Thursday, July 12, 2012

How to Avoid Leaks in Your Honda's Radiator

For every vehicle that uses combustion engines, this component plays a vital role in keeping the automobile running smoothly. The coolant absorbs the heat from the hot engine, which is passed to this component that uses an electrical or belt driven fan to cool it down. The cooled off coolant is then returned to the engine block. Therefore, a radiator is the heat exchanging system and comprises several folds and various chambers to increase the surface to benefit the effective cooling of the complete system.
The most important cause of leakages from this automobile component is aging and therefore, requires to be repaired immediately. Some of the obvious indications of leakages are lower levels of the coolant and overheating of the engine. If you do not repair the leaking, you will eventually smell burnt coolant from under the vehicle's hood. Moreover, you will find the anti-freezing coolant dripping in to a small puddle beneath your car.
In case you are not able to find the leakages with a simple inspection, you will need to remove the radiator. A pressure test kit is used to fill the specified quantity of air into the part depending on the amount specified near the cap. You must then submerge the component in a tank of water to find the areas from where air bubbles escape. Commonly, bubbles arise from those parts that are leaking and need to be repaired immediately.
To repair smaller leakages, you can pour the leaks additive inside this automotive part by following the instructions provided by the product manufacturer. However, if the vehicle is old, the radiator may be produced with brass and copper and will require a soldering iron to close the leakage. For newer vehicles that use aluminum radiators, it is recommended to use an epoxy gun to seal the leaking areas. After you have repaired the leaks, it is advisable to refill the cooling system with a high quality coolant.
An excellent method to stop the leaking temporarily is to use one or two eggs. The eggs become cooked due to the heated water contained inside the radiator. The pressure will generally result in forcing the cooked eggs inside this vehicle component and curtail the leakage. Many people use black pepper to temporarily fix the leaking. The pepper flows inside the pinhole and will become as hard as a rock and stop the leaking. In case, you are unable to find black pepper, you can use alternatives, such as cornmeal, paprika, and mustard powder. In the event that only one of the hoses is ruptured, you can use duct tape to seal the leaking temporarily until you are able to find a replacement for the defective hose.
When repairing such kinds of leakages in this important automotive component, it is recommended you let the car cool down completely. Overheated parts are known to be very dangerous and there are several instances where people have been seriously injured or have died while opening the caps of a hot radiator. When repairing the leakages in this automobile part, experts advise to keep a close watch on the water level.
Most experts advise vehicle owners to have a basic knowledge on the location and functions of these important vehicle components. This intelligence is very important to enable you to fix up the leakages in a short period of time. Many people are not aware of the above-mentioned temporary techniques to seal the leakages. However, the best method to stop this problem is to use a high quality sealant that is specially manufactured to enable vehicle owners to overcome such problems. The type of sealant used will depend on the model of your vehicle and on the material used to manufacture this automobile part.
All the above-mentioned tips and tricks are beneficial in overcoming leakages in the vehicle's radiator. However, experts advise vehicle owners to take care of their vehicles to increase their useful life and reduce the repair costs. Therefore, getting your vehicle inspected regularly is advisable to prevent leaks in your car's radiator and to avoid any other major problems associated with other components of the vehicles. Checking the coolant level at periodic intervals is advisable because insufficient amount of coolant increase the probability of damaging the automobile components.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7167963

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