Cooling Even In The Winter

During cold months, your cooling system works harder compared to other times of the year. Vehicles with internal combustion engines are prone to overheating in extremely cold weather. Your engine produces heat from two things, combustion and friction. Friction forms when the internal components of your engine are moving very fast against each other, while combustion is produced from air and fuel compression to produce energy. When this happens, the temperatures in your vehicle can reach levels beyond what the engine can handle. Your cooling system is a vital part of your engine’s operating system that works to regulate the temperatures, especially during extremely cold weather.

Why Would My Engine Overheat During Winter?

Overheating is quite common during winter without proper precaution, and it’s often due to a fault in the cooling system. One of the most common faults in your cooling system is a blocked thermostat or coolant leak. Your vehicle’s coolant passes through the engine’s coolant passages, as it passes, the heat produced by combustion and friction in the engine transfers to the coolant. The coolant then runs to the radiator, where heat levels reduce through contact with air passing through your vehicle’s radiator.

When there is a leak in the cooling system, this process is disrupted since the coolant level becomes very low, and the coolant no longer passes through the engine coolant passages. Instead, air passes and is incapable of transferring the heat to your vehicle’s radiator. The engine will accumulate heat, forcing it to overheat in the process. A faulty thermostat, on the other hand, will disrupt the flow of coolant as well, resulting in an overheating engine.

How Can AAMCO Help Winterize Your Cooling System?

Ideally, this is the right time to have your cooling system inspected and maintained from a professional auto repair service. At AAMCO Colorado, our qualified mechanics will inspect all the components, flush your coolant as needed, and get your system fully winterized before the coldest part of the season arrives.