How radiator cap can cause you to replace an entire engine

Did you know that, a radiator cap, a tiny lead going for around Sh. 500 bob  is the cheapest and most overlooked part in your cooling system. The next time you replace this cap try and make sure you get a genuine one. Most of these generic caps mostly made in China and Taiwan are the main causes of overheating. So what are the functions of this cap?

1. A radiator cap keeps the cooling system pressurized and this raises the boiling point of the coolant. This protects your engine from “boil-offs” of the coolant.
2. It regulates pressure within the cooling system. When pressure almost reaches the Cap’s limit, it’s pressure spring allows some coolant to flow into the reservoir tank.
3. The cap has a vacuum valve that allows coolant to flow from the reservoir tank to the radiator during cool down. I will list down several symptoms will help you identify the radiator cap as the main culprit when it comes to overheating.

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The symptoms

1. The number one symptom is an overflowing reservoir.

As coolant/ Water goes into the reservoir tank as it expands. The radiator cap releases the extra pressure by sending some coolant into the overflow tank. If you have a faulty radiator cap, the coolant  gets released too quickly and causes the reservoir to overflow.

2. Collapsing of the radiator hoses or pipes.

If the vacuum within the cooling system is not released properly by the radiator cap, it will make the radiator hose collapse during the cooling down phase.

3. The radiator hose bursting. This is as a result of the pressure within the cooling system not being released adequately.

4. Leaking coolant on the radiator cap neck. This will happen if the seals on the cap are worn out.

So the next time you observe the temperature gauge on your vehicle going above half, the cap should be the first component of the cooling system that you should check. The best radiator caps to buy are the ex-Japan ones. You will mostly find them from spare part dealers in most major towns. Most of the brand new ones are not long lasting and they can lead to some very expensive repairs.