A car overheating is a good indicator that something is wrong.
If you pair smoke coming from under the hood with the vehicle being low on coolant, the signs may be pointing to a bad radiator. This happened to a Hyundai Santa Fe, which received a new radiator on Tuesday.
After completing the Hyundai radiator replacement, a coolant fluid exchange was performed.
We could have simply topped off the coolant after replacing the radiator. However, a coolant flush comes with a couple of benefits. Not only does it help clean out the rest of the system, it also speeds up the process of moving air out.
Check out this article to learn more about coolant fluid exchanges and why they’re important.
What does a radiator do in a car? How do I know when my radiator is bad?
A car radiator is one of the components that is responsible for keeping the engine cool. If everything is working correctly, hot coolant goes into the radiator and exits at a cooler temperature.
There is no set length for a radiator’s lifespan. They typically need to be replaced when they begin to leak or get clogged.
There are a few clues that you have radiator problems. Other than the car overheating or having less coolant than it should, you may notice a coolant leak or that the color of the fluid has changed.
Different reasons why your Hyundai radiator overheating
There is a large variety of Hyundai vehicles. These include: the Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Ioniq, Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Kona, Hyundai Santa Cruz, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Veloster, and Hyundai Venue.
Different culprits could cause a Hyundai radiator overheating problem. Most likely, there is a coolant leak or some sort of issue with the cooling system.
These are some possible reasons:
- Radiator leaking from seals and the plastic end caps: A common place for a leak is the end caps. The middle of the radiator is made out of aluminum and a seal connects it with the end caps, which are plastic. Something also could have hit the radiator, and it’s leaking due to damage.
- Radiator coolant reservoir leaking: Radiator coolant reservoirs have hoses that go to them. Sometimes, the plastic cracks a little and coolant seeps out overtime. Next thing you know, you’re low on coolant.
- Thermostat problems: The thermostat could be stuck. Also, a lot of times on Hyundais the thermostat housing will have a couple of hoses going to it. There are a couple of seals where the housing bolts to the cylinder head. That is a common area where leaks occur.
- Bad water pump: As the water pump starts to go bad – due to age or mileage – coolant may start to leak out of the weep hole, which tells you the water pump seals are going bad. Sometimes, the water pump belt can break, preventing the water pump from spinning and coolant from circulating through the engine.
- Radiator fan: The fans on these vehicles are electric, and the motor can just go bad. It could even be a fuse or a control problem, such as a cooling fan sensor. This measures the temperature of the coolant and, once it reaches a certain temperature, the fan will turn on. There’s also a coolant fan resistor, an electronic component that helps keep things from burning up electrically. However, if that goes bad, the cooling fan won’t work.
- Cracked cylinder head: The cylinder head having a crack in it is a more drastic problem. This can result in exhaust gasses being pushed into the cooling system. Coolant may also be leaking into the cylinder and burning out through the engine and out of the tailpipe. Cylinder gaskets can also go bad and start to deteriorate, causing coolant to leak into the engine or exhaust gasses entering the cooling system.
- Car repair not done correctly: Drivers could have their vehicle repaired and still be experiencing an overheating problem. There is a bleed procedure, where air is bled out of the cooling system. If that isn’t done correctly, there’s still air traveling through the system and could still cause the car to overheat, even if you replaced something that was broken or leaking earlier.
Radiator repair services at HomeTowne
When it comes to radiators, you get what you paid for. Investing in a good radiator and high quality coolant can prevent engine damage and other problems in the future.
Our Woodbridge mechanics are able to perform radiator repair services and address Hyundai radiator overheating issues. In addition to replacing the radiator, we are able to remove and install new components that are associated with it and the cooling system.
If you are replacing the radiator, it’s a very good idea to change the upper and lower radiator hose, especially if you’re over a certain mileage – like about 50,000 or 60,000 miles.
HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Michelin and BFGoodrich tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.