind in the fins as the cooled liquid is drawn out. This debris can build up and block the fins. If enough of the fins are blocked, your cooling system will start to fail. You’ll notice your engine temperature increasing as the fluid can’t enter the fins to be cooled.
Blocked Radiator Grille
The radiator grille helps to protect the radiator against damage, and it’s also the entry point for the air needed to cool the hot coolant. Leaves, dirt, and other debris from the surface can get stuck in the grille. If this continues, this debris will block the grille and reduce the amount of air that gets through it. This lack of airflow will restrict your radiator’s ability to cool the hot coolant.
Some of this material can also damage the radiator fins. Debris can fly into your radiator grille at speed, and the aluminum fins are thin and delicate. If fins are damaged, they can block the flow of coolant. As more fins are damaged, your cooling system will work less effectively, and your engine temperature will increase. We can clean the radiator grille, but we can’t repair damaged fins, and your radiator will need to be replaced.
Radiator Rust
Rust is the nemesis of metal, and your radiator is made from metal and plastic. Your radiator is protected against water by the hood. If you open the hood and spot signs of rust on your radiator, you have a coolant leak. Coolant is a mix of antifreeze and water. A leak anywhere in the highly-pressurized cooling system can cause coolant to leak or spray out.
Coolant will dry quickly in the heat of your engine, but it will leave tell-tale white lines on the metal where it fell. The water in the coolant will also start to cause rust. This rust will eat through your radiator and cause additional damage.
Don’t risk an overheated engine. If your radiator shows signs of trouble, call us at Power Honda.
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