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How Radiator Caps Can Lead to Radiator Failures


How Radiator Caps Can Lead to Radiator Failures

The radiator cap keeps the coolant level in the radiator at the desired amount.

The cap releases coolant to the overflow bottle, at a certain pressure, then draws it back as the engine cools, to maintain the correct coolant level.

A weak radiator cap (or the wrong one for the application) can allow excessive amounts of coolant to escape into the overflow reservoir when the engine gets hot. Which then prevents it from being siphoned back into the radiator as the engine cools leading to a low coolant level. So always pressure test the cap to make sure it holds pressure and meets the specifications for the application.

1. Cause


  • Cracked gasket
  • Missing rubber seal
  • Melted by heat
  • Swollen gasket
  • Weak spring tension

2. Result

Coolant leaking from radiator. Pressure not maintained. Over pressure caused by fluid not being able to force over flow bottle. cooldrive-tech-tips-radiator-caps-2.jpg


3. Prevention

When checking the coolant, also check the radiator cap for worn or cracked rubber gaskets. If the cap does not seal properly, fluid will be lost and the engine will overheat.

A pressure test should be performed on your radiator cap to ensure it is working properly.


Don't let the Radiator Cap cause the Radiator to fail!

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