How does air get in the system and how can I fix it?Īs touched on above, there are several reasons why air can get into the cooling system, and these range from minor issues to severe mechanical problems. Whether it’s a faulty pressure cap or crack in the engine block, if the pressure at which the coolant/antifreeze flows through the engine is affected by a leak, the fluid will reach boiling point causing the engine to overheat. With a head gasket leak, overheating can happen rapidly, with white steam pouring from beneath the bonnet. This means that the cooling system steadily fills with air as the liquid leaks into the cylinders, reducing the liquid pressure of the system which causes the fluid to reach boiling point. At the same time, coolant/antifreeze flows into the cylinder head through the leak in the head gasket. In the case of a blown head gasket, air enters the cooling system and causes bubbling. Cooling systems are pressurised to raise the boiling point of the fluid, with the pressure cap and the overflow helping to raise the temperature at which the coolant/antifreeze boils. When there’s a leak in the cooling system, the pressure of the liquid drops and so does the boiling point of the coolant/antifreeze. Why does air in the cooling system cause overheating? This escaped air causes bubbling in the coolant/antifreeze reservoir, which can often be mistaken for boiling.Īside from a blown head gasket, there are several other causes for air inside in the cooling system, which we’ll come to later. One of the most common causes is a blown head gasket, in which the air pressure inside the cylinder heads is transferred to the cooling system. When air gets into this sealed system, air pockets can form and cause blockages, which can lead to bubbling and overheating.īubbling indicates rising air pressure in the cooling system, which is a sign that the flow of liquid is blocked by a pocket of air. Cooling systems in most cars are pressurised, and rely on a leak-free closed circuit of hoses to pump coolant/antifreeze around the engine.
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