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INSPECT AND SERVICE COOLING SYSTEMS

Student name:

Institution: Acumen Institute of further education

Date:
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Questions:

1. List five personal safety precautions you should take when servicing the
cooling system of a vehicle
 When replacing the water pump or thermostat, any coolant spilled
on the floor can be very slippery. Immediately wipe up any
coolant that spills to reduce or eliminate the chance of injury.
 Always wear proper clothing and eye protection when using
coolant additives to remove silicate and calcium deposits.  They
may be very corrosive
 When working on the cooling system, remember  that at operating
temperature, the coolant is extremely hot, approximately 220 plus
degrees Fahrenheit.  Touching the coolant or spilling the coolant
on the body can cause serious injury
 When working on the cooling system and running the engine,
always keep fingers, tools, and clothing away from the moving
fan.
 Never remove the pressure cap when the engine is hot.  Removing
the pressure cap releases the pressure on the cooling system.  This
reduces the boiling point of the coolant. The coolant will then boil
violently and burn or injure a person's hands or face.
 Always dispose of used antifreeze in an approved container. 
Never pour used antifreeze down the water drain.  To dispose of
antifreeze, take it to a recycling center (if one is available) or take
it to local service garage for disposal. 
2. List 3 precautions to be taken while working on the following components
of cooling system:
a) Hot pressured cooling system,
 Do not remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot and running.

 Be aware of the rotating components before topping up the coolant.

 Adhere to safe work practices and wear protective clothing and eyewear.
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 Follow the manufacturer manual to understand the safe specifications. To work on the
coolant system.

b) Engine rotating components Radiator fan, belts, pulleys, and while

handling coolant additives
 Make sure the engine is switched off before working on the rotating components of the
system.

 Place the hands away from the moving drive belts as the belt can pull the fingers into the
pulleys

 Make sure all the tools are clean, dry and in good working condition.

 Fan with a crack and bent blade is extremely dangerous as broken blades can be thrown
out with great force, causing severe lacerations or deaths.

3. What are the environmental requirements for trapping, storing and

disposing of fluids released from cooling systems?

4. What is the function of Antifreeze and how does it work? Describe 3 types
of antifreeze. (In about 130 words).

Antifreeze is a liquid that is added to the water in an engine's cooling system in order to
lower the freezing point. This means that the water will not freeze under normal cold
weather conditions. If that water did freeze you'd be in a spot of bother there - it'd cause
some serious damage to the radiator and other components, which would cost an arm and
a leg to fix.

As well as preventing water from freezing up, antifreeze raises the boiling point of engine
coolant to prevent overheating. The stuff also protects your engine from corrosion, aids
heat transfer, and prevents scale from building up internally.

5. Describe the function of a liquid cooling system in a vehicle (in about 50

words).
The cooling system serves three important functions. First, it removes excess
heat from the engine; second, it maintains the engine operating temperature
where it works most efficiently; and finally, it brings the engine up to the right
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operating temperature as quickly as possible.

6. Complete the following sentences that describe the basic operation of a
liquid cooling system, using the correct words given in the box below.
A liquid cooling system works by sending a coolant through passage in
the engine.
As it flows through these passages, it becomes heated from the engine.
The hot liquid then makes its way through rubber hose to the radiator in
the front of a car.
As it flows through the thin tubes in the radiator, the hot liquid is cooled
by the air stream entering the engine compartment from the grill in front
of the car.
Once it is cooled, it returns to the engine to absorb more heat. The water
pump does the job of keeping the fluid moving through this system.
Engine compartment, engine block and heads, coolant, heated
coolant, water pump, radiator, a rubber hose, hat, hot liquid, engine,
air stream
7. Describe the function of the below listed cooling system components in
about 30-50 words each.
Water jackets
They are casing (that contains water) that runs in an d around the cylinder head
and block. They are used to cool the heat generating engine components (valve
seats and guides.)
Water pumps
The water pump is generally located in front of an engine block and is designed
to circulate the coolant in the cooling system. The construction of the water
pump is simple. It has a cast alloy housing mounted with a bearing and an
impeller. A seal is fitted between the housing and impeller shaft to prevent
coolant leakage. A gasket is placed in between the engine block and the water
pump housing. The water pump is driven by a drive belt connected to the
crankshaft.
Drive belts

The drive belts are used to connect the cooling fans with crankshaft pulley to drive the cooling
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fan. There are three main types of drive belts

Temperature indicators
Most vehicles are equipped with a heat sensor for the engine operating
temperature indicator light. If the warning light comes on during driving, then
the coolant temperature is about 250°F to 258°F (120°C to126°C), which is still
below the boiling point of the coolant.
Hoses
Rubber hoses are used to connect the radiator to the engine and the water pump
to flow the coolant between the radiator and engine. There are different types of
the radiator hoses based in the application: straight hose, shaped hose and the
accordion type of radiator hose.
Care plugs
The small plugs used to seal the casting holes in the engine block and cylinder.
They expand as they are driven into the place and make a tight seal. They are
designed to hold the pressure build in the cooling system.
8. What is the importance of a thermostat in a cooling system? Briefly
describe any types of thermostats (about 100-150 words).
Thermostat is a temperature sensitive spring valve that automatically opens, and closes based
on the coolant temperature.
Single valve thermostats: It contains a wax pallet container. A spring holds the valve closed
when the engine is cold. When the temperature rises, the wax expands, and the diaphragm moves
the wax pallet container downwards, thus opening the valve.

Bypass thermostats: It contains a primary and a secondary valve. When the engine is cold, the
primary valve is closed, and the secondary valve is open for the coolant to bypass the radiator and
return to engine. When the temperature rises, the primary valve opens and secondary valve
closes, and thus blocks off the bypass and the coolant are directed to the radiator.
9. Explain the relation between a pressure cap and a reserve tank (in about
50 words}
A radiator pressure cap is designed to maintain pressure in the cooling system at a certain
maximum pressure. If the cooling system exceeds that pressure, a valve in the cap opens to bleed
the excessive pressure into the reserve tank.

10. Describe the construction and working of a Radiator and two types of a
radiator (in about 100-150 words)
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11. What is the function of pressure valve and vacuum valve in a Radiator
cap? (Explain in about 50-70 words).

12. Explain the function of a heater valve inside a radiator (in about 60
words).

13. Briefly describe the role of heat exchanges in a cooling system (20-40
words).

14. Briefly describe the function and basic operation of mechanical, electric
and hydraulic fans in about 80-100 words each.
Mechanical radiator fans

Electric radiator fans

Hydraulic radiator fans

15. Describe the procedure for coolant replacement (in about 75 words).

16. Describe the procedure to flush out the coolant from the cooling system in
about 70-80 words

17. How is bleeding performed in a cooling system? (About 70-100 words).

18. What is transient voltage test and how is it performed? Describe in about
70-100 words

19. Describe the procedure to test the pressure in the cooling systems (in
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about 70-100 words).

20. Write down the inspection procedures for the below mentioned cooling
components.
Coolant

Radiator

Drive belts

Cooling fans

Thermostat

Hoses

Water pump

21. Describe the operation of the following air cooling system components (in
about 10-20 words each).
Fins

Cowling

Fans or blowers

22. Explain the function of an air-cooling system (in about 40-60 words).

23. What is a keel cooler? (Explain in about 30-50 words).

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24. What is the purpose of sacrificial anode? (about 20-40 words).

25. What is basic principle behind the raw water-cooling system? Explain on
50-70 words.

26. Describe the final checks that should be performed on the cooling system
components after the completion of service? (at least 6 checks)

27. Explain the procedures for testing the coolant concentration using a
hydrometer (40-50 words).

28. Calculate the amount of coolant and water required for this vehicle.
a) The manufacturer has stated that the amount of coolant should be
added in the ratio 2:3. The vehicle’s cooling system has a capacity of
10L.

b) The manufacturer’s coolant specification is 60% and the vehicle’s

cooling system capacity is 8L