Summer time means a lot of driving around in hot weather of varying degrees. Be it a trip to the beach, a trip across town or the long haul to another state, you’re going to be going places. The last thing you need whilst out on the road is an overheated engine and a group of frustrated, sweaty friends staring at you wondering what went wrong, right? So don’t let that happen!

From us here at your New Jersey Toyota dealership to you, we want this summer to be a lot of fun. So familiarize yourself with these common symptoms of a cooling system that’s going bad and you’ll be all set! Be on the lookout for things like an engine that’s constantly running a little warmer than normal, any leaks, the generally sweet smell of antifreeze or if you find yourself constantly adding coolant to the engine.

What Makes It So Important?

The cooling system in your vehicle essentially removes as much heat as possible from the engine during the combustion process. While your engine can reach well over 200 degrees during that process, your cooling system takes a portion of that away so other portions of your engine don’t fail. How exactly does this work?

• The key pieces of your cooling system take the heat and move a good portion of it to the outside of the air, allowing it to dissipate and not become an issue for your mechanical parts.
• The water pump portion of your cooling system circulates coolant through the engine, cooling it down.
• The coolant then runs to the radiator with all the heat trapped inside and spreads it out over enough of an area where it can get rid of it easily.

Checking the cooling system on your Toyota before driving around New Jersey is easy too! Make sure your coolant is topped off, though make sure to never, ever open a hot radiator cap, and visually inspect the system for any wear and tear, such as bulging hoses or frayed and cracked belts.

If you’re concerned about your cooling system, contact us to bring your Toyota in for service!