-How the cooling system works:

-Internal combustion engines generate a lot of heat due to the constant burning of fuel inside the engine, without a system to dissipate this heat, the engine would overheat and eventually stop running, the system in charge of removing heat from the engine is the cooling system
 
It is composed of a radiator, cooling fan(s), cooling fan clutch, radiator hoses, water pump, thermostat, and all the passages inside the engine where the water travels absorbing the heat.
 This passages inside the engine are filled with a mix of water and antifreeze ( coolant), as the engine gets hot, the temperature of the water increases, the thermostat is a device designed to maintain the water temperature constant ( normally 195 degrees) this is to allow the engine to perform better and increase fuel economy, when the temperature reaches 195 degrees, the thermostat opens and allows the coolant to travel to the radiator


 
The part that creates the pressure for the water to circulate is the water pump, the water pump is a part that normally is bolted to the engine block, it is driven by the engine by a belt, it can be a "v" belt, or a serpentine belt connecting the crankshaft pulley to the water pump, or by a timing belt, a timing belt is attached to the crankshaft and the camshaft(s), most small engines use this configuration, in either case , the water pump spins, and the propeller on the back of the water pump forces the water to circulate
 
As the water  exits the hot engine through the upper radiator hose, it enters the radiator, the radiator is a heat exchanger, it is here where the water cools down as it passes through the small passages of the radiator, at the other end of the radiator, there is another radiator hose, it is through this hose that the cooler water enters the engine, allowing it to maintain its normal temperature. 



If for some reason the radiator can't keep the water cool, the computer will send a signal to the cooling fan relay, this signal will make the relay send power to the cooling fan(s), to speed the cooling of the water by forcing air through the radiator.
 
NOTE: Some engines still use the older style  cooling fan/fan clutch st up, in this design the cooling fan turns all the time, because it is bolted to the water pump, the speed of the fan is controlled by the fan clutch, this clutch has a spring that as it gets hot from the heat of the radiator it allows the shaft to turn allowing the silicone fluid from the reservoir to enter the working chamber, as the fluid enters this chamber,   the fan clutch  begins to operate, causing the cooling fan to  turn at higher speeds, this allows more air to pass through the radiator, for more information about the cooling fan clutch operation, visit our page FAN CLUTCH .