6 Signs Your Chevy Needs a Radiator Repair

An overheating engine is one of the most common causes of breakdowns. With this in mind, it’s important to properly maintain your car’s cooling system, including the most important part: the radiator. If you experience any of the following six issues while out on the road, you might need radiator repair. Visit your nearest Chevy dealership to have a technician inspect your car and get it back in good shape.

Steam From Under the Hood

A failing radiator will stop cooling and circulating antifreeze to keep your engine from overheating. And we all know from the movies that an overheating car engine lets off billows of white steam when you raise the hood. Well, this isn’t entirely an exaggeration.

The ordinary temperature of an active car engine is 195 to 220 degrees. The boiling point of most antifreeze is 223 degrees, which isn’t much higher. So when an engine starts to overheat, the antifreeze will rapidly start turning to steam, escaping the radiator, and seeping out from under your hood.

Ticking Sounds From the Engine

The next sign of an overheating engine is likely to be ticking or knocking sounds coming from the front of your car. These noises are mostly created by moving parts rubbing and bumping against each other with excess friction.

Diminished Engine Power

An overheating engine will stop functioning as well as it should, causing a loss of acceleration. If you don’t pull over quickly to allow it to cool, the engine will eventually blow a gasket or seize up irreparably.

Rising Temperature Gauge 

Always keep an eye on the many useful dials on your Chevy’s dashboard. The engine temperature gauge will rapidly rise when you have a faulty radiator. If you see it rising above 220 degrees, you can be fairly sure something in your cooling system is malfunctioning.\

Leaking Antifreeze

The radiator cap and hoses can sometimes spring a leak if they’re corroded or damaged by a stone or debris. Antifreeze is an easily noticeable, brightly colored fluid. If you’re in doubt, place some newspaper or cardboard under your car when you park and check it later for stains from dripping antifreeze.

Excessive Rust on the Radiator

Radiators can occasionally gather rust, especially in colder climates. It’s a good idea to check your radiator for rust every now and then and clean any spots away with white vinegar or anti-rust products.

Antifreeze has effective anti-rust properties, but aging antifreeze can sometimes fail to prevent rust inside the radiator. If this happens, your antifreeze will change to a rusty brown color. You’ll need to have it flushed out and refreshed.

How Your Chevy Dealer Inspects Your Radiator

Firstly, a technician will check that your antifreeze is adequately clean, fresh, and at good levels. They’ll scour your cooling system from top to bottom, looking for signs of leaks, rust, or corrosion.

They’ll then run a series of pressure tests on your radiator, checking the thermostat, radiator cap, fan, and more. And any problems they find, they’ll promptly repair.

Have your radiator fixed today at Bob Stephen Motors. We have a great inventory of new and used GMC and Chevrolet vehicles and courteous, knowledgeable staff to help you choose.

Tags: Chevrolet, Chevy mechanic, radiator repair
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