What Does a Car Radiator Do? (Car Radiator Explained)
Updated: Jan 14
The car radiator is a crucial component of the vehicle's cooling system. It is responsible for dissipating heat from the engine, thereby preventing it from overheating.
The purpose of a car radiator is to remove heat from the hot coolant circulating within the coolant system by transferring it to the ambient air. This is done by pumping the coolant through tubes and fins (the radiator), which dissipate the heat to the outside air.
In this article, we will delve into the details of what a car radiator does and understand how they work.
Table of Contents:
What Is a Radiator?
A radiator is a heat exchanger designed to transfer heat from the hot coolant that flows through it to the air blown through it by the fan or by the vehicle's movement. The combustion process produces the hot coolant in the engine block.
If this heat is not dissipated, it can cause the engine to overheat and malfunction.
The radiator is made up of tubes through which the coolant flows and fins that dissipate heat to the surrounding air.