Another factor that could cause engine overheating problem would be Coolant Leaks. As a result of a leak, pockets of air/steam within the system do not transfer heat as thoroughly as coolant and result in a reduced cooling system capacity.
Coolant Leak Problems can be summarised as below:
- As the Water Pump Shaft Seals, the shaft seal become worn out and allowing leakage.
- Coolant Hose may fail as a result of age oil contamination, over-pressure, or incorrect installation and removal techniques.
- Radiator, Heater Core Leaks which are particularly fragile components may fail from corrosion or loose water box seals but are often damaged by accident or mistakes.
- Head Gasket Failures which will not only result in a loss of coolant but may also result in heat from the piston exhaust stroke being injected directly into the cooling system. This may result in extremely rapid overheating conditions.
- Internal Failures such as cracked cylinder heads, cracked blocks. These leaks also result in engine oil contamination which may result in severe engine damage.
Insufficient Cooling Capacity results when the heat removal requirements of the vehicle exceed the design capacity of the system.
System Capacity Problems are as below:
- Retarded Ignition Timing produces higher cylinder temperatures, resulting in increased heat removal requirements.
- Add-on Coolers such as Turbo intercoolers, Transmission Coolers, Oil Coolers heats the incoming air before it passes through the radiator and reduces the total amount of air flow through the radiator.
- During periods of extreme engine load such as climbing hills or towing along with high temperatures, use of the Air Cond may exceed the capacity of the cooling system. The Air Cond system actually places two additional loads on the cooling system. Air Cond heat removal in the condenser preheats incoming air before it reaches the radiator. When compressor is operating, engine load increased.
