Coolant Level Sensor

Man’s best friend may be the dog, but a car comes a very close second. Just stop and think of how much one needs a car. A long aimless drive can be just the thing to make one relax, regardless of any stressful situations. These are the drives ones take when on holiday, with friends or lovers. The long open highways in particular are perfect for this sort of thing. One can go this way and that, taking in the scenery, reveling in the open road and the lack of traffic. The wind in one’s hair gets stronger and wilder as the speed of the car increases. Miles and miles of open road just waiting to be explored and the car is just itching to be cruised along those miles. One can go absolutely crazy, and yell and scream and sing along to the radio as loudly and garishly as one wants, no one will object.

The feeling one gets when one is doing something like that – the euphoria, the joy, the pleasure at the pure romance of running away in a car  - can lead to the driver forgetting more practical matters. These matters include looking at their dashboard for anything unusual. And if the driver is really drunk on the fresh air and freedom, they might miss something crucial – a small blinking light that says that their coolant level is running low.

Once that light is noticed, the first reaction is for people to panic. However, experienced drivers will know to pull over to the side of the road as quickly as possible and then check the coolant level.

Why the panic? Because coolant is absolutely crucial to the workings of a modern machine. We’re wandering into the territory of basic physics here. A car engine has a number of moving parts which are constantly experiencing friction. Friction, when taken to extremes, can generate a great deal of heat. Boy scouts learn the power of friction when they rub sticks of wood together to make a fire. So imagine how hot the engine, working at more than ten times the speed of a stick-rubbing boy scout, can get. And when the heat reaches a certain point, the radiator fluid vaporizes. This vapor then condenses and sticks to the inside of the engine, where it rusts often flakes which are even more harmful for the internal workings of the car. In winter, this condensation, like all other liquids, can even expand in the cold and freeze. Parts of the engine can actually break off when this happens.

Coolant is there to make sure that the engine doesn't get that hot. The liquid is placed in the radiator, and it absorbs and dissipates the heat. The car should always have the correct amount of coolant at all times – otherwise the engine can get damaged and accidents are more likely to happen.

So, when planning a long trip, or conducting regular maintenance if the car, the owner must also check the radiator coolant reservoir to make sure that the coolant is there in adequate amounts. Experts recommend checking the coolant system at least twice a year to make sure everything is operating smoothly.

The light in the dashboard gives the signal – that the car’s coolant is low. However, it also has another function; it can help the car owner to understand whether there is a leak in the coolant system or not. If, for example, one fills their radiaotor full with coolant, expecting it to last for a week, one does get a little astounded sometimes when their dashboard tells them that the coolant is dangerously low right after you’ve filled the coolant system. This is the clue – something is lowering the radiator fluid, therefore there must be a leak somewhere.

The coolant level sensor is used to measure the fluid level. Coolant fluid is usually a 50:50 mixture of water and antifreeze. While water can cool the engines down better than antifreeze, antifreeze does not evaporate as easily as water and it also has several other beneficial properties.

So, if one is thinking of buying a car next year, they must make sure that the car’s coolant system is without leaks and has incurred no damage.

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