Car Care Tips

Heating & cooling stuff
What is it and how does it work? Heat is a by-product of the internal combustion engine. The primary job of the cooling system is to keep the engine from overheating by transferring this heat to the air. Oddly, another important job of the cooling system is to allow the engine to heat up as quickly as possible, and then to keep the engine at a constant temperature. The cooling system circulates a fluid through pipes and passageways in the engine. As this liquid passes through the hot engine it absorbs heat, cooling the engine. After the liquid leaves the engine, it passes through a radiator, which transfers the heat from the fluid to the air blowing through the radiator. (For more on this heat transfer process, see the section on air conditioning.)
KEY SYSTEM COMPONENTS
	Antifreeze - Antifreeze is mixed with a precise volume of water to produce a solution that lowers the freezing point of this solution. This reduces the likelihood that the water in your closed cooling system will freeze, expand and damage the engine block and other system components. Antifreeze also raises the boiling point of water under pressure, thereby enhancing the cooling system’s ability to remove and dissipate heat. The average vehicle circulates 7,500 gallons of coolant every hour.
	Cooling Fan - If you're stuck in traffic or driving slowly you need something to "Pull" the air over the radiator. This is the reason for cooling fans. Fans are usually mounted just behind the radiator. Fans are either belt powered or electric powered.
	Radiator - The radiator is the cooling device designed to dissipate heat, which the coolant has absorbed from the engine. It is constructed to hold large amounts of coolant and forces the coolant through tubes and passages lined with fins. Radiator fins provide a large surface area to dissipate the heat through convection with the air flowing through the radiator.
	Radiator Cap & Hoses - The radiator cap is an often overlooked crucial part of the cooling process. It is designed to keep the coolant circulating under pressure. Hoses are used to connect the engine and the water pump to the radiator.
	Thermostat - The thermostat is responsible for allowing the engine to warm up to the proper operating temperature before allowing the cooling system to begin circulating coolant. The thermostat is located between the engine and the radiator and is essentially a temperature-sensitive spring valve. It stays closed during engine warm-up and then opens when the system reaches the proper operating temperature.

What could go wrong?
	There are several things that could go wrong with your heating and cooling system. The most frequent item is an imbalance in the pH of cooling system antifreeze. While some newer vehicles do not require a cooling system fluid replacement for as long as 100,000 miles, most cooling systems need antifreeze replacement much more frequently. Ethylene glycol, the primary ingredient in most antifreezes breaks down in about two years or 24,000 miles. Regularly scheduled services include a coolant system flush and fill. Flushing is the preferred method of removing coolant. Tuffy technicians will hook your vehicle’s cooling system up to a machine that forces a new mixture of water and antifreeze into one side of the system, while removing the old coolant and cleaning out the impurities and recycling the existing coolant. Other than chemical decomposition, wear and tear is the next most common component failure. You should have all belts, hoses and the radiator cap inspected during every other oil change.
How does Tuffy make it right?
	By having a Tuffy technician periodically perform a complete vehicle maintenance inspection. We’ll check all the components of your heating and cooling system to determine the problem area. Then we’ll repair or replace only the parts that need repair or replacement, using manufacturer’s guidelines.