Your vehicle’s radiator helps keep your engine cool. Overheated engines can lead to numerous problems, including eventual breakdowns. Your vehicle’ radiator sits at the front of the engine bay; it’s made up of slim, hollow channels that run between the inlet and outlet tanks. Coolant pumps through tubes to the engine, where it is warmed. Once the coolant reaches the engine, it goes to the radiator, which is constructed to cool the flowing liquid using the air passing the radiator. The cooled liquid cycles back through the engine, where it absorbs more heat. This cycle allows the engine to keep working at ideal temperatures.

If your vehicle overheats, you may need to have your radiator serviced or replaced. An elevated temperature gauge is another sign that your radiator might be malfunctioning. Puddles of green, yellow or orange coolant under your car could indicate that there is a radiator leak, which could be caused by corrosion.