Do you know these tiny radiator covers have sent so many vehicles and engines to early graves.
They look so small but very vital in your cooling system and when used wrongly you stand a chance of loosing your engine.

Now, that small spring you see under your radiator covers have you ever asked yourself why its there and its function or you think its for fancy?
Radiator covers work like a kind of supply and recovery system through the help of valves.
There are two major valves that do these jobs. They are the RADIATOR CAP PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE and VACCUM VENT VALVE. Their job in a lay man's voice is for to and fro of pressurized vapour.

As engine is running, coolant boils and become vapour, its temperature rises. As the temperature and pressure rise further and above atmospheric pressure more pressure builds against the spring of the pressure relief valve of the radiator cap untill at a certain pressure the valve opens.

When the valve opens the hot coolant flows out into an overflow container (the white container that sits beside the radiator with tiny hose and cover on top).
As the engine cools, the coolant contracts, pressure in the radiator drops, atmospheric pressure in the overflow container will then open the second valve of the radiator cover (THE VACCUM VENT VALVE) and overflow coolant flows back into the radiator.

You experience this more when your car overheats. This is why its very dangerous to open your radiator cap at this point because thats the point the atmospheric pressure and pressure of the hot radiator are battling and trying to balance each other.
If you dare open either the radiator cover or the overflow cap at this point you will get a massive explosion of your life, so stay safe.

NOW, HOW DO THIS RADIATOR COVER DAMAGE ENGINE?

▪︎ When the pressure relief valve is faulty and refuse to open, hot vapour cannot be released from the engine so it will find a weak point like top gasket, radiator plastic or any weak part of the radiator, hose or engine block and burst it open and discharge from there.

▪︎ If it opens and didn't close back or the return valve didn't open you may loose all the coolant in your radiator inform of vapour, your engine will dry, crack and burn.

Now you've got the point, can you now see that little things matters.
If you like change your radiator fan or wash your radiator 100 times and still fails to replace your faulty radiator cover your engine will continue to overheat.


©️Engr Gozie Atueyi.

Abegi. All that one na last resort.the main ish na fuse and hose going from radiator to back to engine,with heater hose. Out of frustration I've opened my radiator cover when I panicked. Due to rising temperature. Not knowing the fan fuse failed and I be dey on AC. Omo e burn my skin .since then I ordered from aliexpress the cover that shows psi pressure guage direct.