During the hot summer days, the road surface temperature approaches 50°C. The most terrifying problem when driving on the road is not a flat tire or a lack of battery, but a boiling engine.
A few days ago, a car friend around me was stuck in a traffic jam in the city with the air conditioner turned on for half an hour. The water temperature gauge on the dashboard went straight to red, white smoke came out of the hood, and the water tank completely boiled. I took the trailer to a repair shop and found out that the engine cylinder was pulled and the cylinder gasket was blown out. The overhaul cost nearly 20,000 yuan. The reason is that you didn't pay attention to the status of the water tank on hot days. A small oversight led to big losses. This thing sounds like a joke, but whoever it happens to will have to cry and take out their wallet.
Many car owners think that the water tank is just for water and they don't need to take care of it. This is the most fatal misunderstanding. The water tank is the core cooling system of the engine, equivalent to the "cooling heart" of your car. The coolant circulates between the water tank and the engine block, taking away high-temperature heat to ensure that the engine operates at normal temperature. Once the heat dissipation of the water tank fails and the coolant is insufficient, the engine temperature suddenly explodes, and a "boiling" phenomenon will occur, ranging from breaking down halfway to directly scrapping the engine. When driving in high temperatures, the water tank is definitely a lifeline that cannot be ignored.
Let me tell you first how terrible it is to boil the water tank on a hot day. The normal operating temperature of the engine is around 90°C. When the pot is turned on, the temperature will soar to more than 120°C. At this time, the metal cylinder body will expand and deform due to thermal expansion, the engine oil will be burned out and lose lubrication, and the piston and cyli
During the hot summer days, the road surface temperature approaches 50°C. The most terrifying problem when driving on the road is not a flat tire or a lack of battery, but a boiling engine.
A few days ago, a car friend around me was stuck in a traffic jam in the city with the air conditioner turned on for half an hour. The water temperature gauge on the dashboard went straight to red, white smoke came out of the hood, and the water tank completely boiled. I took the trailer to a repair shop and found out that the engine cylinder was pulled and the cylinder gasket was blown out. The overhaul cost nearly 20,000 yuan. The reason is that you didn't pay attention to the status of the water tank on hot days. A small oversight led to big losses. This thing sounds like a joke, but whoever it happens to will have to cry and take out their wallet.
Many car owners think that the water tank is just for water and they don't need to take care of it. This is the most fatal misunderstanding. The water tank is the core cooling system of the engine, equivalent to the "cooling heart" of your car. The coolant circulates between the water tank and the engine block, taking away high-temperature heat to ensure that the engine operates at normal temperature. Once the heat dissipation of the water tank fails and the coolant is insufficient, the engine temperature suddenly explodes, and a "boiling" phenomenon will occur, ranging from breaking down halfway to directly scrapping the engine. When driving in high temperatures, the water tank is definitely a lifeline that cannot be ignored.
Let me tell you first how terrible it is to boil the water tank on a hot day. The normal operating temperature of the engine is around 90°C. When the pot is turned on, the temperature will soar to more than 120°C. At this time, the metal cylinder body will expand and deform due to thermal expansion, the engine oil will be burned out and lose lubrication, and the piston and cylinder wall will be directly hard ground, causing cylinder pull and cylinder sticking. What's even worse is that the cylinder gasket was damaged by the high temperature, coolant leaked into the cylinder, and the entire power system was directly paralyzed. This kind of damage is irreversible. The repair shop cannot repair it and can only replace the core components. A casual repair will cost several thousand. In serious cases, the engine will be replaced directly. The cost is equivalent to half the price of a car. Ordinary families simply cannot afford it. This isn't repairing a car, it's like performing "liposuction" on your wallet.
If you want to avoid boiling the pot at high temperatures, the first step is to check the coolant before setting off. Never use tap water instead. This is a pitfall that 90% of car owners have stepped on. They feel that the temperature is high in summer and it will save money to replace the antifreeze with tap water. Little did they know that the boiling point of tap water is only 100°C, and the hot road surface will boil in minutes. Moreover, there are impurities in the water, which will block the water tank pipes, corrode metal parts, and speed up the boiling process. The boiling point of the original coolant (antifreeze) is above 120°C, and it can also prevent corrosion and scale. Coolant should be used all year round, and tap water must not be replaced in summer.
The inspection is also very simple. Open the hood and find the white coolant reservoir. The liquid level must be between the MIN and MAX marks. If it is lower than the lower limit, replenish the coolant of the same type and color in time. Note that different colors of coolant have different chemical compositions. Mixing them together will cause precipitation, clog the water tank, and completely destroy the cooling system. This is like drinking coffee without adding soy sauce. It will look like liquid, and mixing it together will ruin your stomach.
The second step is to clean the heat sink of the water tank and don't let mosquitoes and catkins block the "cooling pores". When the car is running, the heat sink in front of the water tank will absorb a large amount of mosquitoes, catkins, dust, and mud, and wrap it up layer by layer, just like covering the water tank with a quilt. The heat cannot escape, and the pot will boil in minutes on high temperatures. Many cars either run out of coolant or the radiator is blocked. Netizens joked: "My car is not too hot, but suffocated by mosquitoes." Although this is funny, it is not harsh.
You don’t need to go to a repair shop to clean, you can do it at home: use a soft brush to gently sweep away surface debris, or use a low-pressure air gun to blow from the inside out. Never use a high-pressure water gun to directly hit the heat sink. The heat sink is thin and brittle. The high-pressure water will bend the heat sink fins and completely lose the heat dissipation ability. If you spend two minutes cleaning up before running a long distance, you can avoid most of the risks of boiling the pot.
The third step is to keep an eye on the water temperature gauge while driving. Don’t wait for smoke to react. When driving on a hot day, take a look at the water temperature gauge on the dashboard every ten minutes. The normal pointer is in the middle position. Once it shifts to the red area, it is a sign of boiling. Immediately find a safe area to stop and check. Especially when idling in a traffic jam and turning on the air conditioner, the engine dissipates the worst heat and the water temperature is most likely to rise. At this time, you can occasionally turn off the air conditioner, open the windows for ventilation, or run it at idle speed for a while to let the water tank dissipate heat. Do not leave the air conditioner on for a long time. After all, if you can tolerate the heat of people, you will really dare to "go on strike" when the engine is too hot.
There is another key detail: Don’t run at high speeds for a long time on hot days. When running at high speed, the engine continues to operate at high load, and the heat dissipation pressure of the water tank increases dramatically. If the vehicle speed is too fast and the rotation speed is too high, the water temperature will continue to rise. Try to maintain an economical speed, do not race or overtake for a long time, and give the water tank enough time to dissipate heat. If you are happy, the engine may cry.
The most important thing is the emergency treatment after opening the pot. If you make a wrong step, you will directly damage the engine. Many car owners are so frightened that they immediately turn off the engine when they see the water temperature rising and white smoke coming out. This is a big mistake! Immediate flameout will cause the coolant to stop circulating, the fan will stop, and the engine heat will not be dissipated, aggravating cylinder damage. The correct approach is: pull over immediately, turn on the double flashers, keep the engine idling, and open the hood to allow the heat to dissipate naturally. Wait for the water temperature gauge to drop back to the normal range, then turn off the flame and check.
Remember: Never open the water tank cover when the car is hot! There is high-temperature and high-pressure steam in the water tank. If you forcefully open the lid, it will instantly spray and burn your skin, with disastrous consequences. Do not add cold water to the hot water tank. Thermal expansion and contraction will cause the engine block to explode directly. This is an irreversible fatal damage. At this time, "warm-hearted" often turns into "cruel-hearted".
Finally, I would like to remind everyone that the water tank is not a maintenance-free part. The coolant must be replaced every 2-3 years, and the water tank pipelines must be regularly checked for leaks and water pipes for aging and cracking. If the coolant leaks out, it only takes a matter of minutes to open the pot. A seemingly inconspicuous little check-up can be the key to saving lives and saving money in hot weather.
When driving in high temperatures, don’t be afraid of anything but the worst. The water tank is the engine’s life-saving line of defense. Don’t regret it after the boiler boils. By spending two minutes checking the coolant and cleaning the radiator, you can avoid the pitfalls of engine overhaul. Safe travel is more important than anything else.
After all, cars are just like people. Only if you care about it will it be devoted to you. In this season when even asphalt roads can fry eggs, are you willing to spend two minutes to "cool down" your car, or are you ready to listen to the master in the repair shop give you a "mechanical principle lesson" worth 20,000?
