The function of a cooling system of an automobile ' car, truck or SUV is to keep the engine at a constant temperature that is optimal for efficient and effective motor functioning. That is to warm up the engine system and keep it in optimal temperature and operating ranges. Two methods overall have been employed overall to regulate this performance ' air cooling and water cooling. Generally water cooling radiator systems are the most popular and common in most of the vehicles that you come across on the road. Air cooled systems are still employed. The best known and widely used vehicle that employed air cooled engines are some motorcycles and of course the classic Volkswagen VW Beetle auto. Air cooled engines are simpler and less costly to build. As well they "always start" in the coldest of winter temperatures ' be it northern Minnesota, North Dakota or in Manitoba or Fort McMurray Alberta Canada.
As soon as you see the temperature gauge begin to rise into the "warning zone" (or if you have 'idiot lights rather than gauges - Newer modern engines with all of their demands , high output and emission controls have dramatically increased engine temperatures with resultant stress on engines and their components "under the hood" and even the exhaust systems. However, note this with great emphasis - Do Not Stop and Turn Off Your Engine. Let your radiator, engine cooling system and hot water pump all do their jobs of dissipating and eliminating this extra heat that your engine, engine block and cooling system are currently carrying and retaining.
Next of you cannot escape traffic , or speed up in traffic and the temperature gauge continues to escalate or your temperature warning light continues to light up 'shift your transmission into neutral and rev the engine to speed up the water pump circulating the hot coolant in your engine block as well as increase the speed of your radiator fan.
An inoperative electric cooling fan motor or a defective thermostat switch that prevents the fan from coming on can result in severe overheating. If a fan checks out okay , remove the thermostat switch and check it by dipping it in boiling water. An ohmmeter or self powered test light will inform you if the switch is closing or not. Should the thermostat check out ok, there may be a problem in the circuit wiring, fan relay or circuit fuse. If the thermostat has a simple wire lead, grounding the wire should turn on the fan, that is if the circuit is working correctly. Still even if you do not increase the speed of the radiator cooling fan by revving your engine speed, you will increase the flow and resultant cooling effects through the water pump and radiator. As well you will charge your battery, if the battery is run down from sitting in stalled traffic.
The radiator is a honeycomb of small tubes and fins. The hot coolant flows through the tubes and is cooled by air passing around the tubes and fins. In such cases pull off the road immediately. The cooling system uses several hoses to carry hot coolant under pressure from one place to another. They include upper and lower radiator hoses, inlet and outlet heater hoses and on some vehicles a radiator bypass hose. Hoses may have to perform in atmospheres and settings where one day it may be a frigid Manitoba or Northern BC winter freeze and a baking oven the next - even overheating due to low as well as inadequate levels of antifreeze fluids. Most importantly resist the temptation to open the hood and examine the engine, even if smoke (really steam) is escaping from under the hood. Coolant recovery systems are part of most cooling systems of most current and late model cars , trucks, buses , SUVs and vans. A coolant recovery system uses a reservoir to hold the overflow of coolant as it is heated and expands. After the engine has been stopped and "cools down", a partial vacuum exists that draws the coolant back into the radiator - you run the greatest chance of being burned severely by hot scalding liquid and boiling hot steam. If you have to wait a minimum of half an hour or so until lifting up the engine hood. Again to stress and emphasize a major point - The radiator pressure cap controls the pressure in the cooling system. Coolant , just like water, boils at higher temperatures under pressure that it does without pressure ( just like a pressure cooker). Therefore the cooling system of a vehicle is designed to function at high temperatures with the system working under atmospheric pressures. As a motorist you risk scalds and burns from escaping and bubbling engine coolant and boiling steam.