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How does a radiator work in a car?
My car is in the shop right now getting the radiator replaced. I’m curious, how does a car radiator work?
Jack Walsh · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
A car’s radiator is a type of heat exchanger that cools the engine’s coolant and is a central component of the vehicle’s cooling system.
When the coolant in your car gets too hot and can’t cool the engine, a thermostat opens and the coolant flows to the radiator to be cooled. The radiator works by pumping coolant through aluminum tubes and releasing the heat to the outside air.
There is enough natural airflow through the radiator when the vehicle is moving to cool the coolant, but a fan will help pass air through the radiator if you’re idling.
The radiator is just one part of your car’s cooling system. But without a functioning radiator, your engine will overheat. To ensure your radiator and cooling system is working well, you should have it looked at as part of your
basic car maintenance schedule
.Like many aspects of car ownership, replacing a radiator is expensive. If you want to make the bill more manageable and save money on your
car insurance
, you should download Jerry
. A licensed broker that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app gathers affordable quotes from up to 50 top insurance companies, helps you switch plans, and will even help you cancel your old policy!View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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