The cooling system in your Mazda helps make sure your essential car parts, such as the engine, are working at ideal temperatures at all times. Your Mazda’s components usually generate a lot of heat when they’re operating, and their operating temperature needs to be within a specific range to make sure the parts last as long as they should and perform ideally.

Radiators, also known as heat exchangers, are one of the parts in the cooling system that help in maintaining the engine’s temperature. If you’re on the market for a brand new radiator, there are a couple of things you need to get familiar with before you make a buying decision.

As with huge range of Mazda car spares, there are different types of radiators, and you should get familiar with their basic workings, the problems that may occur and the symptoms to look out for that will notify you that your radiator needs servicing or replacing. But first, let’s talk about where the radiator is located so that you can inspect it and check its state. The radiator is located in front of your Mazda’s engine bay. It’s held in place with the help of a core support that’s attached to the Mazda’s frame. Radiators feature rubber bushings and brackets at the bottom and top, respectively, to keep it secured in place.

Workings of a Radiator

The coolant is what brings down your Mazda engine’s temperature. The coolant from the water pump circulates around the engine cylinder, where it picks up the heat and takes it to the upper radiator hose and straight to the radiator. The radiator is comprised of a series of tubes through which the coolant carrying the heat flows.

As the cooling fan blows cold air into the radiator, the radiator fins absorb the heat and release it into the air. The coolant now goes to the water pump through the lower radiator hose and the cooling cycle is repeated.

The radiator has an inlet and outlet where tanks are attached and collect the coolant. There’s also a transmission cooler mounted inside the tank that helps in taking away the heat from the coolant. Oftentimes, there are also turbulators included in the radiator tubes that induce a turbulence effect, resulting in better cooling of the coolant.

Older radiators were made of copper and brass, whereas newer radiators are made of plastic or aluminium. Aluminium and plastic radiators weigh significantly less than copper and brass radiators. 

Radiator Types

here are two basic types of radiators – crossflow and downflow. Crossflow radiators feature a tank on the right and the left sides of the radiator tubes. The water pump assists in moving the coolant across the tubes. These radiators are widely used today due to their sleek design.

Downflow radiators, on the other hand, have their tanks located at the bottom and top of the tubes instead. As a result, they’re usually longer and take up more space. If your Mazda has a crossflow radiator, you should look for the same kind of radiator in Mazda car spares store, as changing the radiator type will require extra adjustments and modifications to be made during installation.

Additionally, you should check the condition of the associated parts, such as the radiator cap and radiator hoses. The radiator cap plays a crucial role as a pressure and vacuum relief valve that lets the coolant be drawn from the tank into the radiator to ensure the coolant is at optimal levels.

Symptoms of a Bad Radiator

A faulty radiator won’t cool the coolant down properly, which will result in engine overheating. Cracks or breaks in the hoses or other radiator parts can result in leaking coolant. Coolant leaks will also result in low coolant levels in the reservoir. The colour of the coolant is also a noticeable symptom of a faulty radiator. The normal coolant colour is either green or yellow, while impure coolant is coloured similarly to oil or rust.

Common Radiator Problems

The coolant flowing through the engine can carry impurities, which can lead to the radiator tubes getting clogged. The tubes can also become blocked as a result of rust build-up. If the radiator is exposed to a lot of pressure, the hoses or tanks can develop holes or cracks. Low quality plastic radiators can get melted by the hot coolant, resulting in complete failure of the radiator. Additionally, the radiator can get damaged from external debris like rocks or other hard objects. Other possible causes of failure are damaged radiator caps and broken fins.

How to Maintain Your Radiator?

You should change the coolant on a regular basis to ensure your radiator doesn’t fail prematurely. How often you need to change the coolant is specified in the owner’s manual. You should also regularly inspect the radiator hoses and other parts of the cooling systems, and clean the dust inside the radiator.