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Cooling Tune-Up Procedures - All Jeep® vehicles
- Flush dirt, bugs and leaves from front of radiator with a brush and garden hose. If your grill has clogged areas, this will cause overheating. Do not mess with the cooling fins on the radiator. Smashing or bending the fins will reduce the effectiveness of the radiator and could lead to overheating.
- Inspect the radiator cap. Replace it if the rubber gasket is broken, dried out or missing.
- Check the condition and level of coolant. If it is rusty, flush the system and replace it with a 50/50 mixture. Coolant not only serves to keep the engine temperature regulated, but it also lubricates and protects the water pump and radiator. Never put just water in your radiator. This will lead to failure of the cooling system.
- Flush the radiator every 15,000 miles or once a year.
- Inspect radiator and radiator hoses for leaks, cracks or soft, mushy condition. Tighten all clamps. Replace hoses as needed. Change the hoses every 90,000 miles no matter what.
- Look for the heater hose running from the engine, through the firewall, to the heater core under the dash. Replace swollen or cracked hoses. To check the hoses, start the engine and turn on the heater. If after ten minutes the hoses are cool, they could be clogged.
- Inspect all engine belts for wear and cracks. Replace if worn, cracked or glazed. Adjust loose belts. Any cracking or drying belts should be replaced. If the belt for the water pump is worn, your entire system can collapse.
- Check the thermostat operation by running the engine for 10-15 minutes. Generally, it's OK if you can feel warm coolant surging through the upper hose. Beware of an engine that runs too hot or too cool. Tighten loose bolts on the thermostat housing at the engine.
- Clean the engine exterior. Excessive oil and dirt will hide leaks, or insulate the engine, causing it to run hot.
This article was sponsored by RADIATOR.COM.
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