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 operating temperature as quickly as possible.
Overheating is one of the most common causes of engine damage. It can cause things such as blown head gaskets, cracked blocks, and damaged piston rings. The best way to protect against problems like these are to be proactive and have your preventive maintenance taken care of at the right intervals.
Although each car manufacturer has their own recommendations, here is an overview of what Inland Import recommends for most cooling systems preventative maintenance.
Water Pumps should be changed every 100-120k miles on average.
Radiators are recommended to be replaced every 10 years or 200k miles. Regardless if it is leaking or not. (Most radiators are now made of a hard plastic. Over time the plastic gets weak and will eventually brake, crack, or leak. When that happens, the chances of you overheating your engine greatly increase.)
Thermostats are recommended to be replaced at the same time as the radiator or if it becomes faulty before hand.
Radiator Caps can pretty much go bad at any time. It is important for it to be checked at the same time as an oil change service. Otherwise, we recommend replacing it at the same time as the radiator.
Coolant Hoses should also be inspected with every oil change. And replaced as needed.
Coolant is replaced any time one of the above jobs has been performed. Coolant you buy now is good for 100k miles on average.
