Your semi-truck's engine works hard to haul your heavy truck and trailer, particularly if you drive your truck all day long. The primary reason why your engine does not overheat after all of this use is because of your radiator. Basically, your radiator is designed to move heat away from your engine to help keep it cool, even when you're on the road for hours at a time. If you own and/or operate a semi-truck, then you should know about the radiator and any potential issues that can happen with it. These are some of the things you'll probably want to know.
The Radiator Is a Very Important Part
First of all, you should not underestimate the importance of your radiator. As mentioned above, it does the important job of keeping your semi-truck's engine cool. The truth is that without a radiator, your truck's engine could overheat in mere minutes. Obviously, this can cause expensive damage to one of the most expensive—and important—components of your semi-truck.
There Are a Variety of Different Radiator Issues That Can Happen
Many people don't realize that there are a variety of different radiator-related issues that can happen with a semi-truck. For example, of course, the radiator itself can become damaged and/or worn out. The hoses that lead to and from the radiator can become cracked or broken, particularly over time. The water pump that works in conjunction with your radiator could be faulty and could stop pumping water like it's supposed to, or the thermostat could stop working properly. It can sometimes be challenging to diagnose these issues, but if you tell a professional that you think you're having a radiator-related problem with your truck, the technician should be able to find the problem for you.
Radiator Issues Should Be Addressed Immediately
Because of the fact that your truck can overheat very quickly without a properly functioning radiator and system, you should make sure that you address any radiator-related problems as quickly as possible. Discontinue use of your truck immediately if it begins overheating or if you are told that your radiator is not functioning as it should, and make sure that your semi-truck is fully repaired before you put it back on the road.
Keeping all of these things in mind when operating a semi-truck is important. Then, you can be prepared to deal with any radiator-related issues that might arise.
Contact a truck repair shop to learn more.