5 Causes of Dirty Car Radiator Water and Fast Reducing
Checking out your favorite car which is used infrequently due to the Covid-19 outbreak, how come the radiator water of car is brown? Before we know the cause. Garage friends should know that the radiator is one of the components of the cooling system in the vehicle that functions to cool the performance of the car engine. We often encounter some problems with the cooling system, one of which is brownish car radiator water. Maybe Friends of Garage have complained about why when draining the water in the reservoir tube it is always brownish like there is rust from iron. Is this an indication of damage to one of the cooling system components?
Car Radiator Water is Brown:
The cause of the brownish color of the radiator water, may be caused by some rusty cooling system components. The water in the radiator circulates in the engine through the water coat. Now if the radiator, engine block or other components are rusty, it can cause brownish water. Well, then how to solve it if this has happened. The solution to dealing with brownish radiator water can be to drain the car radiator regularly. Clean the cooling system components by using a flush radiator that is widely circulated in the market. But other than that, the radiator can't be added with water carelessly, friends, because if you fill it wrong, it's not a solution, it will cause serious damage.
Other Causes of Dirty Car Radiator Water or Running Out Quickly:
In addition, there are several causes that might make the car radiator water dirty. Anything? Let's see the explanation below.
Broken Radiator Cap:
One of the causes of reduced car radiator water is because the pressure on the radiator cap has weakened. Usually this is due to damage to the rubber on the radiator cap which can make the water run out faster than usual. Because the car's radiator water cap has begun to weaken, of course it will make the water flow faster to the spare tube, even before the pressure valve opens. To overcome this, of course you have to replace the rubber radiator cap with a new one.
Leaks in Water Pump Components:
The water pump is a component that functions to pump and circulate the water in the machine. If there is damage to this component, it will cause a drastic decrease in the volume of the radiator water. Even the leakage caused by it will be very large, because the water flowing will be quite heavy. Because the leak that occurs is quite heavy, if it is not immediately repaired it will make the engine experience a hot temperature condition. Usually the damage to these components is due to the age of use that is too old and exposed to water immersion, making it porous and rusty. To overcome this, of course you have to do proper maintenance such as draining the car radiator water every two months to avoid rust deposition. In addition, use quality water so that the water pump's performance is maximized.
Leaks in the Fins of Car Radiator Components:
Leaks that occur in the radiator fins are usually not easily visible due to several things, such as dry or evaporated before the water drips. But this is one of the causes of reduced radiator water. For that, check regularly on these parts, so that if there is a leak in the car radiator tube, it can be addressed immediately.
Car Radiator Water Hose Slack:
Another cause of a drastic decrease in radiator water is usually due to the lack of tightness of the hoses attached to the car's radiator components. The gap makes it easy for water to come out of the gap between the hose and the radiator iron. Of course, to overcome this, you have to close the hose on the radiator so that there is no gap that makes a leak in the radiator.
The Car Radiator Water Drain Cover is Not Tight Enough:
If the leak still occurs after you check the points described previously, then try checking the cover on the radiator water drain at the bottom. Usually this cover is a bit less tight so the radiator water is reduced slowly.
Mineral Radiator Water, AC, or Coolant. Which One is Better?
Ground water or mineral water is often used to fill the radiator. Mineral water is indeed more practical and efficient than using radiator coolant water because the price is relatively more expensive in the market. However, are all fluids suitable for filling a car radiator?
As described on the How Stuff Works page, the radiator workflow starts from the coolant being pumped into the cylinder wall. The fluid absorbs and transfers heat out of the cylinder walls, to be cooled in the main tube of the car's radiator water reservoir. From the engine area, coolant that has been contaminated with hot air moves towards the top tube of the radiator water through the thermostat valve gap, which is the bulkhead between the engine and the radiator. The thermostat valve only opens when exposed to hot air—about 195 Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius).
Malfunctions in the thermostat that cannot open can be the cause of the overheating problem because hot liquid from the engine cannot flow to the radiator. Liquids that carry hot air have high air pressure. So the condition of the radiator cap must have a pressure safety valve so that it can withstand the push of the air pressure when the liquid has entered the top tank of the radiator. Ground water or mineral water cannot work as effectively as radiator coolant to cool the engine.
This is because the radiator coolant is specially formulated to absorb heat and prevent corrosion (rust) on the engine cylinder material. The main ingredients of the coolant are water without minerals, anti-freeze propylene glycol, and rust prevention. The content of propylene glycol makes radiator fluid have a higher boiling point, as well as a lower freezing point than ordinary water. The high boiling point makes the coolant avoid evaporation when in contact with the high temperature of the vehicle engine. The service life of a radiator coolant containing propylene glycol is about two years or 48 thousand kilometers.
