Your diesel truck relies on the radiator to cool off the engine coolant once it has circulated through the engine. The coolant makes its way back to the radiator where outside air and a radiator fan cool it off. This ensures the coolant isn’t hot when it circulates through the engine again. After all, hot engine coolant would overheat your diesel truck’s engine. The radiator will not last forever, unfortunately. Here are signs that you’ve got a radiator problem underneath the hood of your diesel truck.
Overheating
If the truck is overheating when you drive it, it’s possible that the radiator is clogged, leaking, or unable to cool off the coolant. The latter can be attributed to problems with the radiator fan and/or fins (air inlets), more about which we will talk below.
Leaking Coolant
One thing that will make the engine overheat is leaking engine coolant. If the radiator has rusted on the bottom, which happens in older radiators, the rust may eat through the radiator. Consequently, the coolant will leak out of the radiator through the holes.
Orange Coolant
If you see coolant on the garage floor and it has turned orange, it is most likely filled with rust. You can check your normal coolant color by looking at the coolant in the overflow reservoir. Some coolant is orange even without the rust, but the rust definitely signals a problem.
Clogged Radiator Fins
We mentioned above that the radiator uses air inlets or fins to draw in air to keep the coolant cold. It draws in the air from the outside, so the air can be filled with dirt. Unfortunately, this dirt can clog the fins and block the air from flowing into the radiator.
Damaged Radiator Fins
The radiator fins can also get damaged by road debris. This can dent them and reshape them. If they get dented in such a way that they block the airflow into the radiator, your diesel truck is going to overheat because, again, the coolant is too hot to cool off the engine.
Heater Problems
Finally, you could have a radiator problem if your diesel truck does not get warm inside when you turn on the heater. This can be a sign of radiator damage or a problem with the heater core. It’s best to have the truck looked at if there’s a heater issue.
We can do that here at our diesel auto service shop, so call us today to set up an appointment.
