The cooling system is a integral part of the engine and helps to achieve the following in a normal combustion engine:

• Cooling the engine block, via the radiator with internal water vanes running through the cylinder head and block.
• Cooling the engine oil to help keeps it lubricating and protective properties.
• Heating the internal passenger compartment.

The Radiator is essentially a a device which has a hot water/ coolant inlet and cold water/ coolant outlet, which then recirculate through the cooling system. The hot water is forced to travel though small vanes, as it is pushed along by the  water/ coolant pumped. These small vanes have small gaps spaced in between them, allowing air to run over the surface of the metal. As the air travels across the metal surface, it cools the hot water and reduces ambient temperatures with in the vanes. Airflow from the front of the car, when travelling at speed helps keep things cool and also accelerate this process.

The Water/ Coolant pump is responsible for the flow of liquids through the cooling system, cooled water from the radiator is circulated into the middle of the pump and the centrifugal forces and spinning fins push the water/ coolant to the outsides of the housing. There is a outlet pipe which then pumps this water to the head cylinder and engine block, to absorb the heat generated there. Water is then taken from there back to the radiator, ready to be cooled again and continue the cycle.

The pump is normally connected via a auxiliary belt to the crankshaft and operational when the engine is running. Regular inspection is needed to make sure these belts do not become damaged, on scheduled service schedules as over heating of the engine will occur if the belts snap.

The Radiator Fan is used when the vehicle is stationary and there is not enough flowing air going through the radiator through normal driving conditions. It is normally activated via the sensor in the engine and engine management system. It is a critical part of the cooling system and vital especially in traffic jams or slow moving speeds.

The thermostat is normally made from a wax pellet and it is heat sensitive, once it reaches a pre-define temperature, it will open allowing water/ coolant to enter the radiator and begin the cooling process. The thermostat will modulate during different driving conditions to make sure the engine is always in the peak operating range.

It is important when a engine first starts to quickly heat up the water/ coolant levels to firstly avoid hotspot heating in the cylinder head and engine block. Also to stop the cooling process via the radiator with the thermostat in a closed position, as the engine itself needs to reach optimum operating temperatures. Once this level is achieved then the thermostat can open and water coolant will enter the radiator.