Radiator Diagram

A Brief Introduction to Radiators on Vehicles

When your radiator fails, your car will overheat, leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere or, worse, with a completely destroyed engine, causing you costly repair bills! But why do you need a radiator on your car, how does it differ from the one in your home, and how does it work?

Unlike the radiators in your home, the radiator in your car is part of the overall cooling system; when an engine is operating, it has the ability to get very hot, and your cooling system regulates that heat to make sure any excess heat doesn’t cause issues or breakages to your engine. The radiator’s primary focus is to act as a heat exchanger, transferring the heat from the engine bay to the cooler air outside; coolant pulses throughout the radiator and the engine block, (like the veins in your body) to absorb excess engine heat. When the coolant returns to the radiator after being heated up, the radiator’s tubes and fins help expose more of the coolant to the surrounding air. After passing through the radiator, the coolant recirculates back to the engine.

Radiator Diagram Key:

1, 6, 9 & 14 – Mounting Pin
2 – Inlet Pipe (Upper Hose from Engine)
3 – Inlet Tank
4 – Radiator Cap & Filler Neck
5- Hose to Expansion
7 – Core
8 – Core Rail
10 & 11 – Transmission Oil Cooler Fitting
12 – Outlet Pipe (Lower Hose to Engine)
13 – Outlet Tank