Save your engine
By H. Kishie singh

LAST time we discussed the importance of keeping the car cool. This is imperative for the longevity and good performance of the car engine. The radiator, condenser and heat exchanger must function perfectly. To ensure this is a simple matter — just keep the equipment clean. This can be done easily by blowing compressed air through the rear of the radiator. This way the muck exits the way it entered. By blowing air or spraying water through the front end, you are likely to jam the debris into the fins. This blocks some of the openings and adversely affects the cooling ability of the heat exchanger.

It should not come as a surprise that your car is the end result of long and arduous hours of research and development. The manufacturer knows at what temperature the engine operates, how hot it gets. He knows what is required to keep it cool. The size of the radiator and its cooling capacity is carefully matched. The radiator grill is designed to allow just the right amount of air into the engine compartment or the engine-well. A fan force feeds the air into the engine well. The forward movement of the car going at a speed also forces the air into the

The accompanying photograph is a classic example of how not to handle your vehicle. Most drivers of buses and trucks remove the front grills of their vehicles. These drivers assume they know more than the manufacturer. This is a sure-shot way to damage the radiator and reduce the cooling ability.

During a night drive, you may have noticed the windscreen gets splattered with bugs and other small insects. They get attracted to the bright lights and end up plastering the windscreen.

As many insects, if not more, fly into the radiator. A close examination of which shows it is neatly placed in between the headlights. The photo shows the radiator cap missing, which is another sure way to allow the water to boil and flow over, thus emptying the radiator. With no water in the radiator, you do not have the basic ingredient for cooling. In such a case, it is but natural that the engine will overheat. In due course of time, thousands of dead insects will be jammed into the small holes, whose function is to let air flow through them.

In the rainy season a strong spray of water and mud is sometimes thrown into the radiator. You must have experienced following a truck on the highway. The wipers keep the windscreen clean, but the radiator has no protection. The water will eventually drain off and leave the mud behind. This will further clog the fins of the radiator, making it even more ineffective. And this causes the engine to heat up. The next move by these know-all vehicle owners is to throw water by the bucketful every time the bus stops. This leads to further deterioration of the cooling system.

Removal of the grill also leaves the radiator open to flying stones and other unfriendly objects. A hole in the radiator can bring the vehicle to a halt.

So the formula for overheating your engine is very simple. Remove the grill protecting the radiator, remove the radiator cap and simply wait for the inevitable — an overheated engine.

Happy motoring!