On The Road To A Breakdown ??? ( part 3 of series)

One of the most abused parts on a cars engine is your belt or belts.

Depending on how and where you drive,effects the life and performance of your belts.

Worn parts such as pulley's or pulley misalignment along with heat and adverse weather conditions can cause premature belt
failure.

In the old days you could lose a belt (v-belt) and still make it to the nearest gas station. Not now day's.

Most cars only have one belt(serpentine belt) that runs all of you engines external

components, (air conditioning, power steering, water pump, alternator, cooling fans) .

Lose that belt and presto your on the side of the road, waiting for a tow truck.

There are several ways you can prevent such a problem. And that's by checking your belts on a regular basis.

Looking for signs of wear and fatigue are easy.

(Below are a few sure signs of problems.)

Also you can hear a belts symptoms.

Listen for any chirps, squeal's, or maybe even a rumble noticed especially upon starting your car in the mornings.

"Remember it's easier to open your hood at home than on the side of the road at 12 at night, on a deserted road in the middle of nowhere!"

On The Road to A Breakdown ??? (part 2 of series)

Your car's radiator serves an essential part of your vehicles cooling system. It is designed to dissipate heat from your engine , which in turns reduce friction on the internal parts of your engine. Which helps keep your oil from breaking down and thus protecting your engine from breakdowns. As Your engine ages metal and debris can get trapped in the radiators causing it to cool less efficiently.

There are several components that are actually part of your radiator...







Inlet Tank: This is the area of the radiator ( usually at the top of the radiator) where the hot water/coolant from your engine enters the radiator for cooling in the radiator.

Outlet Tank: The area(Usually at the bottom of your radiator) where the coolant is sent after being cooled by the radiator coils.
Inlet/Outlet Connections: The short tubes where the radiator hose connects to the radiator.

Core: The area where the liquid gets cooled. It is composed of metal tubes and many zig-zag shaped fins. The coolant passes through the tubes, and the heat from the liquid passes to the fins and then is dissipated into the air.

Cooling Tubes: The 'pipes' that send the coolant through the radiator. Generally, more tubes indicate more cooling capacity.

Transmission/Engine Oil Coolers: These are devices that are constructed inside the tanks of the radiator to transfer heat from transmission oil/engine oil to the liquid coolant for heat dissipation.

below is a pic of damage to the inside of a radiator.

Not all radiator problems are internal, some are caused by
road debris and the climate or area in which you live.
below shows a couple of radiators damaged from deterioration and foreign objects...